OIcel declension
A simple noun phrase in OIcel has the structure
[?determiner] [?adjective(s)] [noun]
[noun][enclitic determiner]
Nouns
The declension of nouns for case and number depends on the stem class, which are typically classified using PGmc noun stem classes.
- Strong
- OIcel a-stems < PGmc a-stems: masculine, neuter;
- OIcel ō-stems < PGmc ō-stems: feminine;
- OIcel ijō-stems < PGmc ī~jō-stems: feminine;
- OIcel i-stems < PGmc i-stems: masculine, feminine;
- OIcel u-stems < PGmc u-stems: masculine;
- OIcel r-stems < PGmc r-stems: two masculine, three feminine (kinship terms);
- Weak
- OIcel n-stems < PGmc n-stems: all three genders (few neuters)
- OIcel nd-stems < present participles: masculine
- Root nouns
See OIcel noun vocabulary for these stem classes in practice. A few features are in common between all classes:
- All pl.gen end in -a
- All dat.pl end in -um
If a noun is not accompanied by an adjective, then it takes the OIcel definite article as an enclitic suffix.