Old Irish

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Etymology

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From Proto-Celtic *īsarnom (compare Welsh haearn, Breton houarn), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ésh₂r̥.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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íarn n or m (genitive íairn or éirn, nominative plural íairn or éirn)

  1. iron

Inflection

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Disyllabic declension if neuter:

Neuter o-stem
Singular Dual Plural
Nominative íarnN íarnN íarnL, íarna
Vocative íarnN íarnN íarnL, íarna
Accusative íarnN íarnN íarnL, íarna
Genitive ïairnL íarn íarnN
Dative ïurnL íarnaib íarnaib
Initial mutations of a following adjective:
  • H = triggers aspiration
  • L = triggers lenition
  • N = triggers nasalization

Monosyllabic declension if neuter:

Neuter o-stem
Singular Dual Plural
Nominative íarnN íarnN íarnL, íarna
Vocative íarnN íarnN íarnL, íarna
Accusative íarnN íarnN íarnL, íarna
Genitive éirnL íarn íarnN
Dative íarnL íarnaib íarnaib
Initial mutations of a following adjective:
  • H = triggers aspiration
  • L = triggers lenition
  • N = triggers nasalization

Disyllabic declension if masculine:

Masculine o-stem
Singular Dual Plural
Nominative íarn íarnL ïairnL
Vocative ïairn íarnL íarnuH
Accusative íarnN íarnL íarnuH
Genitive ïairnL íarn íarnN
Dative ïurnL íarnaib íarnaib
Initial mutations of a following adjective:
  • H = triggers aspiration
  • L = triggers lenition
  • N = triggers nasalization

Monosyllabic declension if masculine:

Masculine o-stem
Singular Dual Plural
Nominative íarn íarnL éirnL
Vocative éirn íarnL íarnuH
Accusative íarnN íarnL íarnuH
Genitive éirnL íarn íarnN
Dative íarnL íarnaib íarnaib
Initial mutations of a following adjective:
  • H = triggers aspiration
  • L = triggers lenition
  • N = triggers nasalization

Descendants

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  • Irish: iarann
  • Manx: yiarn
  • Scottish Gaelic: iarann

Mutation

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Old Irish mutation
Radical Lenition Nasalization
íarn
(pronounced with /h/ in h-prothesis environments)
unchanged n-íarn
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every
possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References

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