Aids to the Pronunciation of Irish

by the Christian Brothers

Layout 2

AIDS

TO THE

Pronunciation of Irish.

BY THE

Christian Brothers.

Dublin:

M. H. GILL & SON, Ltd.

1905.

CONTENTS.

			Page
Chapter	I.—	The Organs of Speech	1
„	II.—	Voiced and Voiceless Sounds	2
„	III.—	Movements of Tongue and Lips	4
„	IV.—	The Irish Vowels	6
„	V.—	Table of Irish Consonants	12
„	VI.—	Aspiration	29
„	VII.—	Caol le Caol ⁊ Leaṫan le Leaṫan	35
„	VIII.—	Rules for the Tonic Accent	41
„	IX.—	Protected Liquids	48
„	X.—	Digraphs	61
„	XI.—	Trigraphs	77
„	XII.—	Combination of the Consonants	81
		Index	91 to 107

PREFACE.

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A KNOWLEDGE of Phonetics is now regarded by educationalists as an indispensable foundation for the scientific study of all the Modern Languages. As very little has been yet done to elucidate the Laws of Irish Speech, an endeavour has been made in the following pages to explain in the simplest language the most salient features of Irish Phonetics.

As difference of pronunciation is one of the chief factors in developing dialects, it has been deemed essential to adopt the pronunciation current in one district as a basis for the work, and then to refer, as occasion required, to the general pronunciation current in other districts. We have chosen the pronunciation current in Desmond as our basis, and we have been induced to do so for the following reasons:—

(1) The Irish of Desmond has retained a very large number of the older grammatical inflections, and as regards its verbal system it has quite a literary aspect.

(2) The greatest poets of modern times have been natives of Desmond—e.g., Aodhagan O’Rathaille, Eoghan Ruadh O’Sullivan, Pierec Ferriter, and others. A knowledge of Desmond pronunciation is essential to the just appreciation of their poems.

(3) The best living Irish writers are likewise natives of Desmond—e.g., Rev. Fr. O'Leary, P.P. (an t-Aṫair Peadar); P. J. O’Shea (Conán Maol); Dermot Foley (Fearġus Finn Ḃéil); J. J. Doyle (Beirt Ḟear).

The following is a brief outline of the scope of the book, and of the method which has been adopted therein:—

(1) After a short introductory description of the vocal organs, the shape, position, and movements of them required for the production of the various vowels and consonants in Irish are described in detail.

(2) Having treated of the sounds of the vowels and consonants, a number of drill exercises on the joining of a vowel to a consonant are introduced, and then words of one syllable.

(3) As soon as the principles which govern the position of the tonic accent have been explained, the student is introduced to words of two, three, and four syllables containing simple vowel sounds.

(4) The aspirated consonants, and a completely new treatment of the Law Caol le Caol are next introduced.

(5) The disturbing influences of the aspirated consonants and of the “protected liquids” are treated of in great detail.

(6) The Combinations of the Consonants, the Laws of Eclipsis and of Syncope, and, finally, Metathesis are explained.

By following out this method, pronunciation is reduced to a science, and science in this matter, as in all others, holds supremacy.

There is one point to which we desire to direct the attention of teachers, especially those teachers who are native speakers of Irish—viz., that differences of pronunciation do and must exist in every living language. In a living language pronunciation is ever changing, and hence differences of pronunciation between the older and younger generations are not merely possible, but inevitable. Consequently individuals ought not to set up the pronunciation of any particular district as a standard to be followed by the rest of the country.

The Christian Brothers beg to acknowledge their indebtedness to the Rev. Peter O’Leary, P.P., to Messrs. O. J. Bergin, B.A.; John MacNeill, B.A.; Joseph Lloyd, and Taḋg O’Donoghue, for their kindness in revising the manuscript of the present work, and for the many valuable suggestions offered by them, also to Mr. Ernest Clarke for his drawing of the diagrams, and they take this opportunity of tendering to them their best thanks.