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119. The nominative plural, as a general rule, is formed by adding a to the genitive singular. A few form their nominative plural by adding e to the gen. sing. This is accompanied with syncope, as in cáirde, friends; náiṁde, enemies; gaiḃne, smiths; and aiḃne, rivers, which are the plurals of cara, náṁa, gaḃa, and aḃ, or aḃa.
Some others form the nominative plural by attenuating the genitive singular, as in laċain, ducks; coin, hounds; fiċid, twenty; caoiriġ, sheep; coṁursain, neighbours.
The genitive plural is exactly like the genitive singular.
Examples.
| SINGULAR. | PLURAL. | |
| 120. | pearsa, fem., a person. | |
| Nom. & Acc. | pearsa | pearsana |
| Gen. | pearsan | pearsan |
| Dat. | pearsain | pearsanaiḃ |
| Voc. | a ṗearsa | a ṗearsana |
| 121. | cara, fem.[W 1], a friend. | |
| Nom. & Acc. | cara | cáirde |
| Gen. | carad | carad |
| Dat. | caraid | cáirdiḃ |
| Voc. | a ċara | a ċáirde |
- ↑ Sic; the Dictionary of the Irish Language says cara is originally only masculine, but in the later language (i.e. Middle Irish, Early Modern Irish) sometimes also feminine. Dinneen's dictionary says it is masculine or feminine; Ó Dónaill's dictionary says it is only masculine.
