Genitive Formation

Genitive Articles

The genitive is used to indicate an object that is a possessor. The genitive also occurs with a number of prepositions, verbal nouns, and nouns in which they are a dependent relation (Lamb 2001:29).

The masculine singular genitive pattern is identical to the feminine common case pattern, and dative case forms.

Singular Masculine Genitive

Before	form	Example
labial and velar stops (b, p, g, c) and m	a'L	a' bhòrd
f	anL	an fhuachd
s followed by vowels, l, n, r	an t- (i.e. anT)	an tsluaigh
all other sounds	an	an taighe

(table based on Fisher (2004)

The feminine genitive is identical to common case plural

Feminine Singular Genitive

Before	form	Example
consonants	na	na muc
Vowels	na h- (i.e. anH)	na h-adhairce

(table based on Fisher (2004)

The plural of genitive uses some variety of Nan/Nam:

Plural Genitive of both Genders

Before	form	Example
labial consonants (b, p, f)	nam	nam bocsaichean
All other sounds	nan	nan taighean

(table based on Fisher (2004)

Prepositions which trigger genitive case

Several simple prepositions always require the genitive case of the noun following them.

• far 'off'
• rè 'during'
• tarsainn 'across'
• thar 'over'

Complex prepositions require that the following noun be in the genitive. A sample of these prepositions are given in the table below, selected from Lamb 2001(47).

Complex prepositions associated with genitive case

Preposition	English
a dh'ionnsaidh	towards
a thaobh	about; regarding
air feadh	through; amongst
air son	for the sake of
am measg	in the midst of
an àite	in place of
an dèidh	after
ri linn	because of; during

Forming the Genitive of Nouns

Varies depending upon declension class and gender

singular

The following vowel changes mark attenuation

• i) a --> ui
• ii) ea --> i
• iii) ea --> ei
• iv) ia --> èi
• v) ò --> ùi
• vi) eu --> eòi
• vii) io -> i (this is is rarely found after the spelling reform)

Declension Class A: The Genitive and the Common Class Are Identical

Apart from mutations triggered by the appropriate article, the shape of the noun is identical in the common and genitive case with Declension Class A nouns.

• an duine --> an duine
• am posta --> a' phosta
• a' chuairt --> na chuairt

Declension Class B: Attenuate the final consonant

Class B1: insert an i before the final consonant

• an cat --> a' chait
• an cladach --> a' chladaich
• an sabhal --> an t-sabhail
• am balach --> a' bhalaich
• an rathad --> an rathaid
• an glumag --> a' ghlumaig

Class B2: Change the final vowel

• an t-allt --> an uillt (B2i)
• an ceann --> a' chinn (B2ii)
• an t-each --> an eich (B2iii)
• am fiadh --> an fhèidh (B2iv)
• an t-òrd --> an ùird (B2v)
• an eun --> an eòin (B2vi)

Declension Class D: Suffix either e or a (ə)

Class D1: suffix -e

• an t-Sàbaid --> na Sàbaide (but note Latha na Sabaid with no e)

Class D2: suffix -e, attenuate final consonant with -i-'

• an t-slat --> na slaite
• a' ghlumaig --> na glumaige

Class D3: suffix -e, attenuate with a vowel change

• an uinneag --> na h-uinneige

Class Dy: suffix -e, syncope, attenuate if necessary

• a' mhadainn --> na maidne

Class Dz: suffix -a'

• an t-am --> an ama
• am fiodh --> an fhiodha
• an loch --> an locha

Class Daa: suffix -a, broaden by deleting orthographic i

Class Dbb: suffix -a, broaden by orthographic vowel change'

Class Dcc: suffix -a, syncope, broaden by orthographic vowel change'

• an dùthaich --> na dùthcha

Declension Class F: Suffix -n

• an cù --> biadh a' choin

Declension Class G: Suffix -(e)ach

• Litir --> Litreach
• caora --> caorach

Genitive Plurals

Plurals of the type ending in -an, ean, remain the same in the plural genitive.

na taighean is both plural common case and plural genitive.

Word Order in Possessive Genitive Constructions

Possessed + Genitive Article + possessor (genitive case)

Forming the Genitive of Adjectives

beag --> bhig (m), mòr --> mhòir

See Also

• Articles
• Genitive Case (definition)
• Genitive Constructions
• Case (definition)
• Noun Declension

References

MacDonald, J.A. (1976) Gàidhlig Bheo, vol 3. National Extension College