Kelly's Manx Grammar: Chapter 9

[From Manx Soc vol 2, Kelly's Manx Grammar]

CHAPTER IX.

OF THE DECLENSIONS.

There are Five Declensions.

FIRST DECLENSION.

Nouns of the First Declension are such as form their plural by adding the particle yn to the termination of the nominative singular; as--

Of the Feminine Gender:

	Singular.	Plural.
Nom.	Sooill, an eye, or y tooill, the eye,	Ny sooillyn, the eyes,
Gen.	Ny sooilley, of an eye,	Ny sooillyn, of the eyes,
Dat.*	Da'n tooill, to the eye,	Da ny sooillyn, to the eyes,
Acc.	Yn tooill, the eye,	Ny sooillyn, the eyes,
Voc.	Y or O hooill, O eye,	Y or O hooillyn, O eyes,
Abl.	Gyn hooill, without an eye.	Gyn sooillyn, without eyes.

	Singular.	Plural.
Nom.	Cass, a foot,	Cassyn, feet,
Gen.	Ny coshey, of the foot,	Ny gassyn, of the feet,
Dat.	Da'n chass, to the foot,	Da ny cassyn, to the feet,
Acc.	Yn chass, the foot,	Ny cassyn, the feet.
Voc.	Y chass, O foot,	Y chassyn, O feet,
Abl.	Gyn chass, without a foot.	Gyn chassyn, without feet.

Of the Masculine Gender:

	Singular.	Plural.
Nom.	Thie, a house,	Thieyn, houses,
Gen.	Yn thie, of the house,	Ny dhieyn, of the houses,
Dat.	Da'n thie, to the house,	Da ny thieyn, to the houses,
Acc.	Yn thie, the house,	Ny thieyn, the houses,
Voc.	Y or O hie, O house,	Y hieyn, O houses,
Abl.	Gyn thie, without a house.	Gyn thieyn, without houses.

	Singular.	Plural.
Nom.	Baase, death,	Baaseyn, deaths,
Gen.	Yn vaaish, of death,	Ny maaseyn, of the deaths,
Dat.	Da'n baase, to the death,	Da ny baaseyn, to the deaths,
Acc.	Yn baase, the death,	Ny baaseyn, the deaths,
Voc.	Y vaase, O death,	Y vaaseyn, O deaths,
Abl.	Gyn vaase, without death.	Gyn vaaseyn, without, &c.

Some nouns of this declension transpose their final consonants in the genitive singular, and in the plural number; as--

	Singular.	Plural.
Nom.	Bannish, a wedding,	Ny banshyn, the weddings,
Gen.	Ny banshey, of a wedding,	Ny manshyn, of, &c.
Dat.	Da'n vannish, to the wedding,	Da ny banshyn, to, &c.
Acc.	Yn vannish, the wedding,	Ny banshyn, the, &c
Voc.	Y vannish, O wedding,	Y vanshyn, O weddings,
Abl.	Gyn varnish, without a wedding.	Gyn vanshyn, without, &c.

Nouns ending in er, or, id, ys, are of this declension; and these nouns feminine:--

	Singular.	Plural.
Nom.	Ooig, a pit,	Ny ooigyn, pits,
Gen.	Ny hooigey, of, &c.	Ny hooigyn, of pits.
Nom.	Creg, a rock,	Creggyn, rocks,
Gen.	Ny creggey, of a rock.	Ny creggyn, of rocks.
Nom.	Kiark, a hen,	Kiarkyn, hens,
Gen.	Ny giark, of the hen.	Ny giarkyn, of hens.

And toin, gen. ny toaney; crosh, an accident, gen. ny groshey; muir, the sea, gen. ny marrey; muc, a pig, gen. ny muigey, &c.

SECOND DECLENSION.

Nouns of the Second Declension are such as admit of no change in the termination of the singular number; and the plural is formed by adding aghyn to the final consonant; and, if the noun ends in a vowel, the vowel is cast away, except it be a monosyllable, and then the vowel remains: as-

	Singular.	Plural.
Nom.	Caggey (masc.), war,	Caggaghyn, wars,
Gen.	Yn chaggey, of the war,	Ny gaggaghyn, of the wars,
Dat.	Da'n caggey, to the war,	Da ny caggaghyn, to the wars,
Acc.	Yn caggey, the war,	Ny caggaghyn, the wars,
Voc.	Y chaggey, O war,	Y chaggaghyn, O wars,
Abl.	Gyn chaggey, without, &c.	Gyn chaggaghyn, without, &c.

	Singular.	Plural.
Nom.	Gloyr (fem.), glory,	Gloyraghyn, glories,
Gen.	Ny ghloyr, of the glory,	Ny ghloyraghyn, of, &c.
Dat.	Da'n ghloyr, to the glory,	Da ny gloyraghyn, to, &c.
Acc.	Yn ghloyr, the glory,	Ny gloyraghyn, the glories,
Voc.	Y ghloyr, O glory,	Y ghloyraghyn, O glories,
Abl.	Gyn ghloyr, without, &c.	Gyn ghloyraghyn, &c.

	Singular.	Plural.
Nom.	Cruinney, a globe,	Cruinnaghyn, globes,
Gen.	Ny cruinney, of a globe.	Ny gruinnaghyn, of, &c.

Of this declension are the following nouns:--cree, a heart; ree, a king; coirrey, a furnace; chengey, a tongue; pooar, power; obbyr, work; peccah, sin, &c.

THIRD DECLENSION.

The Third Declension containeth nouns changeable in the cases of the singular number, and which form their plurals as the second declension.

	Singular.	Plural.
Nom.	Yn sourey, summer,	Souraghyn, summers,
Gen.	Yn touree, of summer,	Ny souraghyn, of summers,
Dat.	Da'n tourey, to the, &c.	Da ny souraghyn, to, &c.
Acc.	Yn tourey, the summer,	Ny souraghyn, the, &c.
Voc.	Y houree, O summer,	Y houraghyn, O, &c.
Abl.	Gyn hourey, without, &c.	Gyn souraghyn, without, &c.

	Singular.	Plural
Nom.	Moir, a mother,	Moiraghyn, mothers,
Gen.	Ny mayrey, of a mother,	Ny moiraghyn, of, &c.
Dat.	Da'n voir, to the mother,	Da ny moiraghyn, to, &c.
Acc.	Yn voir, the mother,	Ny moiraghyn, the, &c.
Voc.	Y voir, O mother,	Y voiraghyn, O, &c.
Abl.	Gyn voir, without, &c.	Gyn voiraghyn, without, &c.

Of this declension are--

	Singular.	Plural.
Nom.	Braar, a brother,	Braaraghyn, brothers,
Gen.	Y vraarey, of a brother.	Ny mraaraghyn, of, &c.

	Singular.	Plural.
Nom.	Shuyr, a sister,	Shuyraghyn, sisters,
Gen.	Ny shayrey, of a sister.	Ny shuyraghyn, of sisters.

In the same manner are declined geurey, winter, gen. y gheuree, of winter; cheer, a country, gen. ny cheerey, of a country, &c.

Of this declension are nouns wanting the plural number, also nouns of multitude singular, and are regularly declined; as--

	Singular.	Singular.
Nom.	Feill, flesh,	Cloan, children,
Gen.	Ny foalley, of the flesh,	Ny glienney, of children,
Dat.	Da'n eill, to the flesh,	Da'n chloan, to the children,
Acc.	Yn eill, the flesh,	Yn chloan, the children,
Voc.	Y eill, O flesh,	Y chloan, O children,
Abl.	Gyn eill, without flesh.	Gyn chloan, without, &c.

Note here that cloan, maase, sleih (vide Of the Numbers, Chap. VI.), which apparently seem plural nouns, are only nouns of multitude singular, and declined with a singular article; for, we never say ta ny maase cheet, but ta'n maase cheet, the cattle comes; ta'n sleih chaglym, the people assembles, not ta ny sleih chaglym.

THE FOURTH DECLENSION.

Nouns of this declension ending in agh in the singular change agh into ee in the plural, and add the particle yn; as--

	Singular.	Plural.
Nom.	Cagliagh, a boundary,	Cagleeyn, boundaries,
Gen.	Yn Chagliagh, of the, &c.	Ny gagleeyn, of the, &c.
Dat.	Da'n cagliagh, to the, &c.	Da ny cagleeyn, to the, &c.
Acc.	Yn cagliagh, the, &c.	Ny cagleeyn, the, &c.
Voc.	Y chagliagh, O boundary,	Y chagleeyn, O, &c.
Abl.	Gyn chagliagh, without, &c.	Gyn cagleeyn, without, &c.

Of this declension are claddagh, &c.

Some nouns of this declension, to avoid the hiatus, receive the consonant n; as--

	Singular.	Plural.
Nom.	Raantagh, a bail,	Raanteenyn, bails,
Gen.	Yn raantagh, of a bail.	Ny raanteenyn, of the bails.

Some nouns of this declension, ending in vowels in the singular number, form their plural by adding nyn to the termination; as--

	Singular.	Plural.
Nom.	Cliwe, a sword,	Cliwenyn, swords,
Gen.	Yn chliwe, of a sword.	Ny gliwenyn, of the, &c.

So are jaghee, tythe; briw, a judge, &c., declined.

Some nouns of this declension form their plurals from the genitive singular, and transpose the final consonant; as--

	Singular.	Plural.
Nom.	Annym, a soul,	Anmeenyn, souls.
Gen.	Ny hanmey, of the soul.	Ny hanmeenyn, of the souls.

	Singular.	Plural.
Nom.	Keeill, a church,	Kialteenyn, churches,
Gen.	Ny killagh, of the church.	Ny gialteenyn, of the, &c.

And some, instead of n, admit of t in their plural; as, moainee, a turbary; lheeanee, a meadow; bleïn, &c.

	Singular.	Plural.
Nom.	Bleïn, a year,	Bleeantyn, years,
Gen.	Ny bleeaney, of a year.	Ny mleeantyn, of the years.

FIFTH DECLENSION.

A o, u, being broad vowels, are used promiscuously in general, but in monosyllable nouns the plural number follows the genitive singular, as--

	Singular.	Plural.
Nom.	Doarn, a fist or hand (shut),	Duirn, hands,
Gen.	Ny duirn, of a fist,	Ny ghuirn, of hands,
Dat.	Da'n doarn, to the hand,	Dy ny duirn, to the hands,
Acc.	Yn doarn, the hand,	Ny duirn, the hands,
Voc.	Y ghoarn, O hand,	Y ghuirn, O hands,
Abl.	Gyn doarn, without, &c.	Gyn duirn, without hands.

	Singular.	Plural.
Nom.	Cron, a mast,	Ny cruin, masts,
Gen.	Y chruin, of the mast,	Ny gruin, of the masts,
Dat.	Da'n chron, to the mast,	Da ny cruin, to the masts,
Acc.	Yn chron, the mast,	Ny cruin, the masts,
Voc.	Y chron, O mast,	Y chruin, O masts,
Abl.	Gyn chron, without a mast.	Gyn cruin, without, &c.

	Singular.	Plural.
Nom.	Kione, a head,	Ny king, heads,
Gen.	Y ching, of a head.	Ny ging, of the heads.

	Singular.	Plural.
Nom.	Booa, a cow,	Ny baa, cows,
Gen.	Ny baa, of the cow.	Ny maa, of the cows.

Some monosyllables of this declension follow not their genitive, but change a into e; as--

	Singular.	Plural.
Nom.	Mac, a son,	Ny mec, sons,
Gen.	Yn vac, of a son.	Ny mec, of the sons.

Some change e into i, as--

	Singular.	Plural.
Nom.	Fer, a man,	Fir, men,
Gen.	Yn er, of the man.	Ny vir, of the men.

O, in monosyllables, is changed into the diphthong ui, as--

	Singular.	Plural.
Nom.	Bolg, a belly,	Ny builg, bellies,
Gen.	Yn volg, of a belly.	Ny muilg, of bellies.

In this manner are declined molt, stoyl, cront, &c., &c.

Some polysyllable nouns also form the plural from the genitive case singular, and are of the fifth declension; as,

	Singular.	Plural.
Nom.	Kellagh, a cock,	Ny kellee, cocks,
Gen.	Y chellee, of the cock,	Ny gellee, of the cocks,
Dat.	Da'n kellagh, to the cock,	Da ny kellee, to the cocks.
Acc.	Yn kellagh, the cock,	Ny kellee, the cocks,
Voc.	Y chellagh, O cock,	Y chellee, O cocks.
Abl.	Gyn chellagh, without, &c.	Gyn kellee, without cocks.

	Singular.	Plural.
Nom.	Guiy, a goose,	Ny guoee, the geese,
Gen.	Ny guoee, of a goose.	Ny ghuoee, of the geese.

	Singular.	Plural.
Nom.	Moddey, a dog,	Ny moddee, dogs,
Gen.	Y voddee, of a dog.	Ny moddee, of dogs.

Keyrrey, a sheep, &c., are of this declension, and thus declined:

	Singular.	Plural.
Nom.	Keyrrey, a sheep,	Ny kirree, sheep,
Gen.	Ny geyrragh, of a sheep,	Ny girree, of the sheep,
Dat.	Da'n cheyrrey, to the sheep,	Da ny kirree, to, &c.
Acc.	Yn cheyrrey, the sheep,	Ny kirree, the sheep,
Voc.	Y cheyrrey, O sheep,	Y chirree, O sheep,
Abl.	Gyn cheyrrey, without, &c.	Gyn kirree, without, &c.

Adjectives sometimes become substantives, and are of this declension: as, berchagh, a rich man; kimmagh, a criminal; peccagh, a sinner, &c. Pl. berchee, kimmee, peccee.

* The Dative case of all nouns is the same as the Accusative, with the preposition da prefixed. It might therefore be expunged; and the word now in the Dative be said to be in the Accusative, governed by the preposition da. The Pronouns have a distinct Dative.--Ed.




Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor HTML Transcription © F.Coakley , 2001