Page:Graimear na Gaedhilge.djvu/195

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179

ÍN.

458. The termination ÍN, meaning “small” or “little,” may be added to almost every Irish noun. Whenever the final consonant is broad it must be made slender (as the ín always remains unaltered), the vowels undergoing the same changes as in the formation of the genitive singular, but Ċ is not changed into Ġ (see pars. 60 and 78).

asal, an ass asailín, a little ass
fear, a man firín, a man
gort, a field goirtín, a field
cailleaċ, an old woman  cailliċín a old woman
sráid, a street sráidín, a street, a lane

If the noun ends in E, drop the E and add ÍN; but if the noun ends in A, drop the A and attenuate the preceding consonant; then add ÍN.

páisde   páisdín   Nóra   Nóirín   mála   máilín

459.
ÁN.
sruṫán, a brook, from sruṫ, a stream.
árdán, a hillock, árd, high.
dealgán, a knitting-needle,  dealg, a thorn.
biorán, a pin, bior, a spit.
leaḃrán, a booklet, leaḃar, a book.
geugán, a twig, geug, a branch.
loċán, a little lake, loċ, a lake.
sgiaṫán, a wing, sgiaṫ, a shield.

The above are examples of real diminutives, but such examples are not very numerous.