Irish

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Irish numbers (edit)
4
    Cardinal: ceathair
    Ordinal: ceathrú
    Personal: ceathrar
    Attributive: ceithre

Pronunciation

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Numeral

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ceithre

  1. four

Usage notes

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  • May be used with nouns in both the singular and plural; the singular is more common in general, but the plural must be used with units of measurement and the like. Triggers lenition of nouns in the singular and h-prothesis of nouns in the plural.
  • ceithre chatfour cats
  • ceithre troithefour feet
  • ceithre héinfour birds
  • When used with the definite article, the definite article is always in the plural. When used with adjectives, the adjective is also in the plural and is always lenited after nouns in the singular; after nouns in the plural, the adjective only lenites after slender consonants:
  • ceithre chapall bhánafour white horses
  • na ceithre eaglais mhórathe four big churches
But:
  • ceithre capaill bhánafour white horses
  • na ceithre heaglaisí mórathe four big churches
  • When referring to human beings, the personal form ceathrar is used.

Derived terms

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Mutation

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Irish mutation
Radical Lenition Eclipsis
ceithre cheithre gceithre
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References

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