# Middle Irish

Middle Irish, also called Middle Gaelic (Irish: An Mheán-Ghaeilge, Scottish Gaelic: Meadhan-Ghàidhlig), is the Goidelic language which was spoken in Ireland, most of Scotland and the Isle of Man from c. 900–1200 AD; it is therefore a contemporary of Late Old English and Early Middle English. The modern Goidelic languages—Modern Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Manx Gaelic—are all descendants of Middle Irish.

## Grammar

Middle Irish is a fusional, VSO, nominative-accusative language, and makes frequent use of lenition.
Nouns decline for two genders: masculine and feminine, though traces of neuter declension persist; three numbers: singular, dual, plural; and five cases: nominative, accusative, genitive, prepositional, vocative. Adjectives agree with nouns in gender, number, and case.
Verbs conjugate for three tenses: past, present, future; four moods: indicative, subjunctive, conditional, imperative; independent and dependent forms. Verbs conjugate for three persons and an impersonal, agentless form (agent). There are a number of preverbal particles marking the negative, interrogative, subjunctive, relative clauses, etc.
Prepositions inflect for person and number. Different prepositions govern different cases, depending on intended semantics.

## Sample texts
### Poem on Eogan Bél

The following is an untitled poem in Middle Irish about Eógan Bél, King of Connacht.
| Middle Irish | Modern Irish | Late Modern English |
| Dún Eogain Bél forsind loch forsrala ilar tréntroch, | Dún Eogain Bél fosna locha cois tráthnóna cléir tréan. | Fort of Eoghan the Stammerer upon the lake, enduring its powerful waves. |
| ní mair Eogan forsind múr ocus maraid in sendún. | ní chónaíonn Eoghan ar an mhuirbhalla ach mhairfidh an sean-dún. | Eoghan no longer lives within the wall, but the old fort remains. |
| Maraid inad a thige irraibe ’na chrólige, | Fanann áit a theach fá chlúid an aeir, | The place of his dwelling remains under the protection of the wind, |
| ní mair in rígan re cair nobíd ina chomlepaid. | níl banríon leis an gceartú ná caithfidh sí ina chomhléarscáil. | The queen no longer lives with him, nor must she abide in his companion. |
| Cairptech in rí robúi and, innsaigthech oirgnech Érenn, | bhí carrthach sa ríocht, an-uaireanta fiach ón Éirinn, | A charioteer was in the kingdom, often indebted from Ireland, |
| ní dechaid coll cána ar goil, rocroch tríchait im óenboin. | níor shiúl sé coirce cách, rinneadh sceach tríocha timpeall ar a chinn. | He didn't walk the rye's path, a bushel of thirty was hung around his neck. |
| Roloisc Life co ba shecht, rooirg Mumain tríchait fecht, | scáilteadh na lámha in aois go 30 bliain, dhein Mumhan greim 30 uair, | His hands were stretched until he was thirty years old, Munster grasped thirty times, |
| nír dál do Leith Núadat nair co nár dámair immarbáig. | níor láidir Leith Núadat ná mí-neart daonra chomh maith. | Leith Núadat was not strong nor of insufficient human force. |
| Doluid fecht im-Mumain móir do chuinchid argait is óir, | chuaigh sé go minic go Mumhain mór le haghaidh airgid agus óir a bhailiú, | He often went to great Munster to gather silver and gold, |
| d’iaraid sét ocus móine do gabail gíall [n]dagdóine. | d'fhéach sé taoibh leis agus gearán a dhéanamh faoi ghealladh na ndaoine dána. | He looked around and complained about the promise of the bold people. |
| Trían a shlúaig dar Lúachair síar co Cnoc mBrénainn isin slíab, | thriail a thríúr a shlí trí Luachair siar go Cnoc mBrénainn san fhásach, | A third of his host went through Luachair westward to Hill of Brénainn in the mountain, |
| a trían aile úa fo dess co Carn Húi Néit na n-éces. | an tríúr eile thriall siar go Carn Uí Néit i gcéin sna clanna eolais. | Another third went southward to Carn Uí Néit far away in the tribes of knowledge, |
| Sé fodéin oc Druimm Abrat co trían a shlúaig, nísdermat, | dó féin ag Druim Abhrat le tríúr de a shlua, gan ach suaitheadh, | He himself at Druim Abhrat with three of his host, with no more than a break, |
| oc loscud Muman maisse, ba subach don degaisse. | ag loiscint Mumhan mar gheall air, bhí sé sona le haghaidh an spóirt. | burning Munster because of him, he was happy for the sport. |
| Atchím a chomarba ind ríg a mét dorigne d’anfhír, | bhím i mo thodhchaí i gcumhacht a rinne an rí dearmad faoi, | I see his successor in the power the king made a mistake about, |
| nenaid ocus tromm ’malle, conid é fonn a dúine. | a mhaighdean agus a theampall le chéile, sin an tslí a dúirt an duine. | a maiden and a heavy load together, that's the way the man said. |
| Dún Eogain. | Dún Eogain. | Fort of Eoghan. |