6. ï.
§ 96. We have already seen that considerable uncertainty prevails with regard to the e-sounds in Donegal and the same applies equally to the i-sounds. By the symbol ï we denote a high-mixed-wide vowel. However in several of the cases to be mentioned below various shades are heard ranging between ï and a high-front-wide vowel. Under these circumstances J. H. inclines more to i whilst the younger folk pronounce a distinct ï. This ï seems to me to be one of the peculiar characteristics of Donegal speech both English and Irish and at first gave me the impression of an e-sound. The tongue-position for the Donegal irrational vowel approaches very nearly to that of ï, indeed ə may be regarded as a lowered ï, and the two sounds not infrequently interchange. Very remarkable also is the common substitution of ï for o̤ and vice versa.
§ 97. ï represents an O.Ir. i preceded by a palatal consonant and followed by one of different quality, e.g. bʹïlər, ‘cress’, M.Ir. biror; gʹïbɔg, ‘a little bit’, Di. giobóg; gʹïdəlαχ, ‘foolishly conceited’, Di. giodalach; gʹïl, gʹïlkαχ, ‘early grass, fog’; gʹïLαχt, ‘work about the house’ (cp. Nʹi꞉ higʹ lʹïm o̤bwirʹ erʹ biç ə jα꞉nuw sə Nʹɛ꞉r gədʹi꞉ Nʹei αm dʹi꞉Nʹαrə lʹɛ wïlʹ ə jïLαχt lʹɛ dʹα꞉nuw əgəm, ‘I cannot get to work in the hay until after dinner on account of all the things I have to do about the house’), cp. Di. giollaidheacht; gʹïmαnαχ, ‘livery-servant, coachman’, Di. gíománach, geamánach; gʹïtə, ‘bit, piece’, Di. giota; gʹlʹïmαχ, ‘lobster’, Di. gliomach; ïŋlαχ, ‘tingling in the fingers’, Di. ionglach, eanglach; kʹïmαχ, ‘clout’, also ‘a good-for-nothing fellow’, Di. ciomach; kʹïNti꞉, ‘cause, occasion’, Di. cionnta < O.Ir. cin; kʹïtαg, ‘left-hand’, Di. ciotóg; Lʹïbər, ‘hanging-lip’, Di. liobar; mʹïtαn, ‘small, useless hand’, Di. miotán; pʹïbruw, ‘rousing to fight’; pʹïkɔdʹ, ‘a pick’, Di. piocóid; pʹrʹïs, ‘cupboard’, Engl. ‘press’; ʃïk, ‘frost’, Di. sioc; ʃïkyrʹ, ‘cause’, Di. siocair, also ʃo̤kyrʹ; ʃïLuw, ‘syllable’, O.Ir. sillab; ʃïstəl, ‘to heckle’, Di. siostal; ʃkʹrʹïs, ‘destruction’, M.Ir. scris (gen. sing. ʃkʹrʹïʃ); ʃLʹïgnuw, ‘good appearance of work’ (?); smʹïnəgyrʹ, ‘small fragments’, Di. smionagar; spʹlʹïtə, ‘splinter’; ʃtʹïguw, ‘to die’, Di. stiogadh; tʹïmsuw, ‘gather in, garner’, M.Ir. timsugad; tʹïNtα꞉r sïv, ‘weed, a kind of milk-fever’ (?); tʹrʹïblɔdʹαχ, ‘troublesome’, Di. trioblóideach.
For O.Ir. initial i before a non-palatal consonant see § 58.
§ 98. When in a stressed syllable the consonant following
