Nouns

Nouns (types) of nouns

Common Nouns

Common noun stems can be simple or compound (cf. Macaulay 1992, 207). Compound stems are most often formed by noun-noun combinations, adjective-noun ones, and/or by adding prefixes and suffiXes:

Noun-Noun Combination

bUth-obrach (brith 'shop' + obrach gen. ofobair 'work')

Noun-Adjective Combination

mor-shluagh (mor adj., 'big'+ sluagh 'people')

Preposition-Noun Combination

ro-shealladh (ro prep., 'before' + sea//adh 'view')

Noun-Suffix Combination

bodachan (bodach 'old man' +-an diminutive suffix)

The stem, or final suffix if present, indicates case and number. Nouns that are headed by another noun, even in compounds, take the genitive case although this is not always heard in informal speech.

Inverted Nominals

Possessors in the genitive follow the possessed noun

Possessed + article + possessor(gen)

See Also

• Noun Declension
• Noun Phrases