Prepositions

For a definition of preposition see the page Preposition (definition)

Gaelic has both simple prepositions and complex ones. In this article you'll find first a list of all the prepositions, then at the bottom you'll find some useful charts about how prepositions inflect for person and number.

List of Gaelic Simple Prepositions

• aig 'at' (does not lenite, takes dative case)
• air 'on' (does **not** lenite, takes dative case)
• ann an/ anns/ ann 'in' (ann an does not lenite and takes dative case)
• à/às 'out of'/'from' (as in place of national origin) (does **not** lenite, takes dative case)
• bho 'from' (as in source of movement) (lenite, takes dative case)
• chun 'to the' (in the sense of "as far as" but not "into" (can only be used with a definite noun, does not lenite, and takes genitive case)
• de (dhe^L/de^L) 'of/off' (lenite, takes dative case)
• do (do^L) 'to/for' (lenite, takes dative case)
• fo (fo^L) 'under' (lenite, takes dative case)
• eadar 'between' (does **not** lenite, takes accusative case)
• far 'off' (does not lenite, takes genitive case)
• gu (thun/chun) 'to' (gu does not lenite, takes dative case, gus lenite and takes XXX case)
• gun 'without' (lenite (except the dental sounds <d,t,n,l,r,s>). Depending upon the dialect it takes either dative or accusative case)
• le 'with' (does not [[[Lenition|lenite]], takes dative case)
• mar 'like'/'as'
• mu 'about' (lenite, takes dative case)
• o 'from' (lenite, takes dative case)
• rè 'during' (does not lenite (except when the object is a definite plural), and takes genitive case)
• ri 'to' (does not lenite, takes dative case)
• ro (roimh) 'before' (lenite, takes dative case)
• thar 'over'/'beyond' (does not [[[Lenition|lenite]], and takes genitive case)
• tharsainn 'across' (does not lenite, and takes genitive case)
• trìd 'through, on account of' (does not lenite, and takes genitive case)
• tro (troimh) 'through' (lenite, takes dative case)

List of Gaelic Complex and Compound Prepositions

(List taken from Mark 2004:686 and Lamb 2003:49)

• a chum 'for the purpose of' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the genitive case)
• a dh'ionnsaigh 'towards' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the genitive case)
• a rèir 'according to' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the genitive case)
• a thaobh 'regarding' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the genitivecase)
• air cùlaibh 'behind' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the genitive case)
• air feadh 'amongst' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the genitive case)
• air muin 'on top of' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the genitive case)
• air sgàth 'for the sake of' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the genitive case)
• air son/airson 'for'/'because' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the genitive case)
• air tòir ' in pursuit of (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the genitive case)
• am fianais 'in the presence of' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the genitive case)
• am measg 'among' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the genitive case)
• an aghaidh 'against' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the genitive case)
• an àite 'in place of' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the genitive case)
• an ceann 'within' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the genitive case)
• an coinneamh 'met with' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the genitive case)
• an coimeas ri 'compared to' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the dative case)
• an dèidh 'after' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the genitive case)
• an làthair 'in the presence of' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the genitive case)
• an taca ri 'next to' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the dative case)
• às aonais 'without' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the genitive case)
• às eugmhais 'without' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the genitive case)
• às leth 'on behalf of' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the genitive case)
• às dèidh 'after' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the genitive case)
• barrachd air 'in addition to' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the dative case)
• ceangailte ri 'tied to' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the accusative case)
• coltach ri 'similar to' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the accusative case)
• còmhla ri 'along with' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the dative case)
• cuide ri 'along with' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the dative case)
• fa chomhair 'opposite' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the genitive case)
• faisg air 'close to' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the dative case)
• goirid air 'close to' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the dative case)
• làmh ri 'next to', 'compared to' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the dative case)
• maille ri 'along with' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the dative case)
• mu chomhair 'opposite' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the genitive case)
• mu dheidhinn 'concerning' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the genitive case)
• mu thimcheall 'regarding' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the genitive case)
• mun cuairt 'around' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the genitivecase)
• mun cuairt air 'around" (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the dative case)
• os cionn 'above' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the genitive case)
• gu ruige 'as far as, up to' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the accusative case)
• seachad air 'past' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the dative case)
• suas ri 'up to' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the dative case)
• thairis air 'across' (followed by a noun or noun phrase in the dative case)

List of Gaelic Adverbial Particles (intransitive prepositions)

• a-bhàn 'down', 'downwards'
• a-nìos 'up', 'upwards'

The Inflection of Gaelic Prepositions

Gaelic Prepositions inflect for person, number and gender when they take a pronoun as an object. For example if we were to say "at me", we use the inflected form "agam".

• A complete set of inflected form of the prepositions can be found at Prepositional Inflection

References

• Mark, Colin (2004) The Gaelic-English Dictionary/Am faclair Gàidhlig-Beurla. London: Routledge
• Lamb, William (2003) Scottish Gaelic. 2nd edition. Munich: Lingcom Europa
• Deiseal Earranta tta (2006) Reference Cards: Sealbhairean Roimhearach/Riochdairean Roimhearach.