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53. The vowels in the syllable immediately preceding the accented syllable are shortened, and in many cases are almost entirely lost.
| salaċ=s’laċ. | bacaċ=bŭcaċ. |
| fiosaċ=fisaċ. | coróin=cróin. |
| ciotóg=citóg. | poróiste=próiste. |
| arán=’rán. | tar éis=tréis. |
| casán=cŭsán. | idir=’dir. |
| curraċ=cŭraċ. | biorán=breán. |
| bradán=brădán | sparán=sprán. |
| beagán=bĭgán. | fuláir=f’láir. |
| galánta=g’lánta. |
54. There are some short words which are never stressed in ordinary conversation or reading; such as—(1) the definite article an, na; (2) the possessive adjectives mo, do, a; (3) the modern relative particle, as also the particles do- and a- used before some of the irregular verbs; (4) all particles such as go, gur, ní, naċ, níor, mura, &c., &c, used with verbs; (5) monosyllabic prepositions, &c.
These words are sometimes spoken of as proclitics, because they throw their accent on to the following noun or verb.
For example: an fear is pronounced as one word—viz., infear, with the accent on the second syllable; ar an gclár as one word of three syllables, with the tonic accent on the third syllable.
