Appendix:Old Irish s subjunctive verbs
The s-subjunctive is generally used in verbs whose root ends in a coronal or velar obstruent or in /n͈/; there are also traces in a few other verbs. It is characterized by the suffix -s-, which assimilates to an r or l that immediately precedes it and to which most other consonants themselves assimilate.
The endings are essential identical to those of the s-future; the past subjunctive has the same endings as the s-conditional. The s-subjunctive is also commonly found in the same verbs as the the s-future; the two can be distinguished by the fact that the future shows reduplication and the subjunctive does not.
See Category:Old Irish s subjunctive verbs for a list of verbs that take the s-subjunctive.
Examples of stem formation[edit]
The root vowel is generally lengthened when it is anything other than short e, and sometimes lengthened (to ía or é) when it is.
In the following cases. the s has assimilated to a preceding r or l:
- orcaid → orr- (from *orx-s- from *h₃erg-s-)
- ·ceird → ·cerr- (from *ker-s- from *kerd-s-)
- mligid → mell- (from *melx-s- from *h₂melǵ-s-)
Non-deponent endings[edit]
The forms shown below for guidid (“to pray”) are constructed on the basis of attested endings.
| 1st sg. | 2nd sg. | 3rd sg. | 1st pl. | 2nd pl. | 3rd pl. | Passive singular | Passive plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absolute | gessu | geissi | geiss | gesmai | geiste | gessait | gessair | gessaitir |
| Conjunct | ·gess | ·geiss | ·gé | ·gessam | ·geissid | ·gessat | ·gessar, ·gestar | ·gessatar |
| Relative | gess | gesmae | gestae | gessar | gessatar |
| 1st sg. | 2nd sg. | 3rd sg. | 1st pl. | 2nd pl. | 3rd pl. | Passive singular | Passive plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ·geissinn | ·gesta | ·geissed | ·gesmais | ·gestae | ·gestais | ·gestae | ·gestais |
Deponent endings[edit]
The deponent endings are those of the s-conditional.
| 1st sg. | 2nd sg. | 3rd sg. | 1st pl. | 2nd pl. | 3rd pl. | Passive singular | Passive plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absolute | messur | messer | mestir | messimmir | meste | messitir | mestir | messitir |
| Conjunct | ·messur | ·messer | ·mestar | ·messemmar | ·messid | ·messatar | ·mestar | ·messatar |
| Relative | mestar | messammar | messatar | mestar | messatar |
| 1st sg. | 2nd sg. | 3rd sg. | 1st pl. | 2nd pl. | 3rd pl. | Passive singular | Passive plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ·meissinn | ·mesta | ·meissed | ·mesmais | ·mestae | ·mestais | ·mestae | ·mestais |
Further reading[edit]
- Thurneysen, Rudolf (1940, reprinted 2017) D. A. Binchy and Osborn Bergin, transl., A Grammar of Old Irish, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, →ISBN, §§ 613–32, pages 387–95
- Strachan, John, Bergin, Osborn (1949) Old-Irish Paradigms and Selections from the Old-Irish Glosses, Dublin: Royal Irish Academy, →ISBN, pages 49–51
- McCone, Kim (1997) The Early Irish Verb (Maynooth Monographs 1), 2nd edition, Maynooth: An Sagart, →ISBN, pages 33–35