Notes on Classical Gaelic Grammar - Revision history

Silmeth at 11:21, 6 November 2025

2025-11-06T11:21:24Z

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	'''Classical Gaelic''' or '''Classical Irish''' ('''Gáoidhealg''' or '''Gaoidhealg''' {{IPA\|/ɡəːð´əlɡ ~ ɡəːɣ´əlɡ/}} in the language itself) was the standard language of bardic poetry in Ireland and Scotland between 13th and 18th century. It was created in late 12th century by poets trying to bring the poetic language closer to the vernacular of that time, the standard allowed a lot of spoken forms used in the dialects of late 12th century, even though it was itself highly prescriptive.<ref name="ling-training" group="gr" />		'''Classical Gaelic''' or '''Classical Irish''' ('''Gáoidhealg''' or '''Gaoidhealg''' {{IPA\|/ɡəːð´əlɡ ~ ɡəːɣ´əlɡ/}} in the language itself) was the standard language of bardic poetry in Ireland and Scotland between 13th and 18th century. It was created in late 12th century by poets trying to bring the poetic language closer to the vernacular of that time, the standard allowed a lot of spoken forms used in the dialects of late 12th century, even though it was itself highly prescriptive.<ref name="ling-training" group="gr" />

	While the spoken language evolved, the grammar of the language used in poetry was kept fixed throughout centuries (although new vocabulary was ~~used in poetry~~). The spoken language of 13th–18th century Ireland (and one used in prose texts) is called ''Early Modern Irish'' while the term ''Classical Gaelic'' is typically reserved for the standardized conservative language of the bardic poetry.		While the spoken language evolved, the grammar of the language used in poetry was kept fixed throughout centuries (although new vocabulary was being adopted with every generation of poets). The spoken language of 13th–18th century Ireland (and one used in prose texts) is called ''Early Modern Irish'' while the term ''Classical Gaelic'' is typically reserved for the standardized conservative language of the bardic poetry.

	This article deals with elements of grammar of this bardic standard (although it might mention some developments rejected in the bardic standard occasionally). But bear in mind it’s more of a random collection of notes (mostly from ''Bardic Syntactical Tracts''<ref name="BST" group="gr" /> and ''IGT i''<ref name="ABP" group="gr" /><ref name="IGT" group="gr" />) than a comprehensive grammar. It’s also a work in progress.		This article deals with elements of grammar of this bardic standard (although it might mention some developments rejected in the bardic standard occasionally). But bear in mind it’s more of a random collection of notes (mostly from ''Bardic Syntactical Tracts''<ref name="BST" group="gr" /> and ''IGT i''<ref name="ABP" group="gr" /><ref name="IGT" group="gr" />) than a comprehensive grammar. It’s also a work in progress.

Silmeth: /* Slégar */

2024-11-28T20:10:19Z

Slégar

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	* ''slégar'' affects both definite and indefinite phrases,		* ''slégar'' affects both definite and indefinite phrases,
	* ''slégar'' can also undo lenition, changing regularly lenited noun into an unmutated one, and it can change eclipsis into lenition.		* ''slégar'' can also undo lenition, changing regularly lenited noun into an unmutated one, and it can change eclipsis into lenition.

			Scottish Gaelic lenition of indefinite genitives plural might also have developed out of slégar.

	== Prepositions ==		== Prepositions ==

Silmeth: /* Generalizing relative clauses */

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Generalizing relative clauses

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	The generalizing relative pronoun can also combine with a preposition, very common with ''do'' ‘from, of’:		The generalizing relative pronoun can also combine with a preposition, very common with ''do'' ‘from, of’:
	* ''gach ní '''dá''' mbeanfadh rinn'' ‘every thing '''of all those''' that would concern us’<ref>From the letter of Rósa Ní Dhochartaigh, see [~~the scan of the manuscript~~ https://archive.org/details/contemporaryhistv1p2gilb/page/n151/mode/1up] and [~~transcription with translation and analysis~~ https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ggzP0v1V_0sCUFwn4DsSwwdlrQgCwQNd/view?usp=sharing]</ref>		* ''gach ní '''dá''' mbeanfadh rinn'' ‘every thing '''of all those''' that would concern us’<ref>From the letter of Rósa Ní Dhochartaigh, see [https://archive.org/details/contemporaryhistv1p2gilb/page/n151/mode/1up the scan of the manuscript] and [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ggzP0v1V_0sCUFwn4DsSwwdlrQgCwQNd/view?usp=sharing transcription with translation and analysis]</ref>

	=== Whose-relative clauses ===		=== Whose-relative clauses ===

Silmeth: /* Labials */

2024-11-12T21:54:55Z

Labials

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	* ''b(h)'' + ''m(h)'' → ''m'' (''cráobh'' + ''mín'' = ''cráoimín''; ''ibhmid'' ‘we drink’ read as if ''\*imid'')		* ''b(h)'' + ''m(h)'' → ''m'' (''cráobh'' + ''mín'' = ''cráoimín''; ''ibhmid'' ‘we drink’ read as if ''\*imid'')
	* ''b'' + ''m(h)'' → ''bm'' (''cab'' + ''mín'' = ''caibmín'')		* ''b'' + ''m(h)'' → ''bm'' (''cab'' + ''mín'' = ''caibmín'')
	* ''b(h)'' + ''p'' → ''p'' (''garbh'' + ''peann'' → ''gairpeann'', )		* ''b(h)'' + ''p'' → ''p'' (''garbh'' + ''peann'' → ''gairpeann'')

	* ''m(h)'' + b(h)'' → ''m'' (''cam'' + ''bél'' → ''caimél'' – note difference with modern surname ''Caimbéal'')		* ''m(h)'' + ''b(h)'' → ''m'' (''cam'' + ''bél'' → ''caimél'' – note difference with modern surname ''Caimbéal'')
	* ''m(h)'' + m(h)'' → ''m'' (''cáomh'' + ''mín'' → ''cáoimín'')		* ''m(h)'' + ''m(h)'' → ''m'' (''cáomh'' + ''mín'' → ''cáoimín'')
	* ''m'' + p(h)'' → ''mp'' (''gorm'' + ''port'' → ''gormport'', ''lom'' + ''peann'' → ''loimpeann'')		* ''m'' + ''p(h)'' → ''mp'' (''gorm'' + ''port'' → ''gormport'', ''lom'' + ''peann'' → ''loimpeann'')

	That is: sequences ''bhmh'' and ''mhbh'' change to ''m'', but ''bmh'' to ''bm''.		That is: sequences ''bhmh'' and ''mhbh'' change to ''m'', but ''bmh'' to ''bm''.

Silmeth: /* Relative clauses */

2024-11-12T21:12:28Z

Relative clauses

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	Relative clauses are generally formed by putting the verb in relative form, if possible – for regular verbs this means the ''-s'' ending in present and future tenses, and leniting it. Compound verbs use their independent form (the preverb is not lenited):		Relative clauses are generally formed by putting the verb in relative form, if possible – for regular verbs this means the ''-s'' ending in present and future tenses, and leniting it. Compound verbs use their independent form (the preverb is not lenited):

	* ''an fear mheallas gile a ghrúaidhe'' ‘the man whom the brightness of his cheek ~~beguiles’~~(?) (cited by McKenna in ''BST'', from ''Poetry of Pilib Bocht'', 22 17)		* ''don chloinn '''charfas''' sibh'' ‘to the children '''who’ll love''' you’<ref>From Bergin’s edition of ''A Gaelic Miscellany'', ie. ''A leabhráin ainmnighthear d’Aodh''; since ''sibh'' is the direct object here perhaps it should be emended to ''ibh''</ref>
	* ''madh ionann breath bheireas siad'' ‘if the judgement they deliver is the same’(?)		* ''an fear '''mheallas''' gile a ghrúaidhe'' ‘the man '''whom''' the brightness of his cheek '''beguiles'''’(?) (cited by McKenna in ''BST'', from ''Poetry of Pilib Bocht'', 22 17)
	* ''an fear do-ní an réd'' ‘the man who does the thing’		* ''madh ionann breath '''bheireas siad''''' ‘if the judgement '''they deliver''' is the same’(?)
	* ''an triar táinig'' ‘the three who ~~came’~~		* ''an t-aondía mór-chumhachtach sin '''a-tá''', agas '''do bhí''' agas '''bhías''' bithbheó do ghnáth'' ‘that single all-powerful God '''who is''', and '''who was''', and '''who will be''' forever and continually’<ref>Carswell’s ''Foirm na n-Uirrnuidheadh''</ref>
	* ''an teagasg tug mé'' ‘the teaching I ~~gave’~~		* ''an fear '''do-ní''' an réd'' ‘the man '''who does''' the thing’
			* ''an triar '''táinig''''' ‘the three '''who came'''’
			* ''an teagasg '''tug mé''''' ‘the teaching '''I gave'''’

	If the subject is 3rd person plural and not the antecedent, the plural form is often used:		If the subject is 3rd person plural and not the antecedent, the plural form is often used:
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	Passive verb forms often are lenited just like active verbs, but sometimes they’re left unlenited:		Passive verb forms often are lenited just like active verbs, but sometimes they’re left unlenited:
	* ''leis an ngealladh gealltar lais'' ‘by the pledge that is given by him’ (should be emended to ''ghealltar''?)		* ''leis an ngealladh gealltar lais'' ‘by the pledge that is given by him’ (should be emended to ''ghealltar''?)

			==== With copula ====
			The relative forms of the copula are used if the antecedent is the subject, the present relative copula lenites its predicate:

			* ''Síoth Aodha bhus ainm don tigh'' ‘the house shall be called Síoth Aodha (=Aodh’s Mound)’ (lit. ‘it’s Síoth Aodha that will be the house’s name’)

	=== Object of verbal noun ===		=== Object of verbal noun ===
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	* ''an tslat fhíorógh le mbía ar mbádh'' ‘the truly virginal branch whom we shall love’ (''le mbía ar mbádh'' ‘with whom will be our love’ = ‘who will have our love’)		* ''an tslat fhíorógh le mbía ar mbádh'' ‘the truly virginal branch whom we shall love’ (''le mbía ar mbádh'' ‘with whom will be our love’ = ‘who will have our love’)
	* ''a chú ar a ttád teora búadh'' ‘o hound of three excellences’ (lit. ‘on whom there are three…’)		* ''a chú ar a ttád teora búadh'' ‘o hound of three excellences’ (lit. ‘on whom there are three…’)
			* ''ná céil (…) ar Sheanghallaibh (…) lér cheanglamair'' ‘don’t hide (…) from Old English (Sean-Ghaill) with whom we united’
	* ''an t-arm leis ar ghonas tú'' ‘the weapon with which I wounded you’ (''leis ar'' is an alternative form of ''lér'')		* ''an t-arm leis ar ghonas tú'' ‘the weapon with which I wounded you’ (''leis ar'' is an alternative form of ''lér'')
			* ''an port asa ttéighise'' ‘the place from which you go’

			This (like in Sc. Gaelic) is also possible in the negative:
			* ''lámh ar nach luigh sochaidhe'' ‘(the) hand upon which a host of soldiers did not press/trouble’

	=== Generalizing relative clauses ===		=== Generalizing relative clauses ===

	Generalizing relative clauses with ''aᴺ'' ‘all that’ exist, it can be preceeded by a preposition (this works like in Modern Irish, it’s equivalent to Scottish Gaelic ''na'' + relative form):		Generalizing relative clauses with ''aᴺ'' ‘all that’ exist, it can be preceeded by a preposition (this works like in Modern Irish, it’s equivalent to Scottish Gaelic {{color\|#00A0DA\|''na''}} + relative form):

			* '''''a bhfuil leibh''', labhair iar soin'' ‘'''all that you have''', say it after that’
			* ''gébhaidh '''ar ghabh''' a shinsear'' ‘he will take '''what''' his ancestor '''held'''’ (or: ‘all that his ancestor…’)
	[TODO: examples]		[TODO: examples]

			The generalizing relative pronoun can also combine with a preposition, very common with ''do'' ‘from, of’:
			* ''gach ní '''dá''' mbeanfadh rinn'' ‘every thing '''of all those''' that would concern us’<ref>From the letter of Rósa Ní Dhochartaigh, see [the scan of the manuscript https://archive.org/details/contemporaryhistv1p2gilb/page/n151/mode/1up] and [transcription with translation and analysis https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ggzP0v1V_0sCUFwn4DsSwwdlrQgCwQNd/view?usp=sharing]</ref>

	=== Whose-relative clauses ===		=== Whose-relative clauses ===
			==== Without overt possessive ====
	Unlike in Modern Irish or Scottish Gaelic, ''whose''-relatives – where the antecedent is in the genitive case relation with something in the relative clause, there’s no possessive pronoun present. The noun attributed by the genitive is often, but not always, lenited.		Unlike in Modern Irish or Scottish Gaelic, ''whose''-relatives – where the antecedent is in the genitive case relation with something in the relative clause, there’s no possessive pronoun present. The noun attributed by the genitive is often, but not always, lenited.

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	* ''an fáidh ar a ttámaid tí'' ‘the seer of whom we speak’ (''a-tú ar a thí'' means ‘I am alluding to him’, lit. ‘I am on his track’)		* ''an fáidh ar a ttámaid tí'' ‘the seer of whom we speak’ (''a-tú ar a thí'' means ‘I am alluding to him’, lit. ‘I am on his track’)

			==== With overt possessive in ''isa, asa'' ====
	There is another type which uses ''isa'', ''asa'' as the relative particle, and it does contain the possessive:		There is another type which uses ''isa'', ''asa'' as the relative particle, and it does contain the possessive:

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	This type doesn’t seem to work with a combination of prepositional clause and genitive relation (like in ‘the tree '''on whose''' branch…’).		This type doesn’t seem to work with a combination of prepositional clause and genitive relation (like in ‘the tree '''on whose''' branch…’).

	In poetry, instead of actual ‘whose’-relative clauses one often finds a type ~~using~~ prepositional ones with a possessive instead:		==== Rephrasing without ‘whose’ ====
			In poetry, instead of actual ‘whose’-relative clauses one often finds a type rephrasing them with prepositional ones with a possessive instead (instead of saying ‘the tree on whose branch…’, saying ‘the tree which has its branch on which…’):

	* ''croidhe te gá marann a mhian'' ‘a hot heart with which its passion remains’ instead of ‘whose passion lives on’		* ''croidhe te gá marann a mhian'' ‘a hot heart with which its passion remains’ instead of ‘whose passion lives on’

Silmeth: /* Demonstratives: ag so, ag sin, ag súd */

2024-11-12T20:37:21Z

Demonstratives: ag so, ag sin, ag súd

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	For example:		For example:
	* ''ag sin mhnáoi ngil'' or ''ag sin bean gheal'' ‘that is a bright woman’ or ‘there is a bright woman’,		* ''ag sin mhnáoi ngil'' or ''ag sin bean gheal'' ‘that is a bright woman’ or ‘there is a bright woman’,
	* '''''ag so an teangaidh''' nach tearc labhra / beannaigh, a shearc m’anma, í'' ‘behold this tongue [of mine] so excessive of speech ''(lit.'' ~~that~~ is not meagre ~~of speech~~'')'', bless it, o love of my soul’,<ref>Verses and translation from McKenna’s ''Aithdioghluim Dána'', poem 70, ''Déana mo theagosg, a Thríonóid''.</ref>		* '''''ag so an teangaidh''' nach tearc labhra / beannaigh, a shearc m’anma, í'' ‘behold this tongue [of mine] so excessive of speech ''(lit.'' whose speech is not meagre'')'', bless it, o love of my soul’,<ref>Verses and translation from McKenna’s ''Aithdioghluim Dána'', poem 70, ''Déana mo theagosg, a Thríonóid''.</ref>
	* ''ag so dearbhadh air ó Mhac an Bhaird'' ‘here is confirmation of it from Mac an Bhaird’,		* ''ag so dearbhadh air ó Mhac an Bhaird'' ‘here is confirmation of it from Mac an Bhaird’,
	* ''Is í an bhreaghdhacht, gi bé i mbeath, / gaisgeadh is úaill is eineach; / '''ag sin tríar''' nár thrí lochta / do bhí i mBrían na breaghdhochta.'' ‘This Breagha-quality means in its possessor gallantry, pride, and hospitality; '''these were the three things''' – no defects surely! ''(lit.'' ‘these are [the] three things that were not three faults’'')'' – to be seen in Brian of the Breagha-nature’.<ref>Quatrain and translation taken from McKenna’s edition of [https://www.jstor.org/stable/30099598 ''Tánag d’Fhanaid an einigh''].</ref>		* ''Is í an bhreaghdhacht, gi bé i mbeath, / gaisgeadh is úaill is eineach; / '''ag sin tríar''' nár thrí lochta / do bhí i mBrían na breaghdhochta.'' ‘This Breagha-quality means in its possessor gallantry, pride, and hospitality; '''these were the three things''' – no defects surely! ''(lit.'' ‘these are [the] three things that were not three faults’'')'' – to be seen in Brian of the Breagha-nature’.<ref>Quatrain and translation taken from McKenna’s edition of [https://www.jstor.org/stable/30099598 ''Tánag d’Fhanaid an einigh''].</ref>

Silmeth: /* Prepositional relative clauses */

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Prepositional relative clauses

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	* ''an tslat fhíorógh le mbía ar mbádh'' ‘the truly virginal branch whom we shall love’ (''le mbía ar mbádh'' ‘with whom will be our love’ = ‘who will have our love’)		* ''an tslat fhíorógh le mbía ar mbádh'' ‘the truly virginal branch whom we shall love’ (''le mbía ar mbádh'' ‘with whom will be our love’ = ‘who will have our love’)
	* ''a chú ar a ttád teora búadh'' ‘o hound of three excellences’ (lit. ‘on whom there are three…’)		* ''a chú ar a ttád teora búadh'' ‘o hound of three excellences’ (lit. ‘on whom there are three…’)
	* ''an t-arm leis ar ghonas tú'' ‘the weapon with which ~~you wounded / (s)he~~ wounded you’ (''leis ar'' is an alternative form of ''lér'')		* ''an t-arm leis ar ghonas tú'' ‘the weapon with which I wounded you’ (''leis ar'' is an alternative form of ''lér'')

	=== Generalizing relative clauses ===		=== Generalizing relative clauses ===

Silmeth: /* Prepositional relative clauses */

2024-11-12T00:09:57Z

Prepositional relative clauses

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	* ''an tslat fhíorógh le mbía ar mbádh'' ‘the truly virginal branch whom we shall love’ (''le mbía ar mbádh'' ‘with whom will be our love’ = ‘who will have our love’)		* ''an tslat fhíorógh le mbía ar mbádh'' ‘the truly virginal branch whom we shall love’ (''le mbía ar mbádh'' ‘with whom will be our love’ = ‘who will have our love’)
	* ''a chú ar a ttád teora búadh'' ‘o hound of three excellences’ (lit. ‘on whom there are three…’)		* ''a chú ar a ttád teora búadh'' ‘o hound of three excellences’ (lit. ‘on whom there are three…’)
	* ''an t-arm leis ar ~~ghonus~~ tú'' ‘the weapon with which you wounded / ~~you were wounded’~~ (''leis ar'' is an alternative form of ''lér'')		* ''an t-arm leis ar ghonas tú'' ‘the weapon with which you wounded / (s)he wounded you’ (''leis ar'' is an alternative form of ''lér'')

	=== Generalizing relative clauses ===		=== Generalizing relative clauses ===

Silmeth: /* Relative clauses */ some basic rel. clause info

2024-11-11T23:44:01Z

Relative clauses: some basic rel. clause info

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	== Relative clauses ==		== Relative clauses ==

			=== Simple relative clauses ===
			The antecedent is the subject or the object or the relative clause, or it is an adverb of the relative clause.

			Relative clauses are generally formed by putting the verb in relative form, if possible – for regular verbs this means the ''-s'' ending in present and future tenses, and leniting it. Compound verbs use their independent form (the preverb is not lenited):

			* ''an fear mheallas gile a ghrúaidhe'' ‘the man whom the brightness of his cheek beguiles’(?) (cited by McKenna in ''BST'', from ''Poetry of Pilib Bocht'', 22 17)
			* ''madh ionann breath bheireas siad'' ‘if the judgement they deliver is the same’(?)
			* ''an fear do-ní an réd'' ‘the man who does the thing’
			* ''an triar táinig'' ‘the three who came’
			* ''an teagasg tug mé'' ‘the teaching I gave’

			If the subject is 3rd person plural and not the antecedent, the plural form is often used:
			* ''mo mhac sáor do ghonsad Goill'' ‘my noble son whom the Foreigners slew’ (here with the s-preterite form 'gonsad' rather than perfect ''do ghonadar'')

			Passive verb forms often are lenited just like active verbs, but sometimes they’re left unlenited:
			* ''leis an ngealladh gealltar lais'' ‘by the pledge that is given by him’ (should be emended to ''ghealltar''?)

			=== Object of verbal noun ===

			If the antecedent is an object of a verbal noun clause, like in ''fédaim an réad do dhénamh'' ‘I can do the thing’, or in the progressive construction, eg. ''a-tú ag tógbháil tighe'' ‘I am building a house’, then the verbal noun appears after ''do'':<ref> A bit of speculation: This probably developed in phases, first with sentences like ''is maith liom (an réd do dhénamh)'' ‘I like to do the thing’ reanalyzed as ''*is (maith liom do dhénamh) an réd'' (not an actual attested word order), leading to ''réd as mhaith liom do dhénamh'' ‘the thing I like to do’. This then to ''réd fhédaim do dhénamh'' ‘the thing I can do’, which then later gave the model for ''teagh a-tú do thógbháil'' ‘the house that I am building’.</ref>

			* ''an réad fhédaim do dhénamh'' ‘the thing which I can do’
			* ''fagha nar fhéd d’iongabháil'' ‘the dart/javelin that [he] could not avoid / guard against’
			* ''teagh a-tú do thógbháil'' ‘the house that I am building’
			* ''is tú an ógh a-tú do thogha'' ‘thou art the virgin I am choosing’
			* ''a dhuine a-táim do theagasg'' ‘o man whom I am teaching’ (from Pilib Bocht, should be emended to ''a-tú''?)

			=== Prepositional relative clauses ===
			In both positive and negative clauses the relative pronoun ''aᴺ'' is used (''arᴸ'' before regular verbs in past tense), the verb in its dependent form:

			* ''an tslat fhíorógh le mbía ar mbádh'' ‘the truly virginal branch whom we shall love’ (''le mbía ar mbádh'' ‘with whom will be our love’ = ‘who will have our love’)
			* ''a chú ar a ttád teora búadh'' ‘o hound of three excellences’ (lit. ‘on whom there are three…’)
			* ''an t-arm leis ar ghonus tú'' ‘the weapon with which you wounded / you were wounded’ (''leis ar'' is an alternative form of ''lér'')

			=== Generalizing relative clauses ===

			Generalizing relative clauses with ''aᴺ'' ‘all that’ exist, it can be preceeded by a preposition (this works like in Modern Irish, it’s equivalent to Scottish Gaelic ''na'' + relative form):

			[TODO: examples]

			=== Whose-relative clauses ===
			Unlike in Modern Irish or Scottish Gaelic, ''whose''-relatives – where the antecedent is in the genitive case relation with something in the relative clause, there’s no possessive pronoun present. The noun attributed by the genitive is often, but not always, lenited.

			* ''crann as mhaith toradh'' ‘the tree whose fruit is good’ – ''maith'' lenited due to relative copula, note there is no possessive (no ''a thoradh'' ‘its fruit’ or anything like that; nothing refers back to ‘tree’)
			* ''fear as fhearr clú'' ‘the man whose fame is highest’

			The same happens if the antecedent attributes the direct object of a verb:
			* ''crann do bhúaileas chráoibh'' ‘the tree whose branch I struck’ – ''chráoibh'' in the accusative of ''cráobh'' which belongs to the ‘tree’ (but no ''a chráoibh'' ‘its branch’)
			* ''fear mheallaim mhnáoi'' ‘the man whose wife I deceive’
			* ''bean fhéghaim fhionnghúalainn'' ‘the lady whose white shoulder I see’ (''fhéghaim'' is a variant form of ''fhéchaim'')

			And the same is true even if the noun possessed is governed by a preposition – a regular prepositional relative clause is used and the thing attributed by genitive just tucked later:
			* ''crann '''ar a''' raibhe an t-én '''chráoibh''''' ‘the tree '''on whose branch''' the bird was’ (''chráoibh'' lenited and in dative belongs to the ''crann'' ‘tree’ which is in the genitive relation to it)
			* ''fear ó ttánag mhnáoi'' ‘the man from whose wife I came’
			* ''bean ór imthigheas dá fhear'' ‘the woman from whose two husbands I escaped’

			This works with compound prepositions requiring genitive:
			* ''an fáidh ar a ttámaid tí'' ‘the seer of whom we speak’ (''a-tú ar a thí'' means ‘I am alluding to him’, lit. ‘I am on his track’)

			There is another type which uses ''isa'', ''asa'' as the relative particle, and it does contain the possessive:

			* ''crann isa chráobh do bhúaileas'' ‘the tree whose branch I struck’
			* ''bean isa bas do bhúail an leanbh'' ‘the woman whose hand struck the child’
			* ''fear isa bhean mheallaim'' ‘the man whose wife I deceive’

			This type doesn’t seem to work with a combination of prepositional clause and genitive relation (like in ‘the tree '''on whose''' branch…’).

			In poetry, instead of actual ‘whose’-relative clauses one often finds a type using prepositional ones with a possessive instead:

			* ''croidhe te gá marann a mhian'' ‘a hot heart with which its passion remains’ instead of ‘whose passion lives on’

			this type probably ultimately led to Irish indirect relative clause with possessive pronoun.

	== Rules of delenition ==		== Rules of delenition ==

Silmeth: /* Rules of delenition */

2024-01-28T16:45:43Z

Rules of delenition

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:45, 28 January 2024
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	== Rules of delenition ==		== Rules of delenition ==

	Classical Gaelic kept the Old Irish rules of delenition – when two homorganic (ie. produced in the same part of mouth) consonants came together, at least of them resisted lenition even if that was required by the grammar.		Classical Gaelic kept the Old Irish rules of delenition – when two homorganic (ie. produced in the same part of mouth) consonants came together, at least some of them resisted lenition even if that was required by the grammar.

	The rules were different word-internally (typically in compound words where the second element would normally be lenited) and across word boundaries (eg. for adjectives following nouns in dative or a feminine nominative).		The rules were different word-internally (typically in compound words where the second element would normally be lenited) and across word boundaries (eg. for adjectives following nouns in dative or a feminine nominative).