Appendix:Irish irregular verbs

There are only eleven irregular verbs in Modern Irish: abair, beir, bí, clois, déan, ith, faigh, feic, tabhair, tar, téigh.

Summary of irregular stems

 * : deir, dúr, déar; rá
 * : rug, béar; breith
 * : tá, fuil, rabh, bei; bheith
 * : chuala
 * : rinne, dearna
 * : fuair, gheobh
 * : chonaic, fac
 * : íos
 * : tug, tabhar
 * : tag, tháng, tioc; teacht
 * : té, chua, deach, rach; dul

Moods and tenses of irregular stems

 * One verb (bí) has a distinct indicative present independent stem (tá).
 * One verb (bí) has a distinct indicative present dependent stem (fuil).
 * Four verbs (bí, déan, feic, téigh) have distinct indicative past dependent stems
 * Six verbs (abair, bí, déan, faigh, feic, téigh) take non-preterite preverbal particles (ní instead of níor etc.) in the indicative past.
 * Three verbs (abair, beir, tabhair) are broadened in the indicative future and conditional.
 * One verb (faigh) has a distinct independent form in the indicative future and conditional (gheobh&#8209;).
 * Six verbs (bí, clois, faigh, feic, tar, téigh) have past autonomous -thas. The stem is broadened where necessary.  All except faigh are lenitied (e.g., bhíothas, but fuarthas).
 * Three verbs (abair, tar, téigh) have distinct verbal noun stems (rá, teacht, dul).

Table of irregular stems
This table highlights all the irregular stems of the eleven irregular Irish verbs.

Notes

Etymology of irregular verbs

 * Independent stems tend to be derived from Old Irish (SGa) deuteronic forms, and dependent stems from SGa prototonic forms.


 * Eight verbs (abair, beir, bí, clois, feic, tabhair, tar, téigh) have forms derived ultimately from two or more source verbs. Only three (déan, faigh, ith) derive from a single source.


 * Three verbs (abair, beir, tabhair) are derived (fully or paritially) from SGa beirid.


 * The verbal noun of ' (teacht) leaked across from the verbal noun of ' (whose verbal noun is now dul).

Notes

Irregulars, in order of irregularity

 * clois, ith
 * one irregular stem only
 * feic, déan
 * distinct independent and dependent forms in past tense only
 * abair, beir, tabhair
 * all derived from Old Irish 
 * broadened in indicative future and conditional
 * verbal noun of abair is from a different verb root
 * faigh, tar, téigh
 * independent and dependent forms in various moods and tenses
 * bí
 * in common with most other languages, the verb to be is the most irregular

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