cathrach

Syncopated Genitives

Level 3

Some genitives involve syncope and a suffix: cathair to cathrach. The inflected form may be substantially different from the citation form.

How It Works

Some genitives involve syncope and a suffix: cathair to cathrach. The inflected form may be substantially different from the citation form.

Cathair has genitive singular cathrach: the inflection changes the internal shape as well as the ending. In na cathrach, na is the singular feminine genitive article. The common-case singular remains cathair, or an chathair with its article.

Examples (3)

  1. Tá lár na cathrach gnóthach.

    The city center is busy.

  2. Chonaic mé mapa na cathrach.

    I saw the map of the city.

  3. Tá ainm na cathrach ar an gcomhartha.

    The city's name is on the sign.

How It Connects

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cathrachLevel 3Syncopated Genitives

Learn This First

Compare a more substantial feminine genitive stem change with a familiar ending pattern.

Words in This Pattern

cathair