PronClass: Pronoun Class
Three different classes of infixed pronoun are used in Old Irish; A, B, and C, as well as one pseudo-class used only after certain negative particles. These classes of pronoun only occur infixed within the verbal complex. All three classes of infixed pronoun, and the fourth pseudo-class, are therefore distinct from independent pronouns. Accordingly, this feature is not utilised with independent pronouns, only those which are infixed.
A: Class A
Infixed pronouns of Class A follow preverbs and particles which historically ended in vowels, including ar, di, do, fo, imm, ní, no, and ro.
The original final vowels of ar and imm resurface when these preverbs are followed by infixed pronouns which begin with a consonant. For example, ar can become ara, ari, aro, or aru, and imm can take the forms immu, and mmi.
Combination with the 3rd sg. masculine or neuter Class A infixed pronouns causes reduction in the form of some preceding preverbs and particles. di, do, fo, no, and ro become d, d, f, n, and r respectively. By contrast, 3rd sg. masculine or neuter Class A infixed pronouns themselves are reduced orthographically to ∅ directly after the negative particle ní, though following words are still affected by initial mutations from the reduced pronouns.
Examples
- do + m + beir = dombeir “he gives me (to …)”
- do + a + beir = dabeir “he gives it (to …)”
- ní + a + fagaib = níḟagaib “he does not find it”
B: Class B
Infixed pronouns of Class B follow preverbs and particles which historically ended in consonants, including ad, as, con, etar, for, fri, and in.
Combination with Class B infixed pronouns causes reduction in the form of certain preceding preverbs and particles, for example, ad, as, and in become a, and con becomes co.
Examples
- for + dom + cain = fordomcain “he teaches me”
- ad + tot + chí = atotchí “he sees you”
- as + t + biur = atbiur “I speak it”
C: Class C
Class C infixed pronouns are reserved for use in relative constructions, or following the interrogative particle, in. This does not restrict the use of other classes in relative constructions, for example, Class A is common in relative clauses also.
Examples
- fo + d + dáli = fot dáli “which distributes it”
- do + da + aidlea = dodaaidlea “who visits her”
- no + don + nerta = nodonnerta “who strengthens us”
Neg: Negative
A fourth pseudo-class of infixed pronouns is used following only the negative formation, nach. This formation replaces the negative particles ná in negative imperative constructions, and nád in negative interrogative and relative constructions where it is necessary to infix a pronoun.
Aspects of this negative class are comparable to those of other classes. For example, as with Class A infixed pronouns, no 3rd sg. masculine pronominal form occurs directly after the negative nach. Neuter forms, id and did may occur after nach and na respectively, or can be omitted after nach like the masculine form. In either case, if the pronoun is reduced to ∅, following words are still affected by initial mutations from the otherwise absent pronouns.
Examples
- nach + ib + berar = nachib berar “let ye not be brought”
- in + nád + am + carai = innachamcarai “do you not love me?”
- ná + ? + dermainte = nach ṅdermainte “do not forget him”
PronClass in other languages: [sga]