How to figure out a gender of a noun

[alsaf]

I've done a google and found a few links about this. One said that the gender of a noun can only be known by learning them and another mentioned the following rules:

the following kinds of nouns tend to be masculine:

1) the young of all animals regardless of their sex (e.g. "uan", a lamb);
2) words ending in "-an", e.g. "lochan", a little lake;
3) the names of trees, the seasons, and the days of the week; and
4) any words ending in -as, -ear, -air, -adh, or -iche, e.g. "pìobaire", a piper; "càirdeas", friendship; etc.

The following kinds of nouns tend to be feminine:

1) names of countries, such as "Alba", Scotland, "Éire", Ireland;
2) names of musical instruments, heavenly bodies, and diseases, e.g. "clàrsach", harp"; grian", sun; "reul" star; "teasach", fever; etc.; and
3) words ending in -ag and -achd, e.g. "duanag", a little song; "bàrdachd", poetry.

Are these rules correct or would nouns where the gender can't be figured out have to learned?

[Thrissel]

There was a thread about this last year
http://www.foramnagaidhlig.net/foram/vi ... f=5&t=1680
and GunChleoc added this page to our site
http://www.foramnagaidhlig.net/index.php?page=114
Generally speaking your rules are correct, but most nouns have an unpredictable gender like eg in French.

[alsaf]

Mòran taing Thrissel, that has been very helpful.

[Níall Beag]

Basically, the key word in the bit you quoted above is "tend to".

Where there's no exact rule, a rule of thumb is quite a good starting point. Even if it's only true in the majority of cases it still means you only have to learn the exceptions.

[GunChleoc]

The word endings rules are 100% I think, but the rules according to meaning are not.

[akerbeltz]

I'd say 98% ... there's aiseag, for starters, which is masculine.

[GunChleoc]

Is this a diminutive -ag?

[akerbeltz]

No, but a lot of people assume it is.

[Seonaidh]

I'd say 98% ... there's aiseag, for starters, which is masculine.

...agus sin am beachd a th' agamsa cuideachd.