ing has to be changed to suit the pronunciation. There are thus many differences of spelling and pronunciation between Modern Irish as now written and spoken and the language as it was written and spoken centuries ago. But some common words, although their spelling has changed with the general change, have retained wholly or in part their old pronunciation. We have already met some specimens.
§ 460. I. PECULIAR VOWEL SOUNDS.
| Not | but | older Irish | |
| ag | og | eg | (oc) |
| ar | or | er | (or) |
| aige | ag′-ĕ | eg′-ĕ (§ 181) | (oige) |
| aigi | ak′-ee | ek′-ee (§ 181) | (oici) |
| beag | baG | beG | (beg) |
| raiḃ | rav | rev | (roiḃe) |
§ 461. I. CONSONANT SOUNDS.
The consonants which have in some words retained, to an unusual degree, traces of an older pronunciation are ḋ and ġ. At present ḋ and ġ broad are pronounced with the guttural sound which we denote by the Greek γ at the beginning of words only. There is evidence that at one time ḋ and ġ broad had this sound always, and some words retain it in whole or in part. Thus—
cróḋa, pron. krō′-γă, or krōg′-ă, brave.
diaḋa, — dee′-ă-γă, or dee′-ăg-ă, godly.
§ 462. So doruġa, a fishing line (dhŭr′-oo-a) is in Donegal doruga (dhŭr′-ug-a); and teaġlaċ, a family (tei′-laCH) is in Donegal teglaċ (teG′-laCH, and in some places teγ′-laCH).
§ 463. At the end of words ḋ broad is now silent. In Scottish Gaelic ruaḋ, etc, are yet pronounced roo′-aγ. Some terminations of verbs have preserved the sound partially in our Irish. Thus, the terminations aḋ, -eaḋ, of the 3rd singular of imperative, imperfect and conditional active of verbs are pronounced as a rule as -aCH, a softened form of an older pronunciation -aγ. Again, the perfect passive terminations -aḋ, -eaḋ are pronounced in parts of Munster as -aG, a slightly hardened form of aγ. Examples will be given in due course.
EXERCISE LXXVII.
§ 464. We have already seen that atá cóta nuaḋ ar Art (a new coat is on Art) is the Irish way of saying that Art is wearing a new coat. Thus also all sorts of burdens are said to be on a person, not only actual burdens of any sort, but such burdens as grief, trouble, anxiety, anger, pain, hunger, thirst, etc.
§ 465.
| ocras (ŭk′-răs), hunger | tart (thort), thirst, |
| tuirse (thursă), weariness | ualaċ (oo′-ăl-ăCH), a load, a burden. |
| orm (ŭrm), on me | orrainn (ŭr′-en), on us. |
| ort (ŭrth), on thee | orraiḃ (ŭr′-ev), on ye |
| air (er), on him[1] | orra (ŭr′-ă), on them. |
| uirri (er′-ĕ), on her[1] |
§ 466. Atá ocras ar Niall, atá tart ar Nóra. Taḃair deoċ do’n leanḃ, atá tart mór air. Ní ḟuil tart orm anois, fuair mé deoċ uisge ṡíos ag an tobar. An ḃfuil ocras ort? Ní ḟuil, aċt atá tart orm, taḃair deoċ ḋom. A Ḋiarmuid, taḃair an feur so do’n láir, atá ocras uirri. Ní ḟuil tart ar an láir úd, aċt atá ocras ar an asal óg so. Ná cuir ualaċ mór ar an asal úd, atá tuirse air anois, ḃí sé ag an margaḋ agus ualaċ mór coirce ar a ḋruim. An ḃfuil tuirse ort? Suiḋ síos.
§ 467. Atá tuirse orm, I am tired. Leig do sgíṫ (leg dhŭ shgeeh) rest yourself, literally, let (away) your weariness.
Open the door, we are tired; we are coming from Armagh. I am not tired, but there is a pain in my back. John is hungry, Mary is thirsty, Dermot is tired. Nora is sick. I am very hungry (great hunger is on me). Were ye very thirsty yesterday. We were, but we got a drink at that little well. That well is cold and wholesome. Dermot and Teig were in that place yesterday, and they were tired when they came home at (in the) night. Are you tired? I am not tired to-day. I was tired yesterday.
EXERCISE LXXVIII.
§ 468.
| aiṫṁeula (ah′-vael-), regret. | eagla (aGlă), fear. |
| brón (brōn), sorrow. | faitċíos (fat′-hees), fear, Connacht. |
| doilġíos (dhel′-yees), grief. | tinneas (tin′-ăs, sickness. |
| Mo ḃrón (mŭ vrōn), my sorrow, alas. |
