Declension
There are five recognized declensions in Irish. The makeup of the declensions depends on three factors:
- the gender of the noun
- the formation of the genitive singular
- relation of genitive singular to nominative plural
The following chart describes the characteristics of each declension class:
| Nom. sing. ends with: | Gen. sing. ends with: | Gender | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First declension | Broad consonant | Slender consonant | Masculine |
| Second declension | Broad or slender consonant | -e/-í | Feminine |
| Third declension | Slender or broad consonant | -a | Masculine or feminine |
| Fourth declension | Vowel or -ín | (no change) | Masculine or feminine |
| Fifth declension | Vowel or slender consonant | Broad consonant | Mostly feminine |
Read more about this topic: Irish Declension, Nouns
Famous quotes containing the word declension:
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Through natural declension of the soul,
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Through too much play, or marriage with a fool?”
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)
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—Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)