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(6) In compound words the accent sometimes falls on the prefix,[1] sometimes on the stem.
(a) When the component parts are fused together the accent falls on the prefix,* unless a long vowel in the second syllable draws the accent to itself: domblas, aiṁleas, aisiog, anfa (§ 20 (f)), fóirneart, anḃruiṫ, coṁursa, coṁairle, coṁaipeaṁ, aṫtuirre, coiṁeascar (=Kee-uss-gur), leaṫḋoras, banríoġain.
The accent is drawn from the first syllable by the long vowel in: neaṁṡuim (=na-heem), soiscéal, leaṫtaoḃ, leiṫscéal, coigcríoċ, eascáirdear, foiréigin.
Both syllables are equally accented in neaṁníḋ (nav′-nee), díombáḋ (dí-má), seandraoi, naoiḋeanán.
(b) In those words in which the component parts are still regarded as separable, the accent falls on the stem.
coiṁmeas, coṁaimsir, aiseirġe, coṁlosgaḋ, sean-aṫair, leas-ainm, do-ṁarḃṫa, iontuigseanaċ, inċreidte, coiṁċeangail, díċeannaim, neiṁṡeaḋ (=ne-fá).
- ↑ This passing of the accent from the stem to the prefix has had the peculiar effect of giving compound, verbs a double conjugation in Old Irish—an uncontracted and a contracted inflection. The latter was used after such particles as ní, naċ, go, &c. For example—from the root “riṁ,” a number, with the prefix “aḋ” was formed the uncontracted present, “aḋriṁi,” he counts, but after ní the contracted form was used—viz., ní áirṁi, he does not count (These words were not aspirated in writing in Old Irish—viz., adrimi, áirmi, rim). The accent was on the stem in aḋriṁi, but on the prefix in áirṁi.
The verbs which are called “irregular” in Modern Irish are only survivals of this double inflection—e.g., do-ḃeirim, I give (accent on ḃeir); ní ṫaḃ(ai)raim=ní ṫaḃraim I do not give (=ní ḋo-ḃ(ei)raim) with accent on the prefix.
