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(c) For “c” slender contact is made with the centre of the tongue and the palate just behind the boundary between the hard and the soft palate. For ċ slender the tongue is brought very close to the palate, but does not touch it, and whilst the tongue is in this position we pronounce an h, and a very soft sound is the result. The sound may be described as “a voiceless English y.”
From the rules which follow, the formation of the remaining aspirated sounds can be easily learned. In a later chapter we shall treat of the effects of the aspirated consonants on the vowels.
Ḃ and Ṁ.
36. When slender, ḃ and ṁ are pronounced like v or f (slender) voiced. In Munster they are usually silent when they occur medially (i.e., in the body of a word), unless when followed by a long vowel sound, in which ease they retain their consonantal sound “v”—e.g., láiṁín, taoiḃín.
When broad, ḃ and ṁ (final) are pronounced like v; except in Ulster, where they are pronounced like ú—e.g., láṁ in Ulster=lá-ú.
Initial ḃ and ṁ (broad) are pronounced like “w”; except in Munster, where they are like “vw” before a broad vowel.
As a general rule ḃ and ṁ (broad) when medial are silent, except in the termination -ṁar. The consonantal sound is retained when they are followed by a long vowel sound: Siuḃán, aṁáin.
Examples.—Liḃ, siḃ, ḃí, láiṁ, ḃeo, niṁ, ḃó, ṁáṫair,
