354 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



vowel belonged to the later phenomenon. The Ogham evidence is quite 

 decisive against this view ; not that, except possibly cell, any very likely 

 case of e from a before c + liquid has been noted, but that gn, gr, gl clearly 

 survived to the very verge of ms. Irish. 



V. — Palatalization. 



1. Palatalization seems fairly regular in consonants which do not fall into 

 groups in MS. Irish. But mucoi Sogini 198, momt Sogin, Adamnan, is repre- 

 sented by the race-name Sogain, nom. pi., in genealogies. Ivageni becomes 

 logen- in Adamnan, gen. Eogin, with nom. Eogan, L. Arm., Eugcn, AU, Eogan 

 in Mid. I. Possibly a close examination would reveal resistance to palatal 

 influence in other consonants, 



2. Consonant groups, whether existent in Ogham, or formed in MS. Irish 

 by syncope, appear for the most part, as shown by Mid. I. spelling, to 

 resist palatalization. 



Luguvecca 112 (through transitional *Lugvech, cf. Menueh = Menvech, 

 Inchagoill literal inscr.) = Lugach gen. Luguni 115 = Lugna. Cunanetas 225 

 = Connad, Connath. Rittavvecas 69 = Rcthach. Vecrec 117, Veqreq 189 

 = Fiachrach. Turanias 135 = Torna. lulenge 47 (*I'vl-) = Eulcdnge. 



3. But palatalization takes place in Dovvinias 13, etc., = Duihne, Bowale&ci 

 129 = nom. DuiUesc, Valuvi 242 = Fdilhi, Corrbri 47, Coribri 183 = Coirpri. 

 The helping vowel expressed in Gorihiri (from corl-) shows the palatal 

 influence already penetrating this group. (Macalister finds a helping vowel 

 in Eracias, which he considers a variant of Ercias 32. This, if correct, would 

 indicate how the group re repelled palatal influence, the first consonant 

 retaining its quality, and afterwards controlling the second. But the helping 

 vowel is doubtful. The base Erac- is found: Eracobi maqi Eraqetai 165. The 

 group re requires no helping vowel, at least in modern pronunciation.) 



4. The frequent retention of final -i in association with late forms — e.g. 

 Maqi Liag maqi Erca 23 — may indicate a late use of -i as a mere palatal glide 

 or sign of palatalization of the consonant. I think this must be its use 

 in the Inchagoill literal inscription, Lie Luguacdon macci Mcniieli. A 

 whispered vowel is distinctly audible after a final palatalized consonant, 

 and becomes quite syllabic when the whole word is whispered. 



B. — Declensions. 



1. Ogham inscriptions consist chiefly of nouns in the genitive case. The 

 declensions to which these nouns belong are, on the whole, clearly and 

 consistently defined. An orderly metamorphosis from the earliest to the latest 

 and to the MS, forms is traceable. That the older forms are often traditional 



