 Although this vowel has now disappeared, its effects on the preceding consonant are still preserved.Similarly, lenition of initial consonants was originally triggered by the final vowel of the preceding word, but in many cases, this vowel is no longer present in the modern language.Many word-final consonants have also disappeared in the evolution of Scottish Gaelic, and some traces of them can be observed in the form of prosthetic or linking consonants ("n-", "h-", "t-", etc.)