Aids to the Pronunciation of Irish/Chapter 9

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3482548Aids to the Pronunciation of Irish — Chapter 9: Protected Liquidsthe Christian Brothers

CHAPTER IX.

Protected Liquids.

Most of this Chapter has reference to Munster pronunciation only.

59. Double l, n, and r (i.e., ll, nn, rr), and single m and ng, when final, or when followed by a consonant, are called “protected liquids.”

Single r is protected when followed by d or l, by n, when the n is followed by a vowel, and by t + a consonant.

Examples: gall, gleann, gallda, gleannta, cam, meallfad, seang, fearr, dearna, iompuiġ. In the foregoing words the under lined liquids are protected. They are not protected in the following words: gleanna, geallaim, cama, teanga, longa, fear, fearra, geal, carn, dorn, &c.

Single m at the end of a word is protected, because our modern single m in such a position was formerly written mme.g., cam was formerly written camm, and still earlier camb (cf. English “comb” = cóm).

In the remainder of the book the rules, or portion of rules, printed in heavy type, apply both to Munster and to Connaught.

In the following examples the words underlined are pronounced alike in Munster and Connaught.

60. Whenever a or ea (both short), occurring in the first syllable of a word is followed by ḂA, ḂR, ḂL, ṀA, ṀR, or by a protected liquid (except r), the a or ea is pronounced “ou”i.e., like the “ou” in “house” or the “ow” in “how.

N.B.— PRODUCES A NASAL DIPHTHONG.

In Dēsi the protected liquids produce a strongly nasal diphthong in the above cases, and the diphthong itself is somewhat like a—ou.

aḃa aḃaċ aḃainn aḃrán
am ann annsa annsaċt
aṁrán aṁarc aṁas aṁastar
aṁlaiḋ aṁras blanndar calltar
ball bantraċt beann canncar ceann
caḃair cam canntlaċt claḃra cleaṁnas
ceanntar ceannsa dall dranndal
crann daḃaċ fallsa fallsaċt
dranntán dream fealltaċ franncaċ
fann feall gaḃaim gaḃal
gaḃa gaḃann gall gallda
gaḃar gaḃlóg ganndal geanncaċ
gaṁain gann geallta geaṁar
geall geallfad laḃraim laḃras
laḃair laḃairt leaḃarlann mall
leaḃar leaḃarlán leaḃrán meaḃal meaḃlac
manntaċ meaḃair meallfad meallta
meaḃraċ meall
meang naṁaid neanntóg palltóg (or
falltóg) peann rann rannṗáirteaċ
raṁar reaṁar ranntaċ ranntuiġ
seaḃac seang slaḃraḋ splannc
sleaṁain srann sranntarnaiġ streanncán
steall teann teannta teampall

(a) In Ulster the group—aḃa (eaḃa) is pronounced like óe.g., aḃainn, gaḃa, daḃaċ, leaḃar, aḃrán, seaḃac, taḃair.

(b) In Desmond taḃair is pronounced túir; so also all parts of this verb—e.g., taḃraim=túraim, &c.; but the phrase taḃair ḋom (give me) is pronounced like thrum.

(c) The “ou diphthong” is heard in seanda, seandaċt, and seandraoi; but there is no diphthong in seanduine, seandún, &c.

61. It is only when the a or ea occurs in the accented syllable that the diphthong is produced; hence there is no diphthong in

capall molann milleann muileann
annso (§ 55) annsan annsúd

62. It is only in the first syllable that ḂA, ṀA, ṀN can produce a diphthong. If they occur in any other syllable they produce a long “ú” sound, even though that syllable may get a tonic accent.

duilleaḃar maiṫeaṁnas breiṫeaṁnas
biṫeaṁnaċ ceaṫraṁa carḃall
coguḃas canaṁain flaiṫeaṁail
laeṫeaṁail bóraṁa calaḃar
gráineaṁlaċt maiseaṁla cailleaṁaint

(a) In compound words a diphthong may occur in the second syllable—e.g., urlaḃra (pr. oor-loura).

(b) In Munster the in the termination of the 2nd pers. pl. of the past tense—viz., aḃar is usually pronounced like a “w,” hence the long ú sound is not developed. The final r of this termination, as likewise of that of the 1st pers. pl.— viz., amar is pronounced slender.

(c) In Connaught the adjectival termination, -ṁail is frequently pronounced in two syllables (like, u-wil), but the pronunciation given above is also used.

63. When or is preceded by a liquid, and followed by a broad vowel, the -Ḃ, or -ṁ and the following vowel is pronounced ú.

This really arises from the development of a “helping vowel” between the liquid and the or , so that the aspirated letter comes between two vowels, and the resulting sound is ú as in the previous rule. For example—searḃ is pronounced searaḃ; so that searḃas is practically searaḃas, i.e., searús.

arḃar colḃar dealḃas carrḃas
cearḃaċ dearṁad díolṁanaċ marḃa
orḃuil ionṁas talṁan ullṁuġ(aḋ)
beirḃeaḋ=beiriú.
mearḃall=mearaṫall; banḃa=banaba.

(a) greannṁar=greannúr, but this is irregular because -ṁar as a termination of an adjective is pronounced like “war” or “u-war”e.g., ceolṁar, fonnṁar, &e.

64. A short “o” (accented) when followed by a protected l or m, or by ḃ, ḋ, ġ, or +a vowel or liquid, gets the sound of the diphthong “ou.”

poll coll drom
ra ta foḃa
boḋar crom trom
foġluim foġlaċ doṁan
oḋar la

also: bronn, bronntanas.

65. The “o” in the following words = ó:—

foġna foġantaċ rompa roṁam
roṁat roṁaiinn foġṁar toṁas

and the prefix coṁ-: e.g., coṁursa, coṁairle, corac, coráḋ, coṁaireaṁ, conuiḋe, &c. coṁgar=(cóng-gar.)

‘o’ in coṁaċt and coṁaċtaċ = ú or ó.

66. Whenever “o” or “io” (both short), accented, is followed by a protected n or ng the “o” or “io” is pronounced ú or in Desmond, and “ou” in Dēsi.

In Connaught the ordinary short sound of “o” or “io” is heard in these words:—

anonn bonn cionn
cionntaċ cionntuiġ conndae
constábla conntaḃairt conntaḃartaċ
dronn fionn fonn
fonnsa iongna (= úna) ionnfairt[1]
ionnlaoġas ionnraic ionnsuiġ
ionnráiḋte ionntaḃarṫa ionntaoiḃ
long lonnraċ lonnraḋ
pionnt prionnsa Ó Sgonnláin
sprionnlóg sprionnlaiṫe sonnraḋaċ
tonn tonnta

(a) bonn, fonn, fionn are also pronounced like boun, foun, fyoun. Fonn, a desire, inclination = fúnn; fonn; a tune=foun. Cionntaċ is sometimes pronounced ciontaċ (=kyŭnthuk) in Desmond.

67. When aḋ or (accented) is followed by a vowel or consonant the diphthong î is produced, likewise whenever ai accented is followed by a protected liquid, or by ḃ, , Ġ, ṁ, + a vowel or liquid the same diphthong is produced.

î =the “i” in “high” “mine” &c, as pronounced in Ireland, except in the north.

aḋaint aḋaircín aḋarc
aḋarcóg aḋart aḋastar
aḋnaim aḋmad (C. áḋmad) aḋlacaim
aiḃneaċa aġaiḋ aiḃne
aimsiġ aiġneas aiġṫe
aiṁleisceaṁail aimsir aiṁleas
baḋḃ baintreaċ blaḋm
blaḋmannaċ caill, caḋan, caillfead
caḋain caḋal cainnt
caillte caillteaċ faġaim (C.
claḋaire faḋb faġairt fáġaim)
faill (C. aill) Frainnc Frainncis
gaḋar gaḋrai gaiḃne
maiḋm graiḋn laiġin
raġad (C. raċad) mainnséar raḋarc
Ó Raġallaiġ raġainn
sainnt saiḋḃir saiġdiúir Taḋg
aiḋg saiḋḃreas taiḋḃse taiḋḃseaċ

saiḋḃir=sev-ir in Desmond and sîr in Dēsi: maiġistir (= máis-tir), aḋḃar (= aw-war or our).

(a) In Ulster, aḋa and aġa are pronounced like é (sometimes like the German ö)—e.g., aġaiḋ=é-í; aḋarc=é-ŭrc; gaḋar, claḋaire, slaġdán, raḋarc, aḋastar, &c.

(b) In Connaught aiḃne=av=ne, gaiḃne=gav-ne, &c. Aimsir=am-shir, cainnt=kant.

(c) N.B.—When “ai” occurring in the genitive sing. or nom. pl. is followed by a protected liquid the diphthong î is not developed. The sound is í, except in Dēsi and Clare—e.g., caim (cam): crainn (crann); gaill (gall); baill (ball); daill (dall), &c.; saill=saíll.

(d) In Surnamesaḋa=ú: Ó Donnċaḋa, Ó Foġlaḋa, Ó Murċaḋa: also in the words, bunaḋas and bunaḋasaċ (=bunús, bunúsaċ); buaḋa=bú-a; ealaḋa=alaí.

-aḋa the old termination of the plural of nouns of the fourth declension—í. The termination í or is now almost universally adopted—e.g., málaí instead of málaḋa.

(e) There is no diphthong in such words as: láġaċ, faġáil, Seaġán, &c, in which one of the a’s is long.

68. When ei (short), in a stressed syllable, is followed by Ḋ, Ġ, + a vowel or liquid; or by a protected liquid, the diphthong Ei is produced. Ei differs from î in having a little more of an é colour in the beginning of it.

Eiḃlín eiḋeann feiḋil
feill geiḃeann ġeiḃeann
ġeiḃim ġeiḃir geiḃleaċ
geiḃliġim greim leiġeas
leiġeasaċ meiḋir meiḋg
meiḋre teinn (=tinn)

(a) The same diphthong occurs in:—éiriġ, éiriġim, éirġe, &c.; deiṁin, deiṁneaċ, deiṁniġṫe, &c.; and sometimes in éist, éisteaċt.

(b) Except when final, éiṁ is usually pronounced í in Desmond, but Ei in Dēsi.

deiṁeas geiṁeal geiṁleaċ
reiṁse reiṁis geiṁreaḋ
sceiṁle teiṁeal

(c) In Connaught the and in the above words are pronounced like “v”—e.g., Eiḃlín (ev-e-leen), ġeiḃim (like yevim), deiṁin (devin), deiṁeas (devass), geiṁreaḋ (gev-roo), &c.

69. When “u” accented is followed by Ḃ, Ḋ, Ġ, Ṁ, Ṫ, or by a protected liquid, it is lengthened in sound to ú.

árduġ(aḋ) ciuṁais ċam (C. ċugam)
ċuġat (C. ċugat) cuṁa cuṁang
cuṁdaċ cuṁduiġ cuṫaċ
duḃa duḃairt duḃras
duṫaċas duṫaiġ duṫraċt
dluṫ luġa Mac Cuṁaill
mínuġ(aḋ) i muḋa siuḃail
iuḃar ra uḃall
uḃla uḋaċt dar
uġdarṫás muiġim uṁa
uṁal mṁalóid uṁlaċt
urlár urlais urnaiġṫe

The “u” is short in guṫ, sruṫ, tiuġ, (M.=tiuḃ).

70. and ġ sometimes cause lengthening of o. A síneaḋ ought not to be written because the “o” is not long naturally, and is not pronounced as ó in some places—e.g., Doṁnall, coṁnuiḋe, foġnaṁ, coṁairle. See list given in § 65. In Dēsi the “o” in these words=ú; and the “o” in roṁam, roṁat, &c.,=diphthong “a—ou.”

71. When ġ, or slender or , + a vowel comes immediately after l, n, or r, the aspirated consonant is silent, but produces the sound of í.

Aonġus carrġas coinġeall
Ó Conailġe doilġeas éirġe
feadġail Fearġus Ó Fearġusa
gainṁe Gaillṁe glamġail
inḃear iean muinġin
muirġin súirġe
beirḃeaḋ=beiriú

72. When i, ui or oi (all short), under tonic accent, is followed by a protected liquid, or by Ḋ, ḃ, Ġ + a vowel or liquid, the i is lengthened to í; the “o” and “u” are merely broad glides in Desmond. In Desi the pronunciation is usually î (§ 67).

binn buiḋe buiḋean
cill cinn cloiḋeaṁ
coill croiḋe cuiḃe
Cuinn cuiḃeasaċ cuiḃreaċ
cruinn dliġe druim
duinn duiḃe Ó Duiḃir
fuinn fuiġle fuiḋe
fuiġeall fuinnseog fill
grinn guiḋe im
impiġ inntinn linn (a pool)
luim luiġe luiġead
Muiṁneaċ muinntir niṁe
niṁneaċ puimp rinnce
sliġe suiḋe Mac Suiḃne
soiġead timċeall tinn
riompe ruim Mill

(a) In the following words “oi” is pronounced î:—roinn, roinnt, doiṁin (dhîng), foiḋinne (fîng-e).

(b) The following pronouns are not lengthened except in poetry:—sinn, linn, againn (accent on second syllable).

73. Protected r never produces a diphthong, but lengthens the preceding vowel.

The following table shows the vowels which are lengthened:—

a is lengthened to á
u ó
ea á (first caol vowel)
ei éi
oi[2] ói
ui[2] úi
ai ái
bearna bearr bearrṫa
barr bord buird
carnaḋ ceard cairde
ceirde corda carnaim
dearna fearr feirrde
foirne foirneart gearr
gearrfad meirleaċ meirleaċas
ord ordu pardún
arla uird urla
urlais urnuiġṫe urlár

doirse = dóirse in Minister, but not in Connaught.

74. The a and o in ṫársa and ṫórsa (from ṫar) are long; we have written a síneaḋ over the vowels because they are long in Munster and Connaught, and s does not usually protect re.g., pearsa, tuirse, ursa, foirse, &c.

A síneaḋ ought not to be written over a vowel that is long by position (especially when long in only one dialect)—e.g., bord, ceard, barr, ord, ought not to be written bórd, ceárd, bárr, órd, because the genitives of bord and ord are buird and uird (cf. cnoc, cnuic; port, puirt; gort, guirt, &c.), whilst the genitives of bórd, órd, should be bóird, óird (cf. spórt, spóirt; brón, bróin; bród, bróid; sról, sróil, &c). Similarly the genitive of ceard is ceirde, not ceáirde. Again, the “a” in barr is short when a termination beginning with a vowel is added—e.g., barraiḃ, barra, showing that the “a” is not naturally long in barr.

A still stronger reason for not writing a síneaḋ on a vowel that is long by position is that this vowel may not be pronounced long in other parts of the country. For example: urlár is pronounced úrlár in Munster, but the “u” is not long in Connaught or Ulster; hence Munster writers ought not to mark the “u” long. It may be well to remark here that the spelling of some of the words given in the preceding lists is slightly different from the way in which the words are usually spelled at present. For example: it is now a common practice to omit one of the n’s sainnt, cainnt, muinntir, muinntearḋa, cionntaċ, cionntuiġ, ionntaoiḃ, conntaḃairt, ionnta, &c. This practice ought not to be followed, because “t” does not protect single “n”e.g. cluintear, cantain, geinte, greanta, &c. The first syllable in cionnta, cionntaċ, muinntir, ionnta, conntaḃairt, &c, is pronounced short in some places, but this should not furnish writers with an excuse for omitting one of the n’s, since the nn is the correct spelling, and moreover the words are pronounced long in other places.

If every writer is to spell his words in accordance with the pronunciation of his own little district, the inevitable result will be that in a few years instead of having a modern literature we shall have a few hundred parochial scrips and scraps that will be read by no one outside the writer’s own parish.

75. The addition of any inflection beginning with a vowel will hinder the formation of a diphthong, or the lengthening of a vowel.

Diphthong. No Diphthong. Diphthong.
meall meallaim meallta
gleann gleanna gleannta
gall gallaiḃ gallda
caill caillim caillte
crom cromann cromṫa
poll ṗollas pollta
am amanta
cam camaim camfad
geall geallaim geallfad
Long. Short. Long.
gearr gearraim gearrṫa
bearr bearraḋ ḃearrfá
fearr fearra feirrde
luing luingeas luingséoir
coill coille coillte
fill fillim fillfad
binn binne
tonn tuinne tonnta

76. The development of a helping vowel (§ 124) will prevent a diphthong, or a long vowel, being produced,

Donnċaḋ (=Donnaċa); dorċa (=doraċa); bolg (= bolag); guirm (= guirim); luimniġ (=luiminiġ); carn (=carn), &c.

77. A diphthong cannot be developed immediately beside a long vowel.

Diaḃal, bliaḋain, fiaḃras, fiaḋain, diaṁair.

N.B.—The i of ia is always long,=í.

78. A long vowel sound at the end of a word is usually shortened by the addition of a grammatical inflection beginning with a consonant.

me, mise dliġe, dliġṫe
tu, tusa scéaluiḋe, scéaluiḋṫe
, seisean críostuiḋe, críostuiḋṫe
, sise sle, sle
, neiṫe croiḋe, croiḋṫe

Likewise with the verbal adjectives of verbs ending in iġ: bailiġṫe, malluiġṫe, &c.

  1. Sometimes spelled únfairt.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Note that the other liquids when protected lengthen the “i” in “oi” and “ui” to í. (§ 72).