Hallo a Shiu\saidh,
Sgri\obh thu:
>Hallo a rithist,
>Tha ceist bheag agam, mar is a\bhaist.
>I have a small question, as always.
>
>What is the vocative for Niall?
>
>Are there any "rules" governing names such as this, or is it just learn
>them one by one...???
The vocative is covered in most texts, but if you have Cothrom Ionnsachaidh
by Ronald Black, refer to pages 20 and 65,66. The rule with men's names is
that in addition to leniting the first letter (unless it's a vowel or some
letter that isn't normally lenited, such as "n" or "r") you have to
slenderize the last vowel. In the case of Niall, if you slenderize it you
would have two "i"s together, Niill, which doesn't make sense, so you
replace the first "i" with an "e", giving Ne\ill.
Black also gives lists of names in Nom. and Voc. on these pages, and there
are enough examples that you can probably figure out names that don't
appear on the lists.
Deagh-fhortan dhut,
Eideard
P.S. See also TYG (MacKinnon) p.171, TYG (Robertson and Taylor) pp.
15,76,101, and SGin3 p.33
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