Còmhraidhean an Gàidhlig 's am Beurla
<- Note | The Storm ->
PRONUNCIATION
The Gaelic Alphabet contains eighteen letters, viz., a, b, c, d, e, f g, h, i, l, m, n, o, p, r, s, t, u.
The Vowels are divided into broad and small. The broad are a, o, u, and the small are e, i.
The Consonants are classed as—dentals d, t, s; labials b, f , m, p; linguals l, n, r; and palatals c, g.
h is the mark of aspiration and is never found alone in a word, but always after the letters b, c, d, f, g, m, p, s, t.
The Accents are two, viz., the grave accent and the acute accent. Either of these accents placed over a vowel indicates that it is long, and that it has a specific sound according as the one or the other is used. The accents further serve the purpose of distinguishing from each other words that are identical in spelling but different in meaning.
SOUNDS OF THE VOWELS
a 1, Long like
a in far, as
dàn—a poem,
bàn—white.
,, 2, Short like
a in
that, as
fad—length,
gad—withe.
,, 3, Long before
dh like
u (drawled) in
burn, as
ladhran—hoofs.
,, 4, Short sound of foregoing, as
lagh—law.
,, 5, Before nn and ll =
a 1 and
u in
drury, as
clann—children,
call—loss.
e 1, Long like
e in
there, as
rè—during,
gnè—kind.
,, 2, Short like
e in
jet, as
dheth—of him or it,
le—with.
,, 3, Long like
a in
fame, as
dé—yesterday,
cé—earth.
,, 4, Short like
a in
rate, as
teth—hot,
leth—half,
i 1, Long like
e in
me, as
sìd—weather,
dìth—want.
,, 2, Short like
i in
pin, as
fir—men,
min—meal.
,, 3, Short like
i in
tight, as
tigh—a house,
a stigh—within.
o 1, Long like
o in
for, as
còrr—heron,
òl—drink.
,, 2, Short like
o in
moral, as
cor—condition,
orra, on them.
,, 3, Long like
o in
bold, as
lòn—meadow,
bò—a cow.
,, 4, Short like
o in
bone, as
dol—going,
crodh—cattle.
,, 5, Long like
ow in
down, as
fonn—land,
toll—hole.
u 1, Long like
oo in
poor, as
ùr—new,
ùprait—bustle.
,, 2, Short like
u in
drury, as
cur—sending,
guth—voice.
The first long sound of a, e, i, the first and third sound of o, and the first sound of u are marked with the grave accent. The third sound of e is marked with the acute accent. The sounds of the vowels form the key to the sounds of the diphthongs. Final vowels are always sounded.
SOUNDS OF THE DIPHTHONGS
ai 1 ==
a 1 and
i 2, as
bàigh—kindness.
,, 2 ==
a 2 and
i 1, as
chaidh—went.
,, 3 ==
a 1, the
i being silent, as
fàilte—welcome.
,, 4 == a 2, the i being silent, as tais—soft.
,, 5 ==
a 3, the
i being silent, as
tairbhe—profit,
airm—arms.
ao 1 ==
a 3, the
o being silent, as
aog—death,
caol—slender.
ea 1 ==
e 2 slightly sounded and
a 1, as
geall—wager.
,, 2 ==
e 2 slightly sounded and
a 2, as
geal—white.
,, 3 ==
e 1,
a being silent, as
dèan—do.
,, 4 ==
e 2,
a being silent, as
lean—follow.
ei 1 ==
e 3 and
i 2, as
déidh—wish.
,, 2 ==
e 4 and
i 2, as
deich—ten.
,, 3 ==
e 3, the
i being silent, as
céile—spouse.
,, 4 ==
e 4, the
i being silent, as
ceist—question.
eo 1 ==
e 4 slightly sounded and
o 1, as
ceòl—music.
,, 2 ==
e 4 slightly sounded and
o 2, as
beothail—lively.
,, 3 ==
o 3, the
e being silent, as
teòma—expert.
,, 4 ==
o 4, the
e being silent, as
deoch—drink.
eu 1 ==
e 3, the
u being silent, as
ceum—a step.
ia 1 ==
i 1 and
a 2, as
ciall—sense,
iar—west.
io 1 ==
i 1 and
o 4, as
lìon—fill.
,, 2 ==
i 2 and
o 4, as
ciont—guilt.
,, 3 ==
i 2, the
o being silent, as
iomlan—complete.
,, 4 ==
u in up, as
ciod?—what?
iu 1 ==
i 2 and
u 1, as
fiù—worthy.
,, 2 ==
i 2 and
u 2,
iubhar—a yew-tree.
,, 3 ==
u 1, the
i being silent, as
diùlt—refuse.
,, 4 ==
u 2, the
i being silent, as
diugh—to-day.
oi 1 ==
o 1 and
i 2, as
clòimh—wool.
,, 2 ==
o 2 and
i 2, as
coimh—mange.
,, 3 ==
o 2, the
i being silent, as
toiseach—beginning.
ua 1 ==
u 2 and
a 2, as
cluas—ear.
ui 1 ==
u 1 and
i 2, as
dùil—hope.
,, 2 ==
u 2 and
i 2, as
sluig—swallow.
,, 3 ==
u 2, the
i being silent, as
duine—a man.
I have here followed Stewart's scheme of pronunciation.
SOUNDS OF THE TRIPHTHONGS
The Tripthongs are aoi, eai, eoi, iai, iui, and uai.
As the sounds of the diphthongs depend upon the sounds of the individual vowels, so the sounds of the triphthongs depend upon those of the diphthongs. The rule that the vowel immediately before or immediately after a plain palatal or lingual often loses its sound holds good in regard to the triphthongs. The vowel in the triphthongs that loses its sound is the last i.
SOUNDS OF THE CONSONANTS
| b |
Like b in boat, as bàrd—a poet. |
| bh |
bh at the beginning and end of a word is like v, as bha=va—was, gabh=gav—take.
bh in the middle of a word is sometimes like w, but is oftener silent, as leabhar=leawar—book, dubhar=duär—shade. |
| c |
c before a broad vowel is like c in can, as càrn—a heap of stones.
c before a small vowel is like k in keen, as cinn—heads.
|
| ch |
ch at the beginning of a word is like the Greek chi as pronounced in Scotland, as chi, shall see.
c at the end of a syllable or word is like chk, as mac—a son. Exceptions—chunnaic, ionraic, ionracas, òirdheire, éirie.
ch at the end of a syllable or word is like ch in loch.
chd is like ch in loch with k added.
|
| d |
d before a broad vowel is like d in door, as dorus—door.
d before a small vowel is like d in dew, as dèan—do. |
| dh |
dh before a broad vowel has no soud in English exactly like it.
dh before a small vowel is like y in yield, as dhibh—of you.
dh at the end of a syllable or word or in the middle of a word is silent.
|
| f |
f is like f in English.
|
| fh |
fh at the beginning of a word sounds like h, as fhuair=huair—found.
fh preceded by dh' or by the interrogative an d' is silent, as dh' fhalbh? as if written dhalbh—went, and an d' fhalbh? as if written an dalbh?—did (he, &c.) go? |
| g |
g before a broad vowel is like g in gab, as gabh—take.
g before a small vowel is like g in gean, as géill—yield. |
| gh |
gh before a small vowel is like y in yield, as gheibh—will get.
gh before a broad vowel has no sound in English exactly like it.
gh in the middle and end of a word is silent.
|
| l |
l before a broad vowel has no sound in English exactly like it.
l before a small vowel is like l in lure, as liabh—a ladle or blade of an oar.
|
| ll |
ll at the end of a syllable or word is like ll in million, as pill—return pilltinn—returning. |
| m |
m in like m in English.
|
| mh |
mh at the beginning and end of a word is like v, as mharbh=vare—killed, nàmh=nàv—an enemy.
mh in the middle of a word is generally silent, but it imparts a nasal sound to the vowel preceding it, as còmhradh—dialogue, samhradh—summer.
|
| n |
n before a broad vowel is like n in north, as nòs—custom.
n before a small vowel is like n in new, as neach—a person.
n after c, g, m, t, is like r, as cnàmh=cràmh—decay, digest, gnìomh=grìohm—deed, action, mnathan=mrathan—woman, tnù=trù—envy.
|
| p |
p is like p in English. |
| ph |
ph at the beginning of a word is like f, as phill=fill—returned.
|
| s |
s before a broad vowel is like s in English.
s before a small vowel is like sh, as sìn=shìn—stretch.
|
| sh |
sh at the beginning of a word sounds like h, as shìn=hìn—stretched.
so—this, and sud—yon, sound as if spelt sho and shud.
|
| t |
t before a broad vowel is like t (with a lisp) in tan, as tana—thin.
t before a small vowel is like ch in chin, as teine—fire.
|
| th |
th at the beginning of a word is like h, as thig=hig—come.
th in the middle and end of a word is silent, as bathar=baär—goods, bàth=bà—drown.
|
| |
l, n, r are the only letters that are doubled in the middle of a word. No letter is doubled at the beginning of a word.
|
Còmhraidhean an Gàidhlig 's am Beurla
<- Note | The Storm ->