Appendix:Old Irish delenition

Old Irish has a process by which the fricatives /θ x v ð ɣ/ (and their palatalized equivalents) become stops /t k b d ɡ/ under certain circumstances; this process is called delenition.

Delenition generally happens when two homorganic consonants come into contact with each other. It is found in a variety of contexts, including compounding and affixation, but it is most salient for the learner in conjugation, because there are several verb endings that begin with /θ/, which becomes /t/ in a delenition environment.

The verb endings affected by delenition are:

• -th(a)e (second-person plural absolute; passive singular imperfect/conditional/past subjunctive; passive singular preterite absolute; past participle)
• -th(a)i (passive plural preterite absolute; verbal of necessity)
• -th(a)ir (passive singular absolute, weak conjugations; third-person singular deponent absolute)
• -thar/-ther (passive singular conjunct and relative, weak conjugations; second-person singular deponent; third-person singular deponent conjunct)
• -th(e)a (second-person singular imperfect/conditional/past subjunctive; passive plural preterite conjunct)

After /s l l͈ n n͈/ (and their palatalized equivalents), these endings change their initial /θ/ to /t/, for example:

• ailte, altae (“(that has been) nourished”) [ˈal͈ʲtʲe], [ˈal͈tɘ], from ail- + -the
• ·clástae (“(it) might be dug”) [ˈklaːstɘ], from cláss- + -thae
• cainte (“(it) was being sung”) [ˈkan͈ʲtʲe], from can- + -the
• coínti (“that is to be lamented”) [ˈkoːi̯n͈ʲtʲi], from coín- + -thi
• coíntir (“(it) is lamented”) [ˈkoːi̯n͈ʲtʲirʲ], from coín- + -thir
• estair (“(he) may eat”) [ˈestɨrʲ], from ess- + -thair
• ·céltar (“(it) will be hidden”) [ˈkʲeːltar], from cél- + -thar
• dúntar (“be closed! sg”) [ˈduːn͈tar], from dún- + -thar
• ·estar (“(he) may eat”) [ˈestar], from ess- + -thar
• ·rantar (“(it) may be divided”) [ˈran͈tar], from rann- + -thar
• ·lentar (“(it) is stuck”) [ˈl͈ʲen͈tar], from len- + -thar

Forms like these can be ambiguous with third-person plural forms using endings beginning with /d/, which is also spelled ⟨t⟩, for example:

• coínte (“who lament”) [ˈkoːi̯n͈ʲdʲe], from coín- + -te
• ·cantar (“(they) are sung”) [ˈkan͈dar], from can- + -tar

Occasionally, there is no delenition after l, e.g. molthair (“(he) is praised”).

After /t d θ ð/ (and their palatalized equivalents), the stem-final consonant and the ending-initial /θ/ merge into /t/, for example:

• báite (“(he) was drowned”) [ˈbaːtʲe], from báid- + -the
• ·caite (“(it) might be consumed”) [ˈkatʲe], from caith- + -the
• ·claite (“(it) was being dug”) [ˈklatʲe], from claid- + -the
• ·cret(t)e (“(it) was being believed”) [ˈkʲrʲetʲe], from creit- + -the
• ·gétte (“you pl would steal”) [ˈɡʲeːtʲe], from gét- + -the
• gláeta (“(that has been) held fast”) [ˈɡlaːi̯ta], from gláed- + -tha
• nertae (“strengthened”) [ˈn͈ʲertɘ], from nert- + -thae
• roitte (“(that has been) set in motion”) [ˈr͈otʲe], from roith- + -the
• foíter (“who/which is sent”) [ˈfoːi̯tʲer], from foíd- + -ther
• creti (“that is to be believed”) [ˈkʲrʲetʲi], from creit- + -thi
• moíti (“that is to be boasted”) [ˈmoːi̯tʲi], from moíd- + -ti
• nertai (“that is to be strengthened”) [ˈn͈ʲertɨ], from nert- + -thai
• bátir (“(he) is drowned”) [ˈbaːtʲirʲ], from báid- + -thir
• gatair (“(it) is stolen”) [ˈɡatɨr], from gat- + -thair
• ·gatar (“(it) is stolen”) [ˈɡatar], from gat- + -thar
• (·)nertar (“(it) is strengthened/which is strengthened”) [ˈn͈ʲertar], from nert- + -thar
• ·foítea (“(they) were sent”) [r͈oˈfoːi̯tʲa], from foíd- + -thea
• ·gatta (“(they) were stolen”) [ˈɡata], from gat- + -tha

Occasionally, however, there are forms in which the root-final consonant is retained and the ending-initial consonant simply disappears, for example reithe (“you pl run”) [ˈr͈ʲeθʲe], from reith- + -the.

A similar merger of consonants happens before third-person plural endings that start with /d/ (spelled ⟨t⟩). The voiceless consonants /t θ/ merge with it to /t/, and the voiced consonants /d ð/ merge with it to /d/.

• ·nertais (“they used to strengthen”) [ˈn͈ʲertɨsʲ], from nert- + -tais
• retae (“who run”) [ˈr͈ʲetɘ], from reith- + -tae
• crete (“who believe”) [ˈkʲrʲedʲe], from creit- + -te
• ·foíter (“they may be sent”) [ˈfoːi̯dʲer], from foíd- + -ter

The merger of a stem-final /t d θ ð/ with an ending-initial /θ d/ is avoided in many verbs by the insertion of a vowel between the stem and the ending, e.g.:

• ·bádaitis (“they might drown”)
• cretite (“who believe”) alongside crete
• gláidaite (“who cry out”)
• rothetar (“it may be impelled”) (a misspelling for rothethar)
• foíditir (“they are sent”)

Further reading

• Thurneysen, Rudolf (1940, reprinted 2017) D. A. Binchy and Osborn Bergin, transl., A Grammar of Old Irish, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, →ISBN, §§ 137–41, pages 86–89