Plural Formation
From Scottish Gaelic Grammar Wiki
Revision as of 01:00, 25 June 2009 by AndrewCarnie (talk | contribs)
- for a definition of plural see Plural (definition)
- for an article on the inflection of adjectives in the plural see XXX
Contents
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 -(e)an
Adjust new consonant cluster to meet Broad and Slender of original final consonant, then suffix -ean or -an
| Common singular | Common/Dative plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| an t-ubhal | na h-ubhlan | egg |
| bràthair | bràithrean | brother |
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' bhò | na ba | cow |
| a' chaora | na caoraich | sheep |
| an cù | na coin | dog |
| an duine | na daoine | husband/person |
| a' mhuir | na marannan | sea |
| a' phiuthair | na peathraichean | sister |
