Page:Graimear na Gaedhilge.djvu/29

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13

(h) The initial of the word following ba or buḋ (the past tense and conditional of the verb is) is usually aspirated.[1]

ba ṁaiṫ liom, I liked or I would like.
b’ ḟearr leis, he preferred or would prefer.

(i) The simple prepositions (except ag, ar, le, gan, i, and go) aspirate the initials of the nouns immediately following them: fá ċloiċ, under a stone; ṫug sé an leaḃar do Ṡeumas, he gave the book to James.




CHAPTER III.

Eclipsis.

22. Eclipsis is the term used to denote the suppression of the sounds of certain Irish consonants by prefixing others produced by the same organ of speech.

There is usually a great similarity between the eclipsing letter and the letter eclipsed: thus, p is eclipsed by b; t is eclipsed by d, &c. If the student pronounce the letters p and b, t and d, he will immediately notice the similarity above referred to. Thus b and d are like p and t, except that they are pronounced with greater stress of the breath, or, more correctly, with greater vibration of the vocal chords.

  1. Except in N. Connaught and Ulster, where this rule applies only to b, p, m, and sometimes f.