The main page for describing the Déise dialect of Irish

Prepositions

Prepositional Pronouns

Prepositions and their prepositional pronouns
Preposition	1st Sg.	2nd Sg.	3rd Masc Sg.	3rd Fem Sg.	1st Pl.	2nd Pl.	3rd Pl.
age^{[note 1]}^{[note 2]}	agam	agat	aige	aici	againn	agaibh	acu
ar^{[note 3]}^{[note 4]}	orm or rom	ort	air	uirthi or uirthí	eirinn or orthainn or orainn or ring	oraibh or ribh	ora or ortha or ra

Initial Mutations

Nouns

Following Simple Prepositions^{[note 5]}

Without the Article

Lenition

The following simple prepositions cause lenition:

ar
de
do
fé
idir
mar
ó
thear^{[note 6]}
trí
um

Eclipsis

The following simple prepositions cause eclipsis:

in^{[note 7]}

h-Prothesis

The following simple prepositions cause h-prothesis:

le^{[note 8]}
go

No Mutation

The following simple prepositions cause no mutation:

age
as
go dtí, dtí
roimh, roimhig

With the Singular Article^[1]

Non-verbal nouns are affected by one of two forms of mutation, lenition or eclipsis, or no mutation, following a combination of a simple preposition and the singular article.

Simple Preposition and Article Combinations

The following simple prepositions with singular articles are found in Déise Irish:

age ‘n,
ar an,
as an,
de ‘n,
do ‘n,
fé ‘n,
ó ‘n,
roimh ‘n,
(go) dtí ‘n,
leis an,
thear an,
tríd an,
and ins an.

Lenition

Under this context, the following consonants are affected by lenition:

b to bh,
p to ph,
g to gh,
c to ch,
and s to ts.^{[note 9]}

Eclipsis

Under this context, the following consonants are affected by eclipsis:

b to mb,
p to bp,
g to ng,
c to gc,
and f to bhf.

No Mutation

Under this context, the following consonants which can appear as unmutated initials in nouns^{[note 10]} are not affected by mutation:

d,
t,
m,
n,
l,
r
or h.

Contributing Factors

The following factors contribute towards determining the type of mutation used on the initial of the noun:

The form of the preposition when used with the article,^{[note 11]} whether it ends in a vowel or a consonant.
The initial consonant of the noun:
- b, g or f
- p or c
- s^{[note 9]}

General Rules

b, g and f undergo eclipsis following all preposition and article combinations.
s, only in the case of feminine nouns^{[note 9]}, undergoes lenition following all preposition and article combinations. It does not mutate if the noun is masculine.
p and c undergo lenition following ins a’ (or sa).
p and c undergo eclipsis following all other preposition and article combinations where the prepositional form ends in a consonant.
p and c undergo lenition following all preposition and article combinations where the prepositional form ends in a vowel.

Initial mutations caused by preposition + singular article
	Noun Initial
	b	g	f	p	c	s^{[note 9]}
age ‘n	E	E	E	L	L	L
de ‘n	E	E	E	L	L	L
do ‘n	E	E	E	L	L	L
fé ‘n	E	E	E	L	L	L
ó ‘n	E	E	E	L	L	L
roimh ‘n	E	E	E	L	L	L
dtí ‘n	E	E	E	L	L	L
ar a’	E	E	E	E	E	L
as a’	E	E	E	E	E	L
leis a’	E	E	E	E	E	L
thear a’	E	E	E	E	E	L
tríd a’	E	E	E	E	E	L
ins a’	E	E	E	L	L	L

Deviations to the Rules

Contrary to rule #1, a speaker in South Tipperary had a tendency to lenite initial b and g, but his usage of lenition in this context was inconsistent and he regularly used eclipsis instead.
Contrary to rule #3, ins an (or sa) had a greater tendency to cause eclipses on initial p and c in South Tipperary, but lenition among the speakers from this area was also noted. Eclipsis has also been noted among speakers from Waterford, but this isn’t typical and might only occur with certain words and as an alternating pronunciation.
Contrary to rule #5, p has a tendency to not undergo lenition, but this can be a case of alternating pronunciations as recorded among native Déise Irish speakers.

Notes

↑ The form age is actually the same as the 3rd person masculine singular form aige, but spelled this way (by some people) to distinguish between the two in writing. Though often others will just use the more standard form ag in writing.
↑ age can reduce to ag’, ‘ge or ‘g’; age is used when the preceding word ends with a consonant and the following word begins with a consonant; ag’ is used when the preceding word ends with a consonant and the following word begins with a vowel; ‘ge is used when the preceding word ends with a vowel (or in initial position) and the following word begins with a consonant; ‘g’ is used when the preceding word ends with a vowel (or in initial position) and the following word begins with a vowel. age and its pronominal forms have the stress on the second syllable and all are prone to dropping the initial vowel in initial position or when preceded by a word ending in a vowel, e.g. ‘gam, ‘gat, ‘ge, ‘ci, ‘gainn, ‘gaibh and ‘cu.
↑ The form ar is actually the same as the 3rd person masculine singular form air, but spelled this way to distinguish between the two in writing.
↑ Unlike age, the stress can vary between the first or second syllable among the pronominal forms, often dropping the initial vowel, as in the 1st person singular rom, and when the initial vowel in the monosyllabic forms can be elided by a preceding vowel, as in the 2nd person singular ‘rt.
↑ Simple prepositions can take either the nominative or dative form of the following noun, the latter being more traditional in Munster grammar.
↑ thear does not cause lenition when used to denote the physical passing of an object or place.
↑ Eclipsis of nouns beginning with b have both the m and the b pronounced, e.g. i mBéarla.
↑ le causes no mutation in South Tipperary.
↑ ^9.0 ^9.1 ^9.2 ^9.3 Only affects feminine nouns with initial s; masculine nouns are not mutated.
↑ Not considering cases where word borrowings that use other letters, but these are generally not mutated anyway.
↑ For example, the preposition le becomes leis when combined with the article.

Bibliography

Breatnach, R. B. (1960-61). "Initial Mutation of Substantives after Preposition + Singular Article in Déise Irish". Éigse: A Journal of Irish Studies. IX (IV)
Breatnach, R. B. (1984). Seana-Chaint na nDéise II: Studies in the Vocabulary and Idiom of Déise Irish based mainly on material collected by Archbishop Michael Sheehan (1870-1945). Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.
Ó Maolchathaigh, S. (1974). An Gleann agus a Raibh Ann (1974 edition). An Clóchomhar Tta. Dundalgen Press.
Sheehan, Most Rev. M. (1944). Sean-Chaint na nDéise: the Idiom of Living Language (second edition). The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.
Ward, Alan (1974). The Grammatical Structure of Munster Irish. University of Dublin.

References

↑ Breatnach 1960-61, pp. 217-222.

[1] The form age is actually the same as the 3rd person masculine singular form aige, but spelled this way (by some people) to distinguish between the two in writing. Though often others will just use the more standard form ag in writing.

[2] age can reduce to ag’, ‘ge or ‘g’; age is used when the preceding word ends with a consonant and the following word begins with a consonant; ag’ is used when the preceding word ends with a consonant and the following word begins with a vowel; ‘ge is used when the preceding word ends with a vowel (or in initial position) and the following word begins with a consonant; ‘g’ is used when the preceding word ends with a vowel (or in initial position) and the following word begins with a vowel. age and its pronominal forms have the stress on the second syllable and all are prone to dropping the initial vowel in initial position or when preceded by a word ending in a vowel, e.g. ‘gam, ‘gat, ‘ge, ‘ci, ‘gainn, ‘gaibh and ‘cu.

[3] The form ar is actually the same as the 3rd person masculine singular form air, but spelled this way to distinguish between the two in writing.

[4] Unlike age, the stress can vary between the first or second syllable among the pronominal forms, often dropping the initial vowel, as in the 1st person singular rom, and when the initial vowel in the monosyllabic forms can be elided by a preceding vowel, as in the 2nd person singular ‘rt.

[5] Simple prepositions can take either the nominative or dative form of the following noun, the latter being more traditional in Munster grammar.

[6] thear does not cause lenition when used to denote the physical passing of an object or place.

[7] Eclipsis of nouns beginning with b have both the m and the b pronounced, e.g. i mBéarla.

[8] uses no mutation in South Tipperary.

[feminine_nouns-10] 9.0 ^9.1 ^9.2 ^9.3 Only affects feminine nouns with initial s; masculine nouns are not mutated.

[11] Not considering cases where word borrowings that use other letters, but these are generally not mutated anyway.

[12] For example, the preposition le becomes leis when combined with the article.

[9] Breatnach 1960-61, pp. 217-222.

[note 1]

[note 2]

[note 3]

[note 4]

[note 5]

[note 6]

[note 7]

[note 8]

[1]

[note 9]

[note 10]

[note 11]

Irish/Déise Irish

Contents

Prepositions

Prepositional Pronouns

Initial Mutations

Nouns

Following Simple Prepositions^{[note 5]}

Without the Article

Lenition

Eclipsis

h-Prothesis

No Mutation

With the Singular Article^[1]

Simple Preposition and Article Combinations

Lenition

Eclipsis

No Mutation

Contributing Factors

General Rules

Deviations to the Rules

Notes

Bibliography

References

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Irish/Déise Irish

Prepositions

Prepositional Pronouns

Initial Mutations

Nouns

Following Simple Prepositions[note 5]

Without the Article

Lenition

Eclipsis

h-Prothesis

No Mutation

With the Singular Article[1]

Simple Preposition and Article Combinations

Lenition

Eclipsis

No Mutation

Contributing Factors

General Rules

Deviations to the Rules

Notes

Bibliography

References

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Following Simple Prepositions^{[note 5]}

With the Singular Article^[1]