Fòram na Gàidhlig

Yes, it's pretty strange, and frustrating that no reason for its development is given.

If you ever come across an explanation please post it here, I'd be fascinated to know myself.

I had a look in the Electronic Dictionary of the Irish language http://edil.qub.ac.uk/search?q=mac&search_in=headword and found the following: After the introduction of surnames (10th-11th cent.), mac folld. by gen. n.pr. m. becomes a common form of surname and often changes to Mág (gen. Méig); ...

Thank you both for the replies. It goes back some time in the written language, e.g. the surname Mág * Shamhradháin appears as " Mag Amhradan " in "The Book of Magauran", written in the early 14th century, so I don't think it's derived from any English spelling. (*It's frequently...

In Ireland, Mac has become Mag before certain names (beginning with a vowel or R, L, F,) e.g. Mag Aonghusa, Mag Riabhaigh, etc.
Are there any cases of Mac > Mag in Scottish Gaelic?

Gun robh math agaibh.

Thanks again, both of you, for the help.
Very interesting information.

PS I've been going through the Akerbeltz "beagan gràmair" page. Fascinating, and highly entertaining too

Mòran taing airson na fàilte.

Thank you both for your explanations. This is certainly clearer to me now. Now, if you want a more technical explanation, "a rinn mo sheanmhair an-dè" is part of the noun phrase, but it is not itself a noun phrase. It is a "relative clause" which is technically an adverbial (i.e....

'Se ball nuadh a th'annam. Tha mi às Èirinn agus tha mi air bhith ag ionnsachadh Gàidhlig na hÈireann air feadh ghrunn bhliadhnachan. Tha ùidh mhòr agam anns an Ghàidhlig cuideachd agus còrdaidh e rium a bhith ga h-ionnsachadh.

" An t-aran a rinn mo sheanmhair an-dè "/"the bread that my grandmother made yesterday" is not a noun phrase? "a rinn mo sheanmhair an-dè" is an adjectival clause; the whole can be replaced with a possessive adjective: " tha mi g a ithe ". Perhaps I've mis-use...

Halò :) As I understand it, a definite noun is in the genitive case following a verbal noun - Tha mi ag ithe an arain . But if the definite noun is part of a larger noun-phrase, such as an t-aran a rinn mo sheanmhair an-dè , will it still be placed in the genitive case, or will it remain in the nomi...