Editing Lenition (section)

==Orthography==
{{see also|Welsh morphology|Irish initial mutations}}
In the modern Celtic languages, lenition of the "fricating" type is usually denoted by adding an ''h'' to the lenited letter. In Welsh, for example, {{lang|cy|c}}, {{lang|cy|p}}, and {{lang|cy|t}} change into {{lang|cy|ch}}, {{lang|cy|ph}}, {{lang|cy|th}} as a result of the so-called "aspirate mutation" ({{lang|cy|carreg}}, "stone" → {{lang|cy|ei charreg}} "her stone"). An exception is [[Manx orthography]], which tends to be more phonetic, but in some cases, etymological principles are applied. In the [[Gaelic type|Gaelic script]], fricating lenition (usually called simply ''lenition'') is indicated by a [[dot above]] the affected consonant, and in the Roman script, the convention is to suffix the letter {{lang|gv|h}} to the consonant, to signify that it is lenited. Thus, {{lang|gv|a ṁáṫair}} is equivalent to {{lang|gv|a mháthair}}. In [[Middle Irish]] manuscripts, lenition of {{lang|mga|s}} and {{lang|mga|f}} was indicated by the dot above, and lenition of {{lang|mga|p}}, {{lang|mga|t}}, and {{lang|mga|c}} was indicated by the postposed {{lang|mga|h}}; lenition of other letters was not indicated consistently in the orthography.

Voicing lenition is represented by a simple letter switch in the [[Brythonic languages]], for instance {{lang|cy|carreg}}, "stone" → {{lang|cy|y garreg}}, "the stone" in Welsh. In [[Irish orthography]], it is shown by writing the "weak" consonant alongside the (silent) "strong" one: {{lang|ga|peann}}, "pen" → {{lang|ga|ár bpeann}} "our pen", {{lang|ga|ceann}}, "head" → {{lang|ga|ár gceann}} "our head" (sonorization is traditionally called "eclipsis" in Irish grammar).

Although nasalization as a feature also occurs in most Scottish Gaelic dialects, it is not shown in the orthography on the whole, as it is synchronic (the result of certain types of nasals affecting a following sound), rather than the diachronic Irish type sonorization (after historic nasals). For example {{lang|ga|taigh}} {{IPA|[t̪ʰɤj]}} "house" → {{lang|ga|an taigh}} {{IPA|[ən̪ˠˈd̪ʱɤj]}} "the house".<ref name=Oftedal/><ref>{{cite book| author = Roibeard O. Maolalaigh|author2=Iain MacAonghuis | title = Scottish Gaelic in 3 Months| year = 1997| publisher = Hunter Pub Incorporated| isbn = 978-0-85285-234-7 }}</ref>