Graiméar na Gaedhilge/Part III Chapter II
CHAPTER II
The Noun.
474. In Irish one noun governs another in the genitive case, and the governed noun comes after the governing one.
- Ceann an ċapaill. The horse’s head.
The noun, capaill, in the genitive case is aspirated by the article because it is masculine gender. It would not be aspirated if it were feminine. (See par. 40.)
475. When the governed noun in the genitive is a proper name it is generally aspirated, whether it be masculine or feminine, although the article is not used.
- Peann Ṁáire. Mary’s pen.
- Leaḃar Ṡeaġáin. John’s book.
The last rule is by no means generally true of place names.
476. When the noun in genitive case has the force of an adjective, it is not preceded by the article, but its initial consonant is subject to precisely the same rules, with regard to aspiration and eclipsis, as if it were a simple adjective, i.e., it is aspirated if the governing noun be nominative or accusative singular feminine, or genitive singular masculine. It is eclipsed if the governing noun be in the genitive plural.
- uḃ ċirce, a hen-egg (an egg of a hen)
- uiḃe circe, of a hen-egg.
- fear ceoil, a musician.
- fir ċeoil, of a musician.
- na ḃfear gceoil, of the musicians.
477. Apposition has almost entirely disappeared in modern Irish, the second noun being now usually in the nominative case, no matter what the case of the first may be.
478. A noun used adjectively in English is translated into Irish by the genitive case.
- A gold ring, fáinne óir (lit. a ring of gold).
- A hen-egg, uḃ ċirce.
- Oatmeal, min ċoirce.
479. Collective nouns (except in their own plurals) always take the article and qualifying adjectives in the singular; they sometimes take a plural pronoun, and may take a plural verb.
Ṫángadar an ḃuiḋean curaḋ sin do láṫair Ḟinn agus do ḃeannuiġ siad dó. That company of warriors came into the presence of Finn, and saluted him (lit. to him).
480. Nouns denoting fulness or a part of anything are usually followed by the preposition de and the dative case, but the genitive is also used.
- ceann (or gaḋar) d’ár ngaḋraiḃ, one of our hounds.
- bárr mo ḃróige, the top of my shoe.
- lán mo ḋuirn, the full of my fist.
In phrases such as “some of us,” “one of them,” &c., “of us,” “of them,” &c., are usually translated by againn, aca, &c.; but dínn, díoḃ, &c., may also be used.
481. The personal numerals from días to dáreug inclusive (see par. 177) generally take their nouns in the genitive plural: beirt ṁac, two sons; naonḃar fear, nine men (lit. two of sons, nine of men).
- A ṫriúr mac agus a dtriúr ban.
- His three sons and their three wives.
482. When used partitively they take de with the dative.
- Ḃáiḋ sé naonḃar ḋíoḃ fá ’n loċ.
- He drowned nine of them under the lake.
- Naoi naonḃar de ṁaoraiḃ na h‑Éireann.
- Nine times nine of the stewards of Erin.
Personal Nouns.
483. An Irish name consists of two parts, the ainm-baisdiḋ (or simply ainm), which corresponds to the English Christian name, and the sloinneaḋ, the surname or family name.
Surnames were first used in Ireland about the eleventh century; until that time every Irish personal name was significant, and sometimes rendered more so by the application of some epithet. “In the early ages individuals received their names from epithets implying some personal peculiarity, such as colour of hair, complexion, size, figure, certain accidents of deformity, mental qualities, such as bravery, fierceness, &c.” Joyce’s “Irish Names of Places.”
484. When the Christian name is used in addressing a person, it is always in the vocative case, and preceded by the particle A, which causes aspiration, e.g.:
- Fan liom, a Ṡeaġáin. Wait for me, John.
- Dia ḋuit, a Ṡeumais. Good morning, James.
485. When the Christian name is in the genitive case, it is aspirated, e.g.:
- Leaḃar Ṁáire. Mary’s book.
- Sgian Ṡeoirse. George’s knife.
486. Surnames when not preceded by a Christian name usually take the termination AĊ, which has the force of a patronymic (or father-name), and are declined like marcaċ (par. 57). They are usually preceded by the article except in the vocative case: an Paoraċ, Power; capall an Ḃrianaiġ, O’Brien’s horse
Two forms are admissible in the vocative case; facility of pronunciation is the best guide, e.g. Gaḃ i leiṫ, a Ḃrianaiġ. Come here, O’Brien. A Ṁic Uí Laoġaire, O’Leary. A Ṁic Uí Ṡuiḃne, MacSweeney.
487. Surnames occurring in Ireland to-day are of three classes: (1) Surnames of Gaelic origin. These in almost every instance have the prefix Ó (Ua) or Mac for a male, and Ní or Nic for a female. (2) Surnames of old foreign origin. The majority of these have no prefix. (3) Surnames of late foreign origin. Only a few of these have acquired a distinct form, pronounced in an Irish way.
488. When the surname is preceded by any ot the words Ó, Mac, Ní, Nic, the surname is in the genitive case, and is aspirated after Ní or Nic, but not after Ó or Mac: e.g., Seaġán Mac Doṁnaill, John McDonnell; Máire Ní Ċonaill, Mary O’Connell; Diarmuid Ó Conaill, Dermot O’Connell; Nóra Nic Ḋoṁnaill, Nora McDonnell.
489. When the whole name is in the genitive case, the words after Uí (gen. of Ó or Ua) and Ṁic (gen. of Mac) are aspirated; Ní and Nic do not change in genitive. Leaḃar Ṡeumais Uí Ḃriain, James O’Brien’s book; bó Ḃriain Ṁic Ḋoṁnaill, Brian McDonnell’s cow.
490. Mac and Ó aspirate when they really mean “son” and “grandson” respectively.
- Mac Ḋoṁnaill, Donal’s son.
- Mac Doṁnaill, McDonnell.
- Ó Ḃriain, Brian’s grandson.
- Ó Briain, O’Brien.
491. Some surnames take the article after Mac and Nic—e.g.:
- Seumas Mac an Ḃáird, James Ward.
- Nóra Nic an Ultaiġ, Nora McNulty.