Page:Graimear na Gaedhilge.djvu/194

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178
e is an abstract termination like aċt or as: whenever it is added to an adjective the resulting abstract noun, owing to the rule “caol le caol,” has the very same form as the genitive singular feminine of the adjective: as, fial, generous; féile, generosity; árd, high; áirde, height; geal, bright; gile, brightness; áilne, beauty.
laċ, naċ, raċ, taċ, traċ, have all the same meaning as , viz., full of, abounding in: muc, a pig; muclaċ, a piggery; coill, a wood; coillteaċ, a place full of woods; fuilteaċ, bloody; toilteaċ (toilteannaċ), willing.
ṁar means full of, abounding in: ceol, music; ceolṁar, musical; greann, fun; greannṁar, full of fun, amusing; ciallṁar, sensible, intelligent.
óir, dóir, or tóir, denotes a personal agent: speal, a scythe; spealadóir, a mower, reaper; doirseóir, a door-keeper.

Diminutives.

457. In Irish there are three diminutive terminations, viz., ín, án, and óg. However, ín is practically the only diminutive termination in Modern Irish as án and óg have almost lost their diminutive force. A double diminutive is sometimes met with, as árdáinín, a very little height.