Page:Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie Vol. 5.djvu/98

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90
GEORGE HENDERSON,

Thus in Oran Do Bharbara Muillear (Rob Donn ed. 1871, last line p. 179) we should perhaps read dh’ainmicheadh for ghairmeadh:

guṛ ˑhï̯mu :ḷɑ-ɑ ˑɛṛïci
a ᵹɛṛəmiçu vuṛ nɛṛəm ec cḷeeṛ.

For this change of n to r compare Latin Carmen from *can-men : germen from *gen-men.

NB. (1) Reay often inserts r before l:

mnladach sorrowful (muḷɑrdax).

(2) mu'n and mur are easily confused:

mn'n robh mi ahn = ere I existed (was there)
mur robh mi ann = unless I existed (were there).

(5) There is no proper distinction kept between ir and r in cases like cuir, 'put' (imperative) and ag cur (infin.) where the r in N. Inv. sounds alike in both. Munro (Gael. Grammar 217 n) is right when be says 'From Fort-Augustus to the far north the attenuation of l, n, r, is neither known, distinguishable, nor appreciated'. Only initial r in accented syllables and rr final can be said to be pronounced quite differently. At the same time there is clear distinction between the 3 pers. pron. m. and 3 pers. pron, f. + r in the initial of a word v. Inflection.

(6) rc + light vowel > ç e. g. òr-cheàrd, goldsmith > ɔɔçɑrḍ‘.

(7) mn-, gn-, cn-, tn-, followed by a back vowel give mr-, gr-, cr-, tr- with nasalization of the following vowel; (mrɑ̯-a) mna 'of the wife'; cnoc (kro̯hxk) 'hill'; in Breton krea'h; (gro̯hiçan) gnothuichean 'messages'; (kro̯o) cnó 'nut'; (ṭruu̯) tnù 'envy'. For cn becoming er + nasal vowel, cf. L. crepusculum cognate with Gr. κνέφας; Breton gri 'couture', Cymric gwni.

'Palatal Side-Voice (ł, łł). Same as in Italian gl when initial and medial; in finals representing a double consonant it is double, (łii) li 'colour, hue'; (miłə) milleadh 'injury'; (fiłə) filleadh 'a fold or crease'; (mijłł) verb:—to injure; noun:—pl. of meall (mjɑ̯u̯ḷḷ) 'a heap, protuberance'. It is found in association with front vowels only. The mutation of (ł) is (lh): (łic luwm) leig liom 'let me alone, let me be'; (lhic ɛ luwm) leig ɛ liom 'he let me alone'; (eṛ aṇ ṭlhiia) air an t-shliabh 'on the mountain- side'. So far as I can make out it is distinguished from Welsh (łł) by not being unilateral and bas the tongue not quite in