Editing Lenition (section)

====Grammatical====
In the [[Celtic languages]], the phenomenon of intervocalic lenition historically extended across word boundaries. This explains the rise of [[Grammaticalisation|grammaticalised]] initial [[consonant mutation]]s in modern Celtic languages through the loss of endings. A [[Scottish Gaelic]] example would be the lack of lenition in {{lang|gd|am fear}} {{IPA|/əm fɛr/}} ("the man") and lenition in {{lang|gd|a' bhean}} {{IPA|/ə vɛn/}} ("the woman"). The following examples show the development of a phrase consisting of a definite article plus a masculine noun (taking the ending {{lang|gd|-os}}) compared with a feminine noun taking the ending {{lang|gd|-a}}. The historic development of lenition in those two cases can be reconstructed as follows:

:[[Proto-Celtic]] {{lang|cel-x-proto|*(s)indo'''s w'''iros}} IPA: {{IPA|[wiɾos]}} → Old Irish {{lang|sga|ind fer}} {{IPA|[fʲeɾ]}} → Middle Irish {{lang|mga|in fer}} {{IPA|[fʲeɾ]}} → [[Classical Gaelic]] {{lang|ghc|an fear}} {{IPA|[fʲeɾ]}} → Modern Gaelic {{lang|gd|am fear}} {{IPA|[fɛɾ]}}

:Proto-Celtic {{lang|cel-x-proto|*(s)ind'''ā be'''nā}} IPA: {{IPA|[vʲenaː]}} → Old Irish {{lang|sga|ind ben}} {{IPA|[vʲen]}} → Middle Irish {{lang|mga|in ben}} {{IPA|[vʲen]}} → Classical Gaelic {{lang|ghc|an bhean}} {{IPA|[vʲen]}} → Modern Gaelic {{lang|gd|a' bhean}} {{IPA|[vɛn]}}

Synchronic lenition in Scottish Gaelic affects almost all consonants (except {{IPA|/l̪ˠ/}}, which has lost its lenited counterpart in most areas).<ref name="Oftedal">Oftedal, M. (1956) ''The Gaelic of Leurbost'' Norsk Tidsskrift for Sprogvidenskap, Oslo</ref> Changes such as {{IPA|/n̪ˠ/}} to {{IPA|/n/}} involve the loss of [[secondary articulation]]; in addition, {{IPA|/rˠ/}} → {{IPA|/ɾ/}} involves the reduction of a [[trill consonant|trill]] to a [[tap consonant|tap]]. The spirantization of Gaelic nasal {{IPA|/m/}} to {{IPA|/v/}} is unusual among forms of lenition, but it is triggered by the same environment as more prototypical lenition. (It may also leave a residue of [[nasalization]] in adjacent vowels.)<ref>Ternes, E. (1989) ''The Phonemic Analysis of Scottish Gaelic'' Helmut Buske Verkag, Hamburg</ref> The orthography shows that by inserting an {{lang|gd|h}} (except after {{lang|gd|l n r}}).

{|
| colspan=3|

===== Spirantization =====
|-
|{{IPA|/p/}}||→ {{IPA|/v/}}||{{lang|gd|bog}} {{IPA|/pok/}} "soft" → {{lang|gd|glé bhog}} {{IPA|/kleː vok/}} "very soft"
|-
|{{IPA|/pj/}}||→ {{IPA|/vj/}} (before a [[back vowel]])|| {{lang|gd|beò}} {{IPA|/pjɔː/}} 'alive' → {{lang|gd|glé bheò}} {{IPA|/kleː vjɔː/}} 'very alive'
|-
|{{IPA|/kʰ/}}||→ {{IPA|/x/}}|| {{lang|gd|cas}} {{IPA|/kʰas̪/}} "steep" → {{lang|gd|glé chas}} {{IPA|/kleː xas̪/}} "very steep"
|-
|{{IPA|/kʰʲ/}}||→ {{IPA|/ç/}}|| {{lang|gd|ciùin}} {{IPA|/kʰʲuːɲ/}} "quiet" → {{lang|gd|glé chiùin}} {{IPA|/kleː çuːɲ/}} "very quiet"
|-
|{{IPA|/t̪/}}||→ {{IPA|/ɣ/}}|| {{lang|gd|dubh}} {{IPA|/t̪uh/}} "black" → {{lang|gd|glé dhubh}} {{IPA|/kleː ɣuh/}} "very black"
|-
|{{IPA|/tʲ/}}||→ {{IPA|/ʝ/}}|| {{lang|gd|deiseil}} {{IPA|/tʲeʃal/}} "ready" → {{lang|gd|glé dheiseil}} {{IPA|/kleː ʝeʃal/}} "very ready"
|-
|{{IPA|/k/}}||→ {{IPA|/ɣ/}}|| {{lang|gd|garbh}} {{IPA|/kaɾav/}} "rough" → {{lang|gd|glé gharbh}} {{IPA|/kleː ɣaɾav/}} "very rough"
|-
|{{IPA|/kʲ/}}||→ {{IPA|/ʝ/}}|| {{lang|gd|geur}} {{IPA|/kʲiaɾ/}} "sharp" → {{lang|gd|glé gheur}} {{IPA|/kleː ʝiaɾ/}} "very sharp"
|-
|{{IPA|/m/}}||→ {{IPA|/v/}}|| {{lang|gd|maol}} {{IPA|/mɯːl̪ˠ/}} "bald" → {{lang|gd|glé mhaol}} {{IPA|/kleː vɯːl̪ˠ/}} "very bald"
|-
|{{IPA|/mj/}}||→ {{IPA|/vj/}} (before a back vowel)|| {{lang|gd|meallta}} {{IPA|/mjaul̪ˠt̪ə/}} "deceitful" → {{lang|gd|glé mheallta}} {{IPA|/kleː vjaul̪ˠt̪ə/}} "very deceitful"
|-
|{{IPA|/pʰ/}}||→ {{IPA|/f/}}|| {{lang|gd|pongail}} {{IPA|/pʰɔŋɡal/}} "exact" → {{lang|gd|glé phongail}} {{IPA|/kleː fɔŋɡal/}} "very exact"
|-
|{{IPA|/pʰj/}}||→ {{IPA|/fj/}} (before a back vowel)|| {{lang|gd|peallagach}} {{IPA|/pʰjal̪ˠakəx/}} "shaggy" → {{lang|gd|glé pheallagach}} {{IPA|/kleː fjal̪ˠakəx/}} "very shaggy"
|-
| colspan=3|

===== Loss of secondary articulation =====
|-
|{{IPA|/n̪ˠ/}}||→ {{IPA|/n/}}|| {{lang|gd|nàdarra}} {{IPA|/n̪ˠaːt̪ərˠə/}} "natural" → {{lang|gd|glé nàdarra}} {{IPA|/kleː naːt̪ərˠə/}} "very natural"
|-
|{{IPA|/rˠ/}}||→ {{IPA|/ɾ/}}|| {{lang|gd|rag}} {{IPA|/rˠak/}} "stiff" → {{lang|gd|glé rag}} {{IPA|/kleː ɾak/}} "very stiff"
|-
|{{IPA|/l̪ˠ/}}||→ {{IPA|/lˠ/}}|| {{lang|gd|lag}} {{IPA|/l̪ˠak/}} "weak" → {{lang|gd|glé lag}} {{IPA|/kleː lˠak/}} "very weak" (in [[Harris, Scotland|Harris]] Gaelic only)
|-
| colspan=3|

===== Debuccalization =====
|-
|{{IPA|/s̪/}}||→ {{IPA|/h/}}|| {{lang|gd|sona}} {{IPA|/s̪ɔnə/}} "happy" → {{lang|gd|glé shona}} {{IPA|/kleː hɔnə/}} "very happy"
|-
|{{IPA|/ʃ/}}||→ {{IPA|/h/}} || {{lang|gd|seasmhach}} {{IPA|/ʃes̪vəx/}} "constant" → {{lang|gd|glé sheasmhach}} {{IPA|/kleː hes̪vəx/}} "very constant"
|-
| {{IPA|/ʃ/}}||→ {{IPA|/hj/}} (before a back vowel)||{{lang|gd|seòlta}} {{IPA|/ʃɔːl̪ˠt̪ə/}} "sly" → {{lang|gd|glé sheòlta}} {{IPA|/kleː hjɔːl̪ˠt̪ə/}} "very sly"
|-
|{{IPA|/t̪ʰ/}}||→ {{IPA|/h/}}|| {{lang|gd|tana}} {{IPA|/t̪ʰanə/}} "thin" → {{lang|gd|glé thana}} {{IPA|/kleː hanə/}} "very thin"
|-
|{{IPA|/tʰʲ/}}||→ {{IPA|/h/}}||{{lang|gd|tinn}} {{IPA|/tʲiːɲ/}} "ill" → {{lang|gd|glé thinn}} {{IPA|/kleː hiːɲ/}} "very ill"
|-
|{{IPA|/tʰʲ/}}||→ {{IPA|/hj/}} (before a back vowel)||{{lang|gd|teann}} {{IPA|/tʰʲaun̪ˠ/}} "tight" → {{lang|gd|glé theann}} {{IPA|/kleː hjaun̪ˠ/}} "very tight"
|-
| colspan=3|

===== Elision =====
|-
|{{IPA|/f/}}||→ Ø|| {{lang|gd|fann}} {{IPA|/faun̪ˠ/}} "faint" → {{lang|gd|glé fhann}} {{IPA|/kleː aun̪ˠ/}} "very faint"
|-
|{{IPA|/fj/}}||→ {{IPA|/j/}} (before a back vowel)|| {{lang|gd|feòrachail}} {{IPA|/fjɔːɾəxal/}} "inquisitive" → {{lang|gd|glé fheòrachail}} {{IPA|/kleː jɔːɾəxal/}} "very inquisitive"
|-
| colspan=3|

===== Reduction of place markedness =====
|-
| colspan=3| In the modern [[Goidelic]] languages, grammatical lenition also triggers the reduction of [[markedness]] in the [[place of articulation]] of [[coronal consonant|coronal]] [[sonorant]]s ({{lang|gd|l}}, {{lang|gd|r}}, and {{lang|gd|n}} sounds). In Scottish Gaelic, {{IPA|/n/}} and {{IPA|/l/}} are the weak counterparts of palatal {{IPA|/ɲ/}} and {{IPA|/ʎ/}}.
|-
|{{IPA|/ɲ/}}|| → {{IPA|/n/}}|| {{lang|gd|neulach}} {{IPA|/ɲial̪ˠəx/}} "cloudy" → {{lang|gd|glé neulach}} {{IPA|/kleː nial̪ˠəx/}} "very cloudy"
|-
|{{IPA|/ʎ/}}|| → {{IPA|/l/}}|| {{lang|gd|leisg}} {{IPA|/ʎeʃkʲ/}} "lazy" → {{lang|gd|glé leisg}} {{IPA|/kleː leʃkʲ/}} "very lazy"
|}