hello,

I've been studying Gaeilge with the book Learning Irish by Ó'Siadhail and I have a few questions...

Ok, so first of all, in the book it says that the plural article causes h prefixation before any noun starting by a vowel. Now my question is, does this happen also when the article is preceded by a preposition such as in eg: ag na héanacha?

Also, we are thought in the book that a noun with a plural ending spelt in a final consonant causes the following adjective to lenite (for eg: fraincaigh mhóra). However, Ó'Siadhail does not precise exactly when this occurs. Is it only when adjective is attributive or can it happen as well when it is predicatively used? Also does it lenite a following adjective when it (the noun) is preceded by a preposition (eg: ag na gasúir bheaga)?

I hope you can help!
Thanx!!!

Predicative adjectives don't lenite or inflect at all:
Tá an fear beag. Tá an bhean beag. Tá na páistí beag.

Yes, h-prefix and lenition of adjectives are the same in the nominative plural as they are in the dative plural, so your two examples are correct. (Watch out for the genitive plural though, that's different!)

Thank you very much Abigail! That pretty much clears up the question for me.

Slán!

Agus muid ag plé an ábhair, an bhfuil 's ag éinne an séimhítear an aidiacht i ndiaidh an iolra "ibh" i nGaoluinn na Mumhan?

Ag labhairt le fearaibh mhóra?
Ag cur ceisteanna ar fhearaibh mhóra?

quote:

"ibh" i nGaoluinn na Mumhan

Tá's agat, ar ndóigh, nach n-úsáidtear an foirceann sin níos mó sa teanga labhartha i gCorca Dhuibhne, ach amháin i seanfhocail agus i gclichéanna mar sin, agus mar iolra ginearálta an fhocail "fear" in áit "fir". Maidir le do cheist, bheadh "fearaibh móra" ceart mar thabharthach iolra. Níl mé cinnte, áfach, céard a deirtear sa Ghaeltacht sa lá atá inniu ann. Más maith leat aon cheist eile a phlé liom, nó pionta a ól in éineacht, beidh mé ag fanacht i gColáiste na Tríonóide go ceann dhá sheachtain.