ABSTRACT
Initial mutations are a pervasive part of the grammar of Irish, so much so that they are likely to be found in even the simplest of sentences. This chapter describes the pronunciation and spelling changes associated with each mutation and the examples provided introduce a few of the contexts where these mutations are found. Lenition, by far the most common mutation, is found throughout the language and is marked by writing an h after the affected consonant. Both types of mutation are found in a variety of environments, both lexical and grammatical. In some cases, specific lexical items automatically trigger a mutation on the first consonant of a following word, regardless of how it is used in the sentence. Grammatically conditioned mutations are more frequent and often more complex. Some involve a particular combination of words and grammatical environments, that together cause a given mutation.
