Lenition is an [[Initial Consonant Mutation]] which "weakens" (cf. Latin ''lenis'' 'weak') the sound of the [[Consonant (definition)|consonant]] at the beginning of a word. It is used to mark certain [[Morphology (definition)|morphological]] contrasts and to mark [[Inflection (definition)|inflection]]. It is also inaccurately known as [[aspiration]] (which is the term used for a phonological phenomenon involving a burst of air). We will use the more accurate term ''lenition'' here.

==Orthographic Changes==

For most letters, lenition is indicated by putting an <h> after the first consonant in the word. For example, when the word ''caora'' 'sheep' follows the [[Feminine (definition)|feminine]] [[Article|article]] '' a' '', it is lenited and is written '' a' chaora''.

The consonants written <l, n, r>, when subject to lenition ([[Lenition#Sonorants|see below]]), show no orthographic change.

==Phonological Changes==

===Stops===

{| class="wikitable" border="1"
|-
! Radical
! Lenited
! Example (radical)
! Example (lenited)
|-
| [pʰ]
| [f]
| '''''p'''aileat'' ['''pʰ'''aiʎəʰt̪] 'a pilot'
| ''aig a' '''ph'''aileat'' [ɛg̊ʲ ə '''f'''aiʎəʰt̪] 'at the pilot'
|-
| [b̊]
| [v]
| '''''b'''odach'' ['''b̊'''ɔd̪̊ax] 'an old man'
| ''a '''bh'''odaich'' [ə '''v'''ɔd̪̊ɪç] 'old man (voc.)'
|-
| [t̪ʰ]
| [h]
| '''''t'''uathanach'' ['''t̪ʰ'''uəhənax] 'a farmer'
| ''a '''th'''uathanaich'' [ə '''h'''uəhənɪç] 'farmer (voc.)'
|-
| [tʲʰ]
| [h]
| '''''t'''eachdaire'' ['''tʲʰ'''ɛxg̊ɪɾʲə] 'a messenger'
| ''a '''th'''eachdaire'' [ə '''h'''ɛxg̊ɪɾʲə] 'messenger (voc.)'
|-
| [d̪̊]
| [ɣ]
| '''''d'''uine'' [d̪̊uɲə] 'a man'
| ''a '''dh'''uine'' [ə '''ɣ'''uɲə] 'man (voc.)'
|-
| [d̊ʲ]
| [ʝ]
| '''''Di'''ùrachh'' ['''d̊ʲ'''uːɾax] 'a Jura-man'
| ''a '''Dh'''iùraich'' [ə '''ʝ'''uːɾɪç] 'Jura-man (voc.)'
|-
| [kʰ]
| [x]
| '''''c'''ailleach'' ['''kʰ'''aʎax] 'an old woman'
| ''aig a' '''ch'''ailleach'' [ɛg̊ʲ ə '''x'''aʎax] 'at the old woman'
|-
| [kʲʰ]
| [ç]
| '''''c'''eannaiche'' ['''kʲʰ'''an̪ˠɪçə] 'a salesman'
| ''a '''ch'''eannaiche'' [ə '''ç'''an̪ˠɪçə] 'salesman (voc.)'
|-
| [g̊]
| [ɣ]
| '''''g'''obha'' ['''g̊'''o.ə] 'a smith'
| ''a '''gh'''obha'' [ə '''ɣ'''o.ə] 'smith (voc.)'
|-
| [g̊ʲ]
| [ʝ]
| '''''g'''ille'' ['''g̊ʲ'''iʎə] boy'
| ''a '''gh'''ille'' [ə '''ʝ'''iʎə] 'boy (voc.)'
|}

===Fricatives===

{| class="wikitable" border="1"
|-
! Radical
! Lenited
! Example (radical)
! Example (lenited)
|-
| [f]
| null
| '''''F'''rangach'' ['''f'''ɾaŋgax] 'a Frenchman'
| ''a '''Fh'''rangaich'' [ə ɾaŋgɪç] 'Frenchman (voc.)'
|-
| [s̪]
| [h]
| '''''s'''uipear'' ['''s̪'''uʰpəɾ] 'supper'
| ''do '''sh'''uipear'' [d̪̊ə '''h'''uʰpəɾ] 'your (sg.) supper'
|-
| [ʃ]
| [h]
| '''''s'''eòladair'' ['''ʃ'''ɔːɫ̪əd̪̊ɪɾʲ] 'a sailor'
| ''a '''sh'''eòladair'' [ə '''h'''ɔːɫ̪əd̪̊ɪɾʲ] 'sailor (voc.)'
|}

===Sonorants===

{| class="wikitable" border="1"
|-
! Radical
! Lenited
! Example (radical)
! Example (lenited)
|-
| [m]
| [ṽ]
| '''''m'''ath'' ['''m'''a] 'good (masc.)'
| '''''mh'''ath'' ['''ṽ'''a] 'good (fem.)'
|-
| [n̪ˠ]
| [n]
| '''''n'''asg'' ['''n̪ˠ'''asg̊] 'a link'
| ''a '''n'''asg'' [ə '''n'''asg̊] 'his link'
|-
| [ɲ]
| [n]
| '''''n'''ighean'' ['''ɲ'''iː.an] 'a daughter'
| ''a '''n'''ighean'' [ə '''n'''iː.an] 'his daughter'
|-
| [ɫ̪]
| [l]
| '''''l'''atha'' ['''ɫ̪'''a.a] 'a day'
| ''a '''l'''atha'' [ə '''l'''a.a] 'day (voc.)'
|-
| [ʎ]
| [l]
| '''''l'''eabhar'' ['''ʎ'''ɔːɾ] 'a book'
| ''a '''l'''eabhair'' [ə '''l'''ɔːɾʲ] 'book (voc.)'
|-
| [rˠ]
| [r]
| '''''r'''uith'' ['''rˠ'''uç] 'run (imperative)'
| '''''r'''uith'' ['''ɾ'''uç] 'ran'
|}

===Restrictions===

Initial <sp>, <st>, <sg>, and sometimes <sn> (depending upon the dialect) do not undergo lenition.

==Lenition Triggers==

Lenition is a pervasive feature of Gaelic morphology, and there is no simple way to characterise the environments in which lenition appears. Nevertheless, it is possible to list the diverse environments that trigger lenition. In the following list, the environments are sorted by the part of speech of the lenited word.

* Lenition on verbs:
** triggered by the negative particle ''cha(n)''
** triggered by the negative interrogative/subordinating particle nach
** triggered by past tense particles (''do''/null)/''(do) dh’''
** triggered by the relative particle ''a''

* Lenition on nouns:
** triggered by some forms of the definite article ''an/a’''
** triggered by some possessive agreement markers
** triggered by some prepositions
** triggered by the numerals ''aon'' ‘one’ and ''dhà'' ‘two’
** realises some number/case inflection on nouns
** obligatory on right-hand member of some compounds
** triggered by some derivational prefixes

* Lenition on adjectives:
** triggered by intensifiers ''glè'' ‘very’, ''ro'' ‘too’, and ''fior'' ‘truly’
** realises gender/number/case inflection on adjectives

==See Also==
*[[Initial Consonant Mutations]]
*[[Initial Consonant Mutation (definition)]]
*[[Nasalization]]

==External Links==

==References==

Stewart, Thomas W. (2004). ''Mutation as Morphology: Bases, Stems, and Shapes in Scottish Gaelic.'' Doctoral dissertation, The Ohio State University.

Pyatt, Elizabeth (1997). ''An Integrated Model of the Phonology and Syntax of Celtic Mutations''. Doctoral dissertation, Harvard University.

Rogers, Henry (1972). The initial mutations in modern Scots Gaelic. ''Studia Celtica'' 7: 63-65.

Ní Chiosáin, Máire (1994). Irish Palatalisation and the Representation of Place Features. ''Phonology'' 11(1): 89-106.

Ó Dochartaigh, Cathair (1979). Lenition and dependency phonology. ''Eigse'' 17: 458-494.

Oftedal, Magne (1962). A morphemic evaluation of the Celtic initial mutations. ''Lochlann'' 2: 93-102.

Malone, Joseph L. (1986). Servo-features, [+distributed], and Old Irish sonorant lenition. ''Linguistic Inquiry'' 17(3): 568-573.

Hamp, Eric P. (1951). Morphophonemes of the Keltic mutations. ''Language'' 27: 230-247.

Lieber, Rochelle (1983). New developments in autosegmental morphology: consonant mutation. ''Proceedings of WCCFL 2'': 165-175.

Green, Antony D. (2007).'' Phonology Limited.'' Linguistik in Potsdam 27.

Grijzenhout, Janet (1995). ''Irish Consonant Mutation and Phonological Theory.'' Ph. D. dissertation, Utrecht University.

Cram, David (1975). Grammatical and phonological conditioning of initial mutations in Scottish Gaelic. ''Leuvense Bijdragen'' 64: 363-375.

Gillies, William (1993). ''Scottish Gaelic''. In The Celtic Languages (Martin J. Ball and James Fife, eds.): 145-227.

[[Category:Phonology]]
[[Category:Morphology]]

2009-09-21T21:29:25Z

ColinGorrie: /* Phonological Changes */ Added fricatives.

Lenition

2009-09-21T21:08:00Z

ColinGorrie: Normalised transcription to akerbeltz (with minor adaptations)

Lenition

2009-09-21T20:33:51Z

ColinGorrie: Lenition chart for stops