The article
The article
Art
Abstract and Keywords
In Manx, the definite article has three forms yn, ny and nyn: yn is the normal singular form; ny is the plural and the form used for the feminine genitive singular (f gen sg); and nyn is an archaic form sometimes found in place names. Manx has no indefinite article. This chapter discusses the singular definite article; feminine genitive singular ny; plural definite article ny; mutation after the article; uses of the definite article; the article expressing ‘of’ or possession; and the article with collective nouns.
Keywords: Manx Gaelic, definite article, singular form, feminine genitive singular, collective nouns
The definite article has three forms yn, ny and nyn:
- yn is the normal singular form
- ny is the plural and the form used for the feminine genitive singular (f gen sg)
- nyn is an archaic form sometimes found in place names
Manx has no indefinite article:
dooinney |
man, a man |
ben |
woman, a woman, wife, a wife |
5.1 The singular definite article yn applies to both masculine and feminine, nominative and accusative (acc) cases and to the masculine genitive singular (m gen sg)
yn ushtey (m) |
the water |
yn ushag happagh (f) |
the lark |
sollan y cheayn |
the salt of the sea (m gen sg) |
shelg yn drean |
hunt the wren (m acc sg) |
5.1.1 The n of the article may be dropped
a) between consonants in mid-sentence
Vel y noo ny lhie ‘syn ooir shoh? Is the saint lying in this soil?
[R. C. Carswell, ‘Kione Vaghal’, Shelg yn Drane 1994]
b) initially when the following word starts with a consonant
y dooinney
the man
y dorraghys
the darkness
(p.64) 5.1.2 The y of the article may be dropped following an unstressed word
-
a) after a particle or preposition
da'n dooinney
to the man
veih'n dooinney
from the man
fo'n ghrian
under the sun
-
b) after a word ending in a vowel, ‘h’, or ‘y’
Balley'n Ard Ainle
Archangel
brishey'n laa
daybreak
-
c) after ta and va, the independent present and past forms of ve, to be
- Va'n dooinney roie cour y dorrys
- The man was running towards the door
Ta'n doodee feer ghroamagh
The girl is very dejected
5.2 The genitive case of the definite article, feminine singular, is ny
broogh ny hawin |
the bank of the river |
The genitive of the definite article, feminine, is generally used only when the noun has a distinct genitive form:
kione ny bleeaney (blein) |
end of the year |
eaghtyr ny hooirey (ooir) |
the earth's surface |
but bing y çheshaght (sheshaght) |
the committee of the society |
5.3 The plural definite article for both genders is normally ny
ny stubbinyn |
the Manx cats |
ny quallianyn |
the pups |
ny meeghyn |
the months |
Bwoaillee nyn Giark |
Hens' fold |
(p.65) 5.4 Mutation after the article
The initial sound of a word may change after the article (see 1.1):
5.4.1 Most feminine nouns in the nominative, vocative and accusative mutate after the article
Honnick mee yn ven (ben)
I saw the woman
cummal ghaa ny three dy firkinyn y pheesh (peesh)
containing two or three firkins apiece [John ii.6] (see 8.3.3)
5.4.2 Feminine nouns beginning with dentals t-, d-, çh-, j- do not mutate
Honnick mee yn doodee
I saw the girl
Va'n thunnag puhttey lurg ny grineyn
The duck was nuzzling after the grain
[Nigel Kneale, ‘Curphey's Follower’, tr. Brian Stowell, Duillaghyn 1, November 2005]
5.5 Uses of the article
5.5.1 before some abstract nouns
y vea |
life |
y baase |
death |
yn irriney |
truth, the truth |
y dooinney |
(hu)mankind |
5.5.2 in questions, placed between the interrogative and the noun
Cre'n ennym t'ort? |
What is your name? |
(literally: what the name is on you?) |
|
Quoi'n cabbyl ren oo reih? |
Which horse did you choose? |
(literally: who the horse did you choose?) |
|
(p.66) 5.5.3 before a noun followed by the demonstratives shoh, shen and shid
y ven shoh |
this woman |
yn dooinney shoh |
this man |
ny pait?hyn shen |
those children |
yn dooinney mooar shen |
that big man |
yn dooinney beg shid |
yonder little man |
Exception: proper nouns do not require the article with demonstratives:
Yeesey shoh |
this Jesus |
5.5.4 before established compound nouns
y dooinney-poosee |
the bridegroom |
ny fir-reill |
the rulers |
yn çheshaght-chaggee |
the army |
5.5.5 sometimes after lheid (such) and veg (in the sense of ‘any’)
lheid ny deiney
such men
veg yn argid
any money
- son lheid y graih shen hug Jee da'n theihll
- for such love did God give to the world [John iii.16]
- Kys ta lheid yn ynsagh ec y dooinney shoh?
- How has this man such learning? [John vii.15]
5.6 The article used to express ‘of’ or possession
5.6.1 ‘of’ expressed with the article + personal pronoun-preposition ec instead of a possessive pronoun (3.2.3, 4.1.4)
my hie/y thie aym |
my house |
e braar /y braar eck |
her brother |
e vac shinney /yn mac shinney echey |
his eldest son |
(p.67) This construction is especially useful in clarifying the ambiguous plural form nyn, our/your/their:
y thie ain |
our house |
yn obbyr eu |
your (pl or formal) work |
Ta shoh yn argid oc(syn) |
this is their money |
5.6.2 ‘of’ expressed with a nominative noun + Article + Nominative Or Genitive Noun
Bayr ny Hayrey |
The road of the Ayres |
Va ennym y voidyn Moirrey |
the virgin's name was Mary |
[Luke i.27]
thie yn vainshtyr-sc(h)oill |
the schoolmaster's house |
reayrt ny marrey |
view of the sea |
Note: Few nouns still have separate genitives. There is also uncertainty surrounding gender (see 2).
5.6.3 ‘of’ in compound nouns
In compound nouns made up of two nouns, the article or possessive is used only with the second noun:
cass y stoyl |
the leg of the chair (chair-leg) |
mwannal my laue |
my wrist |
(literally: the neck of my hand) |
|
thie my huyrey |
my sister's house |
ben y dooinney |
the man's wife |
ushtey yn çhibber |
well water |
5.6.4 The article used instead of a possessive
The article may be used instead of a possessive with:
-
a) persons, usually relatives
yn jishig
the (my) father
-
b) parts of the body
y cass aym
my foot
-
c) clothing
Ta fys ec dagh ghooinney c'raad ta'n vraag gortagh eh
Every man knows where the (his) shoe hurts him
(p.68) 5.7 The article with collective nouns
Collective nouns take a singular article but a plural adjective:
yn sleih |
the people |
yn ollagh |
the cattle |
yn vooinjer veggey |
the little folk |
Hooar eh ayns y çhiamble feallagh va creck dew … as y vooinjer va caghlaa argid
He found in the temple people who were selling oxen … and he found the people who were changing money [John ii.14]
cur coonlagh dys yn ollagh
giving straw to the cattle
[Tommy Leece (1859–1956)]
