(ailm), the first letter of the Modern Irish alphabet.

, interj., prefixed to voc. case, often slurred over in pronunciation; sometimes its place is supplied by an apostrophe, sometimes it is simply omitted.

, weakened form of the prep. and verbal prefix do (or de), as a dhíth orm = do (de) dhíth orm, wanting to me; dul a bhaile = dul don (or do) bhaile, going home; a chlog = do (de) chlog or don (den) chlog, of the clock, o'clock; síol a chur = síol do chur, to sow seed.

, sometimes separated from verbs of which it is etymologically a part, as a tá = atá, a deir = adeir.

, particle used before numerals when they do not qualify nouns, as a haon, one, the number one; a cúig, five.

, colloquially prefixed as a kind of helping particle to some words and phrases, as a choidhche for choidhche, a riamh for riamh, a bheith for bheith (as well as for do bheith); a lán, a great many; a bheag no a mhór, little or much.

, prep. (a variety and development of prep. i, and used in preference to i in all modern MSS.

at present i is more in favour in printed Irish, though a represents the sound more closely. In the earlier MSS. a is used instead of i before consonants followed by broad vowels), in, into.

See <<i>>.

, prep., out of; no change in consonants, prefixes h to vowels, becomes as before article, rel. prn. and poss. adj. Cpds. asam, out of me; asat, asad, thee; as, him, it; aisti, her, it; asainn, us; asaibh, you; asta, them. Instead of a, as is now in common use as simple prep. See <<as>>, prep.

, relative particle, aspirating, arising from the weakening of verbal prefixes, and only recently introduced into literature, as nuair a tháinig a. = nuair tháinig a., when a. came. The rel. prn. in nom. or acht. case does not require any equivalent in Irish, but this particle is often used where the rel. would occur.

, rel, prn., eclipses, but becomes ar before past tenses, aspirating in active, and causing no change in consonants but prefixing h to vowels in passive voice. (1) all who, all which, all whom, all that; (2) after prep., whom, which.

, poss. a. (1) her, its (f.) prefixes h- to vowels; (2) his, its (m.), aspirates; (3) their, eclipses, prefixes n- to vowel.

, weakened colloquial form of art and interrog. part. an between consonants; and of prep. ag before consonants of verbal noun used participially; also of d'a or ag a in such phrases as an fear a (go) bhfuair a mhac bás, the man whose son died.