Grammar

We will look at the genitive plural in Irish in this lesson. An expression like "the men's hats" in English takes the form of "hats of the men" in Irish. The words for "of the men" will be in the genitive plural.

Very often the genitive plural in Irish is the same as the nominative plural, which is the plural form that you have been learning in the Vocabularies in recent lessons.

In other cases, the genitive plural is like the simplest and first form of the noun, the nominative singular. It is not difficult to select the right form. In nearly all words, if the plural adds two or more letters to the singular, or if the plural ends in "___í", then the genitive plural is the same as the nominative plural. Examples:

scoil, na scoileanna (skuhl, nuh SKUHL-uh-nuh), school, the schools; the plural is long, so the genitive plural is "scoileanna", and "closing the schools" is "ag dúnadh na scoileanna", closing of the schools.

margadh, na margaí(MAHR-uh-guh, nuh MAHR-uh-gee), market, the markets; the plural ends in "__í", so the genitive plural is "margaí", and "opening the markets" is "ag oscailt na margaí", opening of the markets.

In nouns that merely slenderize the last consonant or only add "__a", to form the plural, the genitive plural will be the same as the simplest form of the noun, the nominative singular. Examples:

bád, na báid (baw*d, nuh BAW*-id), boat, the boats; here the "d" at the word end is slenderized, and consequently the genitive plural is "bád" the same as the nominative singular, the basic form that you have learned. "Buying boats" is "ceannach bád" buying of boats.

bróg, na bróga (brohg, nuh BROHG-uh), shoe, the shoes; here the plural merely adds " __ a", so the genitive plural is "bróg", the same as the nominative singular. "Selling shoes", is, "ag díol bróg", selling of shoes.

The genitive plural changes in its first consonant when it follows the words for "my", "your", and "his", just like other noun forms in Irish. Examples:

"Buying my shoes" is literally "buying of my shoes", "ag ceannach mo bhróg" (uh KAN-uhk* muh VROHG).

"Reading his words" is "ag léamh a fhocal" (uh LAY*V uh OH-kuhl).

"In front of your copies" is "os comhair do chóipeanna" (ohs KOH-ir duh K*OH-ip-uh-nuh).

Eclipsis is also found here, when the words "na", meaning "of the", and "ár" (aw*r), cur; bhur (vwoor), your (plural); a (uh), their, come before the genitive plural. Examples:

"Reading our copies" is "ag léamhár gcóipeanna".

"Buying their shoes" is "ag ceannach a mbróg".

"Closing the roads" is "ag dúnadh na mbóithre".

At first, you will have to pay close attention to the word forms in reading to detect the genitive plural, but a little practice will help.

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Irish Lesson 94	\|	Reflex Expressions

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