Dative Case - Feminine Nouns

Features in Common with the Nominative Singular Nouns
The definite article and definite nouns are identical to nominative singular definite nouns (see

Features in Common with the Dative Singular Masculine Nouns
Combined forms of the definite article with the simple prepositions ending in a vowel bho, de, do, fo, mu, ro and tro are identical to dative singular masculine nouns (see

Additional Features of Dative Singular Feminine Nouns
Additionally, feminine dative singular nouns show a variety of internal modifications. These changes are the same for both definite and indefinite feminine singular nouns. The general principle is to make the final vowel of a word narrow, i.e. an i. This practice is known as slenderisation.

In spoken Gàidhlig the internal modifications of the dative singular are frequently not used; the nominative form sufficing, particularly when the noun is indefinite. However, they are used in formal speech and show less erosion in the written language.

To help you recognise the changes they are best placed into distinct types. The nominative definite singular noun is given as a reference point.

**Type 1**
In monosyllabic nouns a letter i is inserted after the last broad vowel after a change in the final broad vowel
Most common changes are **a >> oi** and o >> ui :
Nominative Definite Singular	Dative Definite Singular	Dative Indefinite Singular
a' chas - the leg	air a' chois - on the leg	air cois - on a leg
an long - the ship	air an luing - on the ship	air luing - on a ship

**Type 2**
In both mono- and polysyllabic nouns a letter i is inserted after the broad vowel a :
Nominative Definite Singular	Dative Definite Singular	Dative Indefinite Singular
an làmh - the hand	air an làimh - on the hand	air làimh - on a hand
a' mharag - the pudding	leis a' mharaig - with the pudding	le maraig - with a pudding
an tòn - the rump	air an tòin - on the rump	air tòin - on a rump

**Type 3**
In polysyllabic nouns the final vowel group ea will change to ei
Most common change is the ending **-eag >> -eig** :
Nominative Definite Singular	Dative Definite Singular	Dative Indefinite Singular
a' chaileag - the girl	aig a' chaileig - at the girl	aig caileig - at a girl
an uinneag - the window	ris an uinneig - against the window	ri uinneig - against a window

**Type 4**
The vowel group ea will change to i :
Nominative Definite Singular	Dative Definite Singular	Dative Indefinite Singular
a' chailleach - the old woman	dhan chaillich - to the old woman	do chaillich - to an old woman
a' chearc - the hen	fon chirc - under the hen	fo chirc - under a hen

**Type 5**
In monosyllabic nouns the diphthong ia will change to èi :
Nominative Definite Singular	Dative Definite Singular	Dative Indefinite Singular
a' ghrian - the sun	fon ghrèin - under the sun	fo ghrèin - under a sun

**Type 6**
In monosyllabic nouns the diphthong ìo will change to i :
Nominative Definite Singular	Dative Definite Singular	Dative Indefinite Singular
a' chrìoch - the boundary	aig a' chrìch - at the boundary	aig crìch - at a boundary

**Type 7**
There is no change when the noun ends in a **vowel** or **-chd**, or if the last vowel is already an i :
Nominative Definite Singular	Dative Definite Singular	Dative Indefinite Singular
a' chaora - the sheep	fon chaora - under the sheep	fo chaora - under a sheep
an naidheachd - the news	leis an naidheachd - with the news	le naidheachd - with news
a' chèilidh - the ceilidh	aig a' chèilidh - at the ceilidh	aig chèilidh - at a ceilidh

**In a very few cases the dative is irregular or shows no change** :
Nominative Definite Singular	Dative Definite Singular	Dative Indefinite Singular
a' bhùth - the shop	anns a' bhùth - in the shop	ann am bùth - in a shop
a' bhean - the wife	leis a' mhnaoi - with the wife	le mnaoi - with a wife

**Adjectives**
dubh - black	geal - white
olc - evil	sàbhailte - safe

**Conjunctions**
oir - for, because

**Nouns**
The datives are given in this lesson. For others see the *Vocabulary* section
bùth (f) - shop	cailleach, caillich (f) - old woman
caora (f) - sheep	cas, cois (f) - leg,foot
cearc, circ (f) - hen, chicken	cèilidh (f) - ceilidh
crìoch, crìch (f) - end, boundary	feannag, feannaig (f) - crow
fearg, feirg (f) - anger	Gàdhlig (f) - Gàidhlig language
grian, grèin (f) - sun	làmh, làimh (f) - hand
madainn (f) - morning	muir (f) - sea
naidheachd (f) - news	poit (f) - pot
sgeulachd (f) - story, tale	slat, slait (f) - rod, wand
sgiath, sgèith (f) - wing, shield	sràid (f) - street
tòn, tòin (f) - rump, backside	ùine (f) - time, spell
uinneag, uinneig (f) - window

**EXERCISE 1 Translate into English** (In brackets are common spoken forms. These should not be written)
1.Tha an litir seo dhan chaillich (dhan chailleach)	2.Bha a' ghrian blàth anns a' mhadainn
3.Nach robh iad aig a' mhuir tron oidhche? Bha	4.Bha i anns an leabaidh tron mhadainn
5.Bha sgeul mun chaileig (mun chaileag) sin anns an naidheachd	6.Tha a' Ghàidhlig glè inntinneach, nach eil?
7.Bha sgeulachd inntinneach anns an litir	8.Tha an nighean ris an uinneig (ris an uinneag) oir tha a' ghrian blàth
9.Bha slat fhada ùr ann anns a' bhùth	10.Tha bùth ùr ann air an t-sràid sin
11.Nach robh iad ùine fhada anns a' bhaile	12.Tha an sgeulachd ghoirid seo anns a' Ghàidhlig
13.Bha an cù donn air an fheur ris a' ghrèin (ris a' ghrian)	14.Bha sgiath dhonn air a' chirc (air a' chearc)

**EXERCISE 2 Translate into Gàidhlig**
1.The old woman was in the shop in the morning	2.She was at the shop along with the girl
3.The girl was safe under the shield	4.The evil hand was on the wand
5.I wasn't at the window in the morning	6.He was in bed through the night
7.He was red with anger	8.The chicken is in the pot
9.The black sheep (sing.) is very hot under the sun	10.Weren't you at the ceilidh? Yes, I was there a short spell
11.The dog was near the girl	12.Crows are black, but there is a white wing on that crow
13.The girl is wet because she was in the sea	14.The story was terrible at the end

**ANSWERS EXERCISE 1**
1.This letter is for the old woman	2.The sun was warm in the morning
3.Were they not at (the) sea through the night? Yes	4.She was in (the) bed during (through) the morning
5.There was a story about that girl in the news	6.Gàidhlig is very interesting, isn't it?
7.There was an interesting story in the letter	8.The girl is at the window because the sun is warm
9.There was new long (fishing) rod in the shop	10.There is a new shop on that street
11.Weren't they a long time in (the) town?	12.This short story is in Gàidhlig
13.The brown dog on the grass was (exposed) to the sun	14.The hen had a brown wing (lit. There was a brown wing on the hen)

**ANSWERS EXERCISE 2** (In brackets are common spoken forms. These should not be written)
1.Bha a' chailleach anns a' bhùth anns a' mhadainn	2.Bha i aig a' bhùth còmhla ris a' chaileig (ris a' chaileag)
3.Bha a' chaileag sàbhailte fon sgèith (fon sgiath)	4.Bha an làmh olc air an t-slait (air an t-slat)
5.Cha robh mi aig an uinneig (aig an uinneag) anns a' mhadainn	6.Bha e anns an leabaidh tron oidhche
7.Bha e dearg le feirg (le fearg)	8.Tha a' chearc anns a' phoit
9.Tha a' chaora dhubh glè theth fon ghrèin (fon ghrian)	10.Nach robh thu ann aig a' chèilidh? Bha, bha mi ann ùine ghoirid
11.Bha an cù faisg air a' chaileig (air a' chaileag)	12.Tha feannagan dubh, ach tha sgiath gheal air an fheannaig sin (air an fheannag sin)
13.Tha an nighean fliuch oir bha i anns a' mhuir	14.Bha an sgeulachd uabhasach aig a' chrìch (aig a' chrìoch)

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dm©lelland - These lessons may be reproduced with credit to the author