Irish Plurals

Based on notes from Nick Wolf’s class at Gaeltacht Minnesota on March 24, 2008.

Plurals

Plurals are less systematic than genitives. It harder to guess the plural from the nominative singular. However, there are two general classes, which makes the genitive plural easy


  • lagioraí (weak plurals): The genitive plural is like the nominative singular.

    • m1 nouns

    Slenderize final consonant. Most, but not all, m1 nouns are in this group.

    nom.sing.Eng.nom.pl.gen.sing.
    bádboatbáidgs báid
    fearmanfirgs fir
    cupáncupáincupáin
    sagartpriestsagairtsagairt
    bádbáid
    catcat

    Exceptions in the m1 group
    nom.sing.Eng.nom.pl.gen.sing.
    ceolceoltaceoil
    scéalscéaltascéil

    f2 nouns

    Add -a suffix.

    nom.sing.Eng.nom.pl.gen.sing.
    -lann-lanna
    bialannrestaurantbialannaf bialainne
    amharclannamharclann
    -óg-óga
    -eog-eoga
    fuinneogfuinneoga
    brógbróga


  • tréanioraí (strong plurals): The genitive plural is like the nominative plural.

    • add -(a)í
    Professions. All masculine
    nom.sing.Eng.nom.pl.gen.sing.
    -eoir-eoirí
    muinteoirmuinteorí
    feirmeoirfeirmeoirí
    -ir-irí
    dochtúirdoctordochtúirí

    Nouns ending in a short vowel, or slender -n
    nom.sing.Eng.nom.pl.gen.sing.
    siopashopsiopaísiopa
    gardaguard mgardaígarda
    oifigoffice foifigígs oifige
    cluichecluichí
    piontapiontaí
    cailíncailiní
    seachtainweekseachtainíseachtaine

    Nationalities and some other words ending in -ach

    -ach → -aigh

    ÉireannachIrish personÉireannaighgs Éireannaigh gpl Éireannach
    leathanachpage [of a book]leathanaighgs leathanaigh gpl leathanach

    Non-nationality words often differ.
    éadachéadaí
    curachcuracha

    Add -e
    bótharroad mbóithre (syncopation)gs bóthair

    Add -ta or -tha
    ceolmusicceoltags ceoil
    blianyearblianta
    glornoiseglortha

    Add -(e)acha
    leababed fleapachags leapa
    athairfather mathreacha (syncopation)gs athar
    máthairmáthreacha (syncopation)
    cathoircathaoireacha
    teangateangacha
    litirlitreacha

    -(e)anna
    sráidstreetsráideannags sráide


    -(e)anta
    uairhouruaireantags uaire
    oíchenightoícheanta
    ládaylaethanta

    misc.
    duineperson mdaoinegs duine
    beanwomanmnágs mná gpl ban
    carafriendcairdegs carad gpl carad
    árasánapartment márasáings árasáin gpl árasán
    clárboard, [TV] programcláirgs cláir gpl clár
    teachhousetithe gs tí