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CHAPTER XI.
Trigraphs.
113. The following trigraphs are employed in Modern Irish.—viz., eái, eai, iai, uai, eoi, iui, aei, and uío.
EÁI.
114. This trigraph is employed to denote the long sound of the first caol vowel—i.e., the “a” in “Maggie” (§ 12). As the “e” and “i” shew, it is both preceded and followed by a slender consonant.
| sleáin (sleaġain) | caisleáin | oileáin |
| tinteáin | ciseáin | milleáin |
| milseáin (§ 144) | Ṡeáin (Ṡeaġain) |
EAI.
115. This trigraph represents the short sound of the previous one. It differs from ea and ai (both of which also represent this sound) in the fact that it is both preceded and followed by a slender consonant. It occurs in very few words.
geaitire, meaig, teais (gen. of teas, lit. form=teasa); eairc (gen. of earc), seaiċ (gen. of seaċ).
IAI.
116. In this combination the first “i” has its full value of í, whilst the second “i” has its unstressed
