An urú or eclipsis is one of the common changes that can happen at the beginning of Irish language words.
The change in spelling at the start of the word shows that the sound of the eclipsed word has changed.
Some examples of when an urú is used include:
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A noun is eclipsed after a preposition and the article (e.g. ar an mbád, leis an bhfear) or after a prepositional pronoun (a preposition and article combined) (e.g. faoin gcathaoir).
Note: In Ulster Irish, a séimhiú rather than an urú occurs in these cases (e.g. ar an bhád, leis an fhear, faoin chathaoir).
- In some verbal forms such as the form used in questions, the verb is eclipsed. Examples: An dtéann tú? An bhfeiceann tú?