Rules

Question 1

When to apply lenition?

Answer 1

Consonants which always lenite are b, c, f, g, m and p, however the consonants d, t and s don’t usually lenite if the word before them ends in an n, and words beginning with sg, sm, sp and st never lenite.

You also lenite most words following common modifiers like fior (true), glè (very), ro (too), and sàr (great).

lenite words following the numerals aon (one), dà (two), and a’ chiad (the first).

Question 2

When to use: an

Answer 2

In Gaelic the definite article an is used in the following circumstances:

before feminine words beginning with a vowel.
before masculine nouns beginning with the three consonants c, g and s
before masculine and feminine nouns beginning with the consonants d, l, n, r and t.
before feminine nouns beginning with the letter s apart from those beginning with sl, sn, sr, or s+ vowel (see below for information on these nouns.)
before feminine nouns beginning with the letter f followed by a vowel. A word like this requires the letter h to be inserted before the vowel when using the definite article. Take faoileag (a seagull), for example. It becomes an fhaoileag.

Question 3

When to use: am

Answer 3

In Gaelic the definite article am is used in front of masculine words beginning with the consonants b, f, m and p.

Question 4

When to use: a’

Answer 4

In Gaelic the definite article a’ is used in front of feminine words beginning with the consonants b, c, g, m, and p. When you put a’ in front of feminine words beginning with the consonants b, c, g, m, and p, you also insert an h after the initial consonant, e.g a’ bhanais, a’ bhean.

Question 5

When to use: an t-

Answer 5

In Gaelic the definite article an t- is used before masculine and feminine nouns. An t- is used before masculine nouns beginning with a vowel. An t- is used before feminine nouns beginning with with sl, sn, sr, or s+ vowel.