Is "sionnach" one of those words that has a special form in the vocative (beyond lenition)? I'm never sure of the rule for that.

Thanks,

Redwolf

I would say a shionnaigh- for vocative singular

and

a shionnacha- for vocative pural

I don't know why that what seems natural to me.

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Please wait for corrections/ more input from other forum members before acting on advice

Masculine -ach usually behaves as Cian has given above and I don't think sionnach is an exception.

Await further confirmation before acting on that, however.

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

Yeah, sionnach becomes "a shionnaigh!" in the vocative singular.

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Is fearr Gaeilg na Gaeltaċta ná Gaeilg ar biṫ eile
Agus is í Gaeilg Ġaoṫ Doḃair is binne

...and to me!

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Bí cinnte de go nglacfaidh triúr le gach aistriúchán a thabharfar.
Be sure to get three in agreement with a translation given.

Good luck with getting him to come when he's called though.

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It is recommended that you always wait for three to agree on a translation.
I speak Connemara Irish, and my input will often reflect that.
I will do an mp3 file on request for short translations.
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A large class masculine nouns make the vocative by making the ending slender.
The exceptions, words like "loch" you're never going to be calling to anyway!

A funny thing is that in some cases this has spilled over into feminine nouns like "óinseach" (fool (woman)).
Originally you didn't do anything to feminine nouns in the vocative, but some places treat them like masculine
nouns and you'll see:
"a óinsigh!"

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The dialect I use is Cork Irish.
Ar sgáth a chéile a mhairid na daoine, lag agus láidir, uasal is íseal

Surely someone must have used the vocative of loch at some stage for people to know now that it is irregular?

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

You might talk to a loch in a poem or something like that... There are poems where the poet talks to a river or to a country etc...
A Chumaraigh Aoibhinn ó
A Éirinn, 'ghrá mo chroí, etc

the vocative doesn't always mean you're calling or asking the person/thing to come, but that you say his/her/its name before telling him/her/it something
When you say "a Chumaraigh Aoibhinn ó" normally you don't expect these mountains to come to see you

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Is fearr Gaeilg na Gaeltaċta ná Gaeilg ar biṫ eile
Agus is í Gaeilg Ġaoṫ Doḃair is binne