Yaghthis gheidhelos (language of the gheidhelo)
Historical Sound Changes[]
From Proto-Celtic (PE) to Old Gheidhelos (OGH) to Middle Gheidhelos (MGH) to Modern Gheidhelos (NGH)
- ɸ -> f (ph) -> f -> f
- t -> t -> t/th -> t/th
- k -> c (kh)/ch (tsh) -> c (k)/ch (tsh) -> c (k)/ch (tsh)
- kw -> qu (kw) -> qu (k) -> cw (kw)
- b -> b -> b/bh -> b/bh
- g -> g/gh -> g/gh -> g/gh
- gw -> qu (kw) -> gw -> g(u)w
- s -> s -> s/sh -> s/sh
- m -> m -> m -> m/n
- n -> n -> n -> n
- l -> l -> l -> l
- r -> r -> r -> r
- dl -> dhl -> dhl -> dhl (ll)
- kwr -> cur -> quer -> cr (kr)
- y -> y (zh) -> y -> y
- w -> w -> f (ɸ) -> w
- a -> a -> a -> a
- á -> éa -> éai -> ai
- ai -> éu -> éai -> ai
- au -> áyu -> aiu -> ai
- e -> e -> e -> e (è)
- é -> éa -> éi -> ei
- i -> i -> ë -> i
- í -> í -> iu -> iu
- o -> éo -> yo -> o
- oi -> oi -> oi -> oi
- ou -> óyi -> oiu -> oi
- u -> u -> u (ü) -> u
- ú -> ú -> úi -> ui
Umlauts[]
- a -> ai -> au
- e -> ei -> ea
- i -> iu -> eo
- o -> oi -> ou
- u -> ui -> eu
Harmony[]
Vowels and consonants share some kind of harmony.
When an "e" or "i" is preceded by a "b, c, d, g, p, dhl, s, t" or "z" an extra "h" is added, like b+eru = bheru. Also word-final they get it: iugon => iugh, though "p" and "s" don't necessarily need it (wiros, not wirosh). "gh" and "ch" can also exist in front of any other vowel. All "h"-forms can exist in front of a consonant. The "h"-form of "dhl" is "dhlgh".
Phonology[]
The letters and their pronunciation:
- a: [a]
- ai: [ái]
- au: [áu]
- b: [b]
- bh: [bχ]
- c: [k]
- ch: [ʧ]
- d: [d]
- dh: [ð]
- dhl: [ɬ]
- dhlgh: [ðɫχ]
- e: [ɛ]
- ea: [ɛ́a]
- ei: [ɛ́i]
- eo: [ɛ́o]
- eu: [ɛ́u]
- f: [ɸ]
- g: [g]
- gh: [χ]
- i: [i]
- iu: [iú]
- l: [l]
- m: [m]
- n: [n]
- o: [o]
- oi: [ói]
- ou: [óu]
- r: [r]
- s: [s]
- sh: [ʃ]
- t: [t]
- th: [tχ]
- u: [u]
- ui: [úi]
- w: [w]
- y: [j]
- z: [z]
- zh: [ʒ]
Orthography[]
The orthography is highly regular and even standard loanwords are changed, computer -> c(a)mbyuthiur, though most words get a neoglism, computer -> wergh(c)lairus (from wergu, to work, and clairus, table)
Grammar[]
Article[]
The definite article is an or a. The indefinite article is oinos.
Pronouns[]
Nominative | Genitive | Dative | Accusative | Vocative | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | First | iugh | moi | miugh | me | ― |
Second | tui | toi | thiubhe | twiu | the | |
Third | em | soi | shiugh | she | ― | |
Dual | First | waidh | nodh | naidh | naidh | ― |
Second | ghiu | ghos | ghom | ghon | ghei | |
Third | eson | shiu | shem | shem | ― | |
Plural | First | nuis | nos | nais | nais | ― |
Second | yui | wos | usmai | wais | iu | |
Third | eson | shiu | shem | chuigh | ― |
Other forms include:
- mene: mine
- thene: yours
Often the genitive form is used instead of the dative and accusative. ‘tur agh moi’ instead of ‘tur agh me’. This is a shorter form of ‘cherch moi’ (my body) Also note that ‘tur agh me’ does not exist, because it would be ‘tur ame’, as ‘agh’ is an inflected preposition.
Adjectives[]
‘shene’ (old)
Nominative | Genitive | Accusative | Vocative | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | shenos | shenos | shenon | shene |
Dual | shenou | shenou | shenou | shene |
Singular | shenou | shenou | shenou | shene |
‘mathe’ (good)
Nominative | Genitive | Accusative | Vocative | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | matos | matos | maton | mathe |
Dual | matou | matou | matou | mathe |
Singular | matou | matou | matou | mathe |
Nouns[]
‘wiros’ (man)
Nominative | Genitive | Accusative | Vocative | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | wiros | wiron | wiron | wiur |
Dual | wirou | wiron | wirobhi | wiure |
Singular | wirou | wiron | wirobhin | wiuri |
‘duinon’ (settlement)
Nominative | Genitive | Accusative | Vocative | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | duinon | duinos | duinom | duin |
Dual | duinou | duinos | duinobhi | duine |
Singular | duinou | duinos | duinobhin | duini |
‘bhenai’ (woman)
Nominative | Genitive | Accusative | Vocative | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | bhenai | bhenais | bhenam | bhene |
Dual | bhenau | bheinais | bheinam | bhene |
Singular | bhenau | bheinaus | bheinan | bheni |
‘dants’ (tooth)
Nominative | Genitive | Accusative | Vocative | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | dants | dantos | dantom | dainth |
Dual | dantou | danton | dantobhi | dainthe |
Singular | daintou | dainton | daintobhin | dainthi |
‘rigs’ (king)
Nominative | Genitive | Accusative | Vocative | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | rigs | righ | righ | righe |
Dual | righs | riugh | riugh | righe |
Singular | righs | riugh | riugh | righi |
‘fathiur’ (father)
Nominative | Genitive | Accusative | Vocative | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | fathiur | fatros | fatheir | faidh |
Dual | faithiur | faitros | faitheir | faidhe |
Singular | faithiur | faitros | faitheir | faidhi |
‘cun’ (dog)
Nominative | Genitive | Accusative | Vocative | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | cun | cuns | cunim | cuin |
Dual | cuni | cunis | cunim | cuine |
Singular | cuni | cunis | cunim | cuini |
Verbs[]
There's only one simple tense: present. There are two conjugations: -u and -i.
Singular | Dual | Plural | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
first | second | third | first | second | third | first | second | third | |
First | bheru | bheru | bherdh | bherum | bhergh | bheridh | bherum | bhergh | bherigh |
Second | bheir | bher | bheirdh | bheiru | bheirgh | bheiridh | bheiru | bheirgh | bheirigh |
Some words might get an extra 'h' extra because of the harmony. Like: ‘cwetu’ (I save, first) and ‘cweith’ (I save, second), also remember ‘cwethigh’ (they spare, first).
Other tenses are constructed like:
- Am bhiu shene. = I was old.
- Dhem bhiu shene. = I will be old.
- Am dhem bhiu shene. = I would be old.
- Niu bhiu shene. = I'm not old.
- Niu am dhem bhiu shene. = I would not be old.
- Dheigh niu am dhem bhiu shene? = Wouldn't I be old?
- Ui cwargu autos trei me. = The car was made by me.
- Erbhiu bhiu. = Let me be.
Negative terms are:
- Niu (ghiudh) = not
- Niu cwani = never
- Niu thents = nothing
- Niu cwuts = nowhere
- Niu maigh = not anymore
- Niu caidh = not yet
Now comes -i:
Singular | Dual | Plural | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
first | second | third | first | second | third | first | second | third | |
First | gli | glist | glidh | glim | gligh | glidh | glim | gligh | glidh |
Second | gliu | gliust | gliudh | glium | gliugh | gliudh | glium | gliugh | gliudh |
The verb ‘to have’ is made using a construction:
- Bhidh bargos agh moi. = Is book at me. = I have a book.
There are some irregular verbs.
‘bhi’ is to be.
Singular | Dual | Plural | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
first | second | third | first | second | third | first | second | third | |
First | bhi | bhist | bhidh | fuildh | fuil | fuildh | es | est | esidh |
Second | bhiu | bhiust | bhiudh | siun | suigh | suidh | eis | eist | eisidh |
‘aghi’ means to say:
Singular | Dual | Plural | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
first | second | third | first | second | third | first | second | third | |
First | agh | abhi | adh | aghim | aghigh | adh | am | aghigh | adh |
Second | aigh | aibhi | aidh | aighim | aighigh | aidh | aighim | aighigh | aidh |
‘clusu’ is to hear.
Singular | Dual | Plural | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
first | second | third | first | second | third | first | second | third | |
First | clusu | clus | clusdh | clusum | clusgh | clusidh | clusum | clusgh | clusigh |
Second | cluis | cluis | cluisdh | cluisu | cluisgh | cluisidh | cluisum | cluisgh | cluisigh |
‘dhin’ means to do.
Singular | Dual | Plural | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
first | second | third | first | second | third | first | second | third | |
First | dhin | dus | dhidh | dhenum | dhengh | dhenidh | wragam | wraigh | wragai |
Second | dhiun | duis | diudh | dheinum | dheingh | dheinidh | wraigam | wraugh | wraigai |
‘edhe’ is to eat.
Singular | Dual | Plural | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
first | second | third | first | second | third | first | second | third | |
First | edhe | igh | idh | edhum | edhugh | edhudh | edhu | edhigh | edhidh |
Second | eidhe | iugh | iudh | eidhum | eidhugh | eidhudh | eidhu | eidhigh | eidhidh |
‘ru’ is to give.
Singular | Dual | Plural | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
first | second | third | first | second | third | first | second | third | |
First | ru | ra | rudh | tufrodum | rugh | tufrodhidh | rum | rugh | ruigh |
Second | rui | rui | ruidh | tuifrodu | ruigh | ruidh | ruim | ruigh | ruigh |
‘theigu’ is to go.
Singular | Dual | Plural | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
first | second | third | first | second | third | first | second | third | |
First | theigu | theigh | theidh | theim | theigh | stuight | stuim | stuigh | stuight |
Second | theagh | theagh | theadh | theam | theagh | theadh | stuigon | theagh | theadh |
‘tur’ is to come.
Singular | Dual | Plural | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
first | second | third | first | second | third | first | second | third | |
First | tur | tur | turdh | turum | trugh | turidh | turet | turgh | trigh |
Second | tuir | tuir | tuirdh | tuiru | tuirgh | tuiridh | tuirum | tuirgh | triugh |
‘wu’ is to blow, only used with wind!
Singular | Dual | Plural | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
first | second | third | first | second | third | first | second | third | |
First | wu | wu | wudh | wurum | wugh | wudh | wurum | wugh | wurugh |
Second | wuir | wuir | wuidh | wuirum | wuigh | wuidh | wuiru | wuigh | wuirugh |
Word order[]
The common word order is VERB - SUBJECT - OBJECT, though some exceptions exist. More precise: Preverbal particles (see below) - verbs - subject - place - dative - accusative - time - other.
The order of preverbal particles is: dheigh - niu - ui - am - dhem - erbhui.
Vocabulary[]
Yaghtis gheidhelos/Evolution: From Proto-Celtic to Modern Gheidhelos
Yaghtis gheidhelos/Relation to other Celtic languages: Comparison between other Celtic languages
Yaghtis gheidhelos/Vocabulary: Some standard words NGH - ENG