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Editing
Irish initial mutations
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====Prothetic {{vr|t}}- and {{vr|h}}-==== While it is not initially apparent, the [[prothesis (linguistics)|prothesis]] of {{vr|t}} and {{vr|h}} stems from historical lenition combined with vowel reduction. The prosthetic {{vr|t}}- of vowel initial words is a fossilised fragment of the Proto-Celtic masculine definite article ''*sindos''. Before vowels, the ''*s'' of the ending ''*-os'' was lenited to {{IPA|[h]}}, which (combined with the loss of the ''*-o-'') devoiced the preceding ''*-d-'' to ''*-t''. * i.e. ''*sindos'' {{IPA|[sindoh]}} → {{lang|sga|int}} → {{lang|ga|an t-}}). The prosthetic {{vr|t}} of {{vr|s}} initial words is a fossilised fragment of the d of Proto-Celtic nominative feminine definite article ''*sindā'' and masculine genitive definite article ''*sindī''. Since they ended in vowels, a following word initial ''*s'' was lenited to {{IPA|[h]}} which (combined with the loss of the ''*-ā'', ''*-ī'') devoiced the preceding ''*-d'' to ''*-t''. * i.e. ''*sindā sūli'' [sindaː huːli] → {{lang|sga|int ṡúil}} → {{lang|ga|an tsúil}}) The prothetic {{vr|h}} of vowel initial words has two origins, the first being [[epenthetic]] to avoid vowel hiatus, and the second being the fossilised remnant of a historic consonant. For example, the ''*s'' of Proto-Celtic ''*esyās'' "her" was lenited between vowels to {{IPA|[h]}}. Overtime ''*esyās'' was reduced to {{lang|ga|a}} but the {{IPA|[h]}} remains when it is followed by a vowel initial word but is now written as part of the following word.
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