Plural Formation

• for a definition of plural see Plural (definition)
• for an article on the inflection of adjectives in the plural see XXX

Plural type 1 Slenderization

Plural type 1.1 - Orthographic i

Make the final consonant slender orthographically by inserting an i before the final consonant. This sometimes shifts the pronunciation of the final vowel as well. /bor'əNəx/ --> /bor'əNiç/.

Common singular	Common/Dative plural	English
an cat	na cait	cat
am boireannach	na boireannaich	woman
an t-òran	na h-òrain	song

Plural type 1.2 - Orthographic vowel change

Make the final vowel slender by changing the orthographic vowel

Common singular	Common/Dative plural	English
an t-iasg	na h-èisg	fish
am bòrd	na bùird	table

Plural type 2 - suffix (e)an

Plural type 2.1 suffix -an

Common singular	Common/Dative Plural	English
an gille	an gillean	boy
a' nighean	na nigheanan	girl
a' chraobh	na chraobhan	tree
a' bhròg	na brògan	shoe
a' phòg	na pògan	kiss
a' sgian	na sgianan	knife
an leanabh	na leanabhan	child
pàisde	pàisdean	infant

2.2 suffix -ean

Common singular	Common/Dative plural	English
an taigh	na taighean	house
an t-iasgadair	na hiasgadairan	fisherman
cariad	caraidean	friend
càird	càirdean	relative

2.3 make slender and suffix -ean

Common singular	Common/Dative plural	English
an clàrsach	na clàrsaichean	harp
an rathad	na rathaidean	road
am monadh	na monaidhean	moor

2.4 syncope and suffix -an

Common singular	Common/Dative plural	English
an t-ubhal	na h-ubhlan	egg

Suffix anan

rium riumanan room

Suffix tan

Common singular	Common/Dative plural	English
a' bheinn	na beanntan	mountain

Plural type 3, suffix (a)ichean

singular	plural	English
an car	na càraichean	car
an bocsa	na bocsaichean	box
am bàta	na bàtaichean	boat

irregular plurals

singular	plural	English
a' chaora	na caoraich	sheep
an cù	na coin
an duine	na daoine	husband/person
a' mhuir	na marannan	sea
a' bhò	na ba	cow