140
AN GAODHAL.
70. As the slender sounds of
simple l and n do not differ notic¬
eably (except in parts of Munster)
from the broad sound of this letter,
the pronunciation of the nominat¬
ive and genitive cases of words en¬
ding in simple l and n is precisely
the same, thus, asail, uain, are pro¬
nounced as asal, uan
71. Example: bás, death,
Singular.
N. A. bás, death,
Gen. báis (baush), of death,
Dat. bás, death (after a preposi¬
tion.
Voc. a bháis (ă waush) o death,
72. The vocative case singular and
plural, is always preceded by the aspi¬
rating particle a.
73. Example : bád a boat.
Singular.
N. A., bád, a boat.
Gen, báid (baud), of a boat.
Dat., bád, a boat (after a prep¬
osition)
Voc., a bháid (waud), o boat!
Plural.
N. A. báid, boats.
Gen. bád. of boats.
Dat. bádaibh (baudh'-iv), boats
(after a (preposition).
Voc., a bháda (ă waudh-a) o boats
74. The student will notice that
some cases are similar, (1) the
nom. sing., dat sing., gen. plur.;
(2) the gen. sing., voc sing., nom
plur — these being the "attenuated"
forms. Then the form ending in
a (voc, plur.) and that in -aibh (dat.
plur.) make up four different forms
of each word of this declension.
75. The genitive singular form of
proper names is most generally found
in surnames; as, Mac Domhnaill (mok
dhōn-il) son of Donal, O'Domhnaill,
grandson of Donal. In surnames as
we have them, the words mac and ó
both mean "descendant”; hence Seagh¬
án MacDomhnaill, John MacDonnell, —
John, descendant of Donal; Aodh
Ruadh O'Domhnaill, Red Hugh O'Donn¬
ell. — Red Hugh descendant of Donal.
MacEoghain (mok ō'-in), descendant of
Eoghan, MacKeon.
76. It is now necessary to speak
at some length of the cases in which
nouns are aspirated and eclipsed.
The student should read this part
of the lessons frequently, and refer
to it as often as he meets a case of
aspiration or eclipsis which he can¬
not explain.
77. Nouns are aspirated in all
cases by mo, my, do, thy, a, his.
See Simple Lessons § 235.
78. Nouns are eclipsed in all cases
by ar, our, bhur, your, a, their. See
Simple Lessons 376.
79. The word a, her, has no effect
on a cononant following it; as, a fear,
her husband ; but it prefixes h to the
following vowel; as, a h-ainm (han'-im)
her name.
80. The words "its” is also transla¬
ted by a, and has the same effect as a,
his, or a, her, according to the gender
of the noun "its” refers to; as, do bhí
cnoc mór ar an oileán agus teach ar a
bhárr, do bhí aill mhór ar an tráigh agus
teach ar a bárr, on its top (on the top
of it, the cliff, aill, feminine).
81. Forms of the article, with
masculine nouns. The article has
only two forms ; an in all cases of
the singular, and na in all cases of
the plural.
82. Eifect of the article. This is
a suitable place to consider the ef¬
fect of the article on the noun in
various cases We will speak at
present only of MASCULINE nouns
What is said here of nouns of the
first declension, applies to all mas¬
culine nouns.
83. Nominative and accusative case
Atá an t-uan ar an m-bóthar. Cuir an
