3.1: The Definite Article and the Nominative Case
3.2: The Definite Article and the Dative Case
3.3: Faclair
3.4: Obair
3.5: Obair eile
Contents
3.1: The Definite Article and the Nominative Case
3.2: The Definite Article and the Dative Case
3.3: Faclair
3.4: Obair
3.5: Obair eile
There are four seperate cases that a noun may exist in. The most basic of these is the nominative case, the case found when the noun is the subject or direct object of a sentence. A couple of examples will show this explicitly:
If the masculine noun begins with the letters b, m, p or f, then the definite article changes from an to am. This sequence of letters will occur very often in the grammatical rules and you will soon be very well acquainted with them.
If the feminine noun begins with the letters b, m, p, c or g, then the definite article changes from an to a'. In addition, the nominative feminine noun is lenited, i.e. a h is placed after the initial letter which changes the sound of the noun. If the feminine noun begins with an f, lenition still occurs but the article remains an.
If the masculine noun begins with a vowel then the definite article changes from an to an t-. The sound of the definite article is dependent on whether the initial vowel is slender or broad. Rmemeber that the slender vowels are i and e while the broad vowels are a, o and u.
If the feminine noun begins with an s followed by an l, n, r or a vowel then the definite article changes from an to an t-. The sound of the definite article is dependent on whether the initial vowel is slender or broad in exactly the same fashion as that case for masculine nominative nouns beginning with a vowel and taking an t-.
In the case of a masculine noun beginning with b, m, p, c or g and being in the dative case, i.e. a noun following one of the simple prepositions: air, aig, leis, ris, anns,, the article changes from an to a' and the noun is lenited, e.g.:
N.B.: These are special cases showing the form when no definite article is present:
For the feminine noun, the dative case introduces the first of several situations where a word must be slenderized, a process that changes the final syllable of a word and makes the vowel sound softer or closer to a slender vowel sound.
Slenderization entails either:
In the dative case, both feminine and masculine nouns beginning with a
vowel take an as the definite article. In addition,
femine nouns slenderize where possible.
If the masculine or feminine noun begins with an s followed by
an l, n, r
or a vowel then
the definite article changes from an to an t-.
Once again, femine nouns slenderize
where possible.
inserting an i after the
last broad vowel or
substituting i for the last broad
vowel.
If the final vowel is already slender or
the noun ends in a, no slenderization takes place.
Masculine and Feminine nouns beginning with a vowel
Masculine and Feminine nouns beginning with s followed by l, n, r, vowel
3.3: Faclair
3.4: Obair
am bàta, am fear, an té, an duine, am peann, a' bhriosgaid,
a' mhin, a' mhil, a' phìob, a' ghlas, a' chaileag, am balach, an gille,
an fhìrinn.
an t-aran, an t-ìm, an t-ord, an saor, an t-eagal,
an t-acras, an t-sùil, an t-sràid, an rathad, an snàth, an t-snàthad,
an t-seachdain.
an t-am, a' bhròg, a' ghealach, a' ghrìan, a' mhala,
an eala, an t-eun, an uinneag, an ad, an eaglais, an seanair, an t-seanmhair.
am bodach, a' chailleach, an saoghal, an saighdear, an sgreagag,
an sgreagair, an ceann, an sgian.
aig a' bhàta, air an , leis an té, ri duine, le peann, air a' bhriosgaid,
anns a' mhin, ann an min.
leis a' phìb-mhór, leis a' ghlais, aig a' chaileig,
aig a' bhalach, air a' ghille, leis an fhìrinn.
anns an aran, air an ìm,
aig an ord, ri an t-saor, anns an eagal, leis an acras, ri sùil,
air an t-sràid, air rathad.
air an t-snàth, anns an t-snàthaid,
air an t-seachdain, aig an am, anns a' bhròig, air a' ghealaich,
anns a' ghrìn.
le mala, aig an eala, air an eun, aig an uinneig,
air an aid, ri an eaglais, air an t-seanair, air an t-seamhair.
aig a' bhodach, aig a' chailleaich, anns an t-saoghal, aig an t-saighdear,
le sgreagag, leis an sgreagair, air a' cheann, leis an sgian.
3.5: Obair eile
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