Early Irish Initial Mutations after the Dative Plural

Abstract

In discussing the presence or absence of aspiration after the dative plural in Old Irish, Holger Pedersen concludes that no aspiration is present.' As for the three exceptions that are found in the Milan Glosses, he would attribute them to incorrect scribal transmission.2 At the same time, he points out that in Middle Irish aspiration does take place after the dative plural of all genders.3 In support of his statement, he cites four examples from the Book of Leinster and likewise calls attention to several instances in the modern Scotch-Gaelic translation of the Bible.4 On the basis of the somewhat scanty evidence that is available, Pedersen's general conclusion that no aspiration exists in Old Irish after the dative plural would seem to be warranted. Whether, however, the three aspirated forms in the Milan Glosses are necessarily scribal errors is open to question. At all events, in the Book of Armagh, which like the Milan Glosses also stems from the Old Irish period, one finds dunaib chethrairib.6 Faulty aspiration, therefore, is not restricted to the Milan Glosses. That it should occur in another source is significant since any deviations from the norm in the Milan Glosses usually are suspect, owing to the fact that in general the Milan Glosses are carelessly transscribed. Equally significant, though hitherto its significance has not been fully realized, is the extent to which aspiration takes place after the dative plural in Middle Irish. As Pedersen confines himself to citing only four occurrences, all of them from the Book of Leinster, I subjoin a list of instances from other Early Irish sources, a list which, incidentally, could be much augmented if a systematic collection of forms were undertaken: