Books and other items printed in Gaelic from 1841 to 1870 > Stéidhean a' Ghràmair Ghaëlig

48 ETYMOLOGY.
FOCLACHADH.
So, baisteach, m. a haptist ; cinneaeh, m. anation ; clèireacb,
m. a clerk ; gaisgeach, m. ahero; inneach, m. woof ; òirleach,
/. (pl. òirh'ch), rni inch ; seileach, m. willow. Buileann or
builionn, m. a loaf ; craicionn, m. a skin ; boicionn, m. buck-
skin ; cuilionn, m. hollj/ ; crithionn, an aspen-tree.
Obs. — Most nouns ot' two or more syllables in -eann or -ionn,
change these terminations into nean in the nominative plural ;
as, craicionn, pl. craÀcncan.
24. Nouns in -chd, are indeclinable,* or end alike in the sin-
gular, and form their plural in -an ; thus,
Beannachd, mas. a blessing.
Nom. & Acc. Gen. Dat. Voc.
S. beannachd, beannàcbd, beannachd, a bheannachd.
P. beannachdàn,bheannachd, beannachdaibh, a bheannachda.
Also, achd,t m. an act ; beachd, m. an idea ; feachd, m.
an army ; f ìreantacbd,/. uprightness ; naomhachd,/. holiness ;
oighreachd./. an estate ; rìogbachd,/ a kingdom, S^c.
Obs.— Most polysyllables in -chd, are feminine, and for the most part want the
plural.
25. Nouns of one syllable ending in a vowel, are indeclinable
in the singular, and to prevent a hiatus, insert th before an of
the plural ; thus,
C~sb,fem. a nut.
Nom. Gen, Dat. Acc. Voc.
Sing. cnòj cnò, cnò cnò, a chnò.
Phir. cnotlian, chnò, cnothan, cnothan, a chnothan.
Also, ceò, m. mist ; Ciò, m. cloth ; cliù, m. praise ; gnè, /. a
kind ; te',/. a she one ; là, m. a day, pl., làithean or lathachan ;
nì, m. a thing, pl., nithean, nithe or nitheannan.
26. Nouns of more than one syllable ending in a vowel, are
indeclinable in the singular, and make their plural in -ichean ;
and some of them in -achan ; thus,
BàrA, mas. a boat.
Nom. & Acc. Gen. Dat. Voc.
Sing. bàta, bàtà, bàta, a bhàta.
Plur. bàtaicliean,^ bhàtaichean, bàtaichean, a bhàtaichean.
Also, aonta, m. a lease ; balla. m. a loall ; bara, m. a barrow ;
bòlla, m. a boll ; cala, m. a harbour ; canna, m. a can ; clobha,
* Indeclinable nouns ànd adjectiyes are aspirated in every case like those that
are declinable.
f Tlie genitive of rnonosyllables in ctid, is sometimes formed according to No.
27 ; as, achd, qen. achda.
X The reason for lengthening the plural iu this way is explained on page 42.—
Ons.