# Aids to the Pronunciation of Irish/Chapter 9

CHAPTER IX.
Protected Liquids.
Most of this Chapter has reference to Munster pronunciation only.
59. Double l, n, and r (i.e., ll, nn, rr), and single m and ng, when final, or when followed by a consonant, are called “protected liquids.”
Single r is protected when followed by d or l, by n, when the n is followed by a vowel, and by t + a consonant.
Examples: gall, gleann, gallda, gleannta, cam, meallfad, seang, fearr, dearna, iompuiġ. In the foregoing words the under lined liquids are protected. They are not protected in the following words: gleanna, geallaim, cama, teanga, longa, fear, fearra, geal, carn, dorn, &c.
Single m at the end of a word is protected, because our modern single m in such a position was formerly written mm—e.g., cam was formerly written camm, and still earlier camb (cf. English “comb” = cóm).
In the remainder of the book the rules, or portion of rules, printed in heavy type, apply both to Munster and to Connaught.
​In the following examples the words underlined are pronounced alike in Munster and Connaught.
60. Whenever a or ea (both short), occurring in the first syllable of a word is followed by ḂA, ḂR, ḂL, ṀA, ṀR, or by a protected liquid (except r), the a or ea is pronounced “ou”—i.e., like the “ou” in “house” or the “ow” in “how.”
N.B.—ṁ PRODUCES A NASAL DIPHTHONG.
In Dēsi the protected liquids produce a strongly nasal diphthong in the above cases, and the diphthong itself is somewhat like a—ou.
| aḃa | aḃa | aḃaċ | aḃainn | aḃrán |
| am | am | ann | annsa | annsaċt |
| aṁrán | aṁrán | aṁarc | aṁas | aṁastar |
| aṁlaiḋ | aṁlaiḋ | aṁras | blanndar | calltar |
| ball | bantraċt | beann | canncar | ceann |
| caḃair | cam | canntlaċt | claḃra | cleaṁnas |
| ceanntar | ceanntar | ceannsa | dall | dranndal |
| crann | crann | daḃaċ | fallsa | fallsaċt |
| dranntán | dranntán | dream | fealltaċ | franncaċ |
| fann | fann | feall | gaḃaim | gaḃal |
| gaḃa | gaḃa | gaḃann | gall | gallda |
| gaḃar | gaḃar | gaḃlóg | ganndal | geanncaċ |
| gaṁain | gaṁain | gann | geallta | geaṁar |
| geall | geall | geallfad | laḃraim | laḃras |
| laḃair | laḃair | laḃairt | leaḃarlann | mall |
| leaḃar | leaḃarlán | leaḃrán | meaḃal | meaḃlac |
| manntaċ | manntaċ | meaḃair | meallfad | meallta |
| meaḃraċ | meaḃraċ | meall |
| meang | meang | naṁaid | neanntóg | palltóg (or |
| falltóg) | falltóg) | peann | rann | rannṗáirteaċ |
| raṁar | raṁar | reaṁar | ranntaċ | ranntuiġ |
| seaḃac | seaḃac | seang | slaḃraḋ | splannc |
| sleaṁain | sleaṁain | srann | sranntarnaiġ | streanncán |
| steall | steall | teann | teannta | teampall |
(a) In Ulster the group—aḃa (eaḃa) is pronounced like ó—e.g., aḃainn, gaḃa, daḃaċ, leaḃar, aḃrán, seaḃac, taḃair.
(b) In Desmond taḃair is pronounced túir; so also all parts of this verb—e.g., taḃraim=túraim, &c.; but the phrase taḃair ḋom (give me) is pronounced like thrum.
(c) The “ou diphthong” is heard in seanda, seandaċt, and seandraoi; but there is no diphthong in seanduine, seandún, &c.
61. It is only when the a or ea occurs in the accented syllable that the diphthong is produced; hence there is no diphthong in
| capall | molann | milleann | muileann |
| annso (§ 55) | annsan | annsúd |
62. It is only in the first syllable that ḂA, ṀA, ṀN can produce a diphthong. If they occur in any other syllable they produce a long “ú” sound, even though that syllable may get a tonic accent.
| duilleaḃar | maiṫeaṁnas | breiṫeaṁnas |
| biṫeaṁnaċ | ceaṫraṁa | carḃall |
| coguḃas | canaṁain | flaiṫeaṁail |
| laeṫeaṁail | bóraṁa | calaḃar |
| gráineaṁlaċt | maiseaṁla | cailleaṁaint |
(a) In compound words a diphthong may occur in the second syllable—e.g., urlaḃra (pr. oor-loura).
(b) In Munster the ḃ in the termination of the 2nd pers. pl. of the past tense—viz., aḃar is usually pronounced like a “w,” hence the long ú sound is not developed. The final r of this termination, as likewise of that of the 1st pers. pl.— viz., amar is pronounced slender.
(c) In Connaught the adjectival termination, -ṁail is frequently pronounced in two syllables (like, u-wil), but the pronunciation given above is also used.
63. When Ḃ or ṁ is preceded by a liquid, and followed by a broad vowel, the -Ḃ, or -ṁ and the following vowel is pronounced ú.
This really arises from the development of a “helping vowel” between the liquid and the ḃ or ṁ, so that the aspirated letter comes between two vowels, and the resulting sound is ú as in the previous rule. For example—searḃ is pronounced searaḃ; so that searḃas is practically searaḃas, i.e., searús.
| arḃar | arḃar | colḃar | dealḃas | carrḃas |
| cearḃaċ | cearḃaċ | dearṁad | díolṁanaċ | marḃaḋ |
| míorḃuil | míorḃuil | ionṁas | talṁan | ullṁuġ(aḋ) |
| beirḃeaḋ=beiriú. ||||
| mearḃall=mearaṫall; banḃa=banaba. ||||
(a) greannṁar=greannúr, but this is irregular because -ṁar as a termination of an adjective is pronounced like “war” or “u-war”—e.g., ceolṁar, fonnṁar, &e.
64. A short “o” (accented) when followed by a protected l or m, or by ḃ, ḋ, ġ, or ṁ+a vowel or liquid, gets the sound of the diphthong “ou.” ​
| poll | coll | drom |
| roġa | toġa | foḃa |
| boḋar | crom | trom |
| foġluim | foġlaċ | doṁan |
| oḋar | loġa |
also: bronn, bronntanas.
65. The “o” in the following words = ó:—
| foġnaṁ | foġantaċ | rompa | roṁam |
| roṁat | roṁaiinn | foġṁar | toṁas |
and the prefix coṁ-: e.g., coṁursa, coṁairle, coṁrac, coṁráḋ, coṁaireaṁ, coṁnuiḋe, &c. coṁgar=(cóng-gar.)
‘o’ in coṁaċt and coṁaċtaċ = ú or ó.
66. Whenever “o” or “io” (both short), accented, is followed by a protected n or ng the “o” or “io” is pronounced ú or iú in Desmond, and “ou” in Dēsi.
In Connaught the ordinary short sound of “o” or “io” is heard in these words:—
| anonn | bonn | cionn |
| cionntaċ | cionntuiġ | conndae |
| constábla | conntaḃairt | conntaḃartaċ |
| dronn | fionn | fonn |
| fonnsa | iongna (= úna) | ionnfairt |
| ionnlaoġas | ionnraic | ionnsuiġ |
| ionnráiḋte | ionntaḃarṫa | ionntaoiḃ |
| long | lonnraċ | lonnraḋ |
| pionnt | prionnsa | Ó Sgonnláin |
| sprionnlóg | sprionnlaiṫe | sonnraḋaċ |
| tonn | tonnta |
(a) bonn, fonn, fionn are also pronounced like boun, foun, fyoun. Fonn, a desire, inclination = fúnn; fonn; a tune=foun. Cionntaċ is sometimes pronounced ciontaċ (=kyŭnthuk) in Desmond.
67. When aḋ or aġ (accented) is followed by a vowel or consonant the diphthong î is produced, likewise whenever ai accented is followed by a protected liquid, or by ḃ, Ḋ, Ġ, ṁ, + a vowel or liquid the same diphthong is produced.
î =the “i” in “high” “mine” &c, as pronounced in Ireland, except in the north.
| aḋaint | aḋaint | aḋaircín | aḋarc |
| aḋarcóg | aḋarcóg | aḋart | aḋastar |
| aḋnaim | aḋnaim | aḋmad (C. áḋmad) | aḋlacaim |
| aiḃneaċa | aiḃneaċa | aġaiḋ | aiḃne |
| aimsiġ | aimsiġ | aiġneas | aiġṫe |
| aiṁleisceaṁail | aiṁleisceaṁail | aimsir | aiṁleas |
| baḋḃ | baḋḃ | baintreaċ | blaḋm |
| blaḋmannaċ | blaḋmannaċ | caill, caḋan, | caillfead |
| caḋain | caḋain | caḋal | cainnt |
| caillte | caillte | caillteaċ | faġaim (C. |
| claḋaire | faḋb | faġairt | fáġaim) |
| faill (C. aill) | faill (C. aill) | Frainnc | Frainncis |
| gaḋar | gaḋar | gaḋraiḃ | gaiḃne |
| maiḋm | maiḋm | graiḋn | laiġin |
| raġad (C. raċad) | raġad (C. raċad) | mainnséar | raḋarc |
| | | Ó Raġallaiġ | raġainn |
| sainnt | saiḋḃir | saiġdiúir | Taḋg |
| Ṫaiḋg | saiḋḃreas | taiḋḃse | taiḋḃseaċ |
saiḋḃir=sev-ir in Desmond and sîr in Dēsi: maiġistir (= máis-tir), aḋḃar (= aw-war or our).
(a) In Ulster, aḋa and aġa are pronounced like é (sometimes like the German ö)—e.g., aġaiḋ=é-í; aḋarc=é-ŭrc; gaḋar, claḋaire, slaġdán, raḋarc, aḋastar, &c.
(b) In Connaught aiḃne=av=ne, gaiḃne=gav-ne, &c. Aimsir=am-shir, cainnt=kant.
(c) N.B.—When “ai” occurring in the genitive sing. or nom. pl. is followed by a protected liquid the diphthong î is not developed. The sound is í, except in Dēsi and Clare—e.g., caim (cam): crainn (crann); gaill (gall); baill (ball); daill (dall), &c.; saill=saíll.
(d) In Surnames— aḋa=ú: Ó Donnċaḋa, Ó Foġlaḋa, Ó Murċaḋa: also in the words, bunaḋas and bunaḋasaċ (=bunús, bunúsaċ); buaḋa=bú-a; ealaḋa=alaí.
-aḋa the old termination of the plural of nouns of the fourth declension—í. The termination í or aí is now almost universally adopted—e.g., málaí instead of málaḋa.
(e) There is no diphthong in such words as: láġaċ, faġáil, Seaġán, &c, in which one of the a’s is long.
68. When ei (short), in a stressed syllable, is followed by Ḋ, Ġ, ḃ + a vowel or liquid; or by a protected liquid, the diphthong Ei is produced. Ei differs from î in having a little more of an é colour in the beginning of it.
| Eiḃlín | eiḋeann | feiḋil |
| feill | geiḃeann | ġeiḃeann |
| ġeiḃim | ġeiḃir | geiḃleaċ |
| geiḃliġim | greim | leiġeas |
| leiġeasaċ | meiḋir | meiḋg |
| meiḋreaċ | teinn (=tinn) |
(a) The same diphthong occurs in:—éiriġ, éiriġim, éirġe, &c.; deiṁin, deiṁneaċ, deiṁniġṫe, &c.; and sometimes in éist, éisteaċt.
(b) Except when final, éiṁ is usually pronounced í in Desmond, but Ei in Dēsi.
| deiṁeas | geiṁeal | geiṁleaċ |
| reiṁse | reiṁis | geiṁreaḋ |
| sceiṁle | teiṁeal |
(c) In Connaught the ḃ and ṁ in the above words are pronounced like “v”—e.g., Eiḃlín (ev-e-leen), ġeiḃim (like yevim), deiṁin (devin), deiṁeas (devass), geiṁreaḋ (gev-roo), &c.
69. When “u” accented is followed by Ḃ, Ḋ, Ġ, Ṁ, Ṫ, or by a protected liquid, it is lengthened in sound to ú.
| árduġ(aḋ) | ciuṁais | ċuġam (C. ċugam) |
| ċuġat (C. ċugat) | cuṁa | cuṁang |
| cuṁdaċ | cuṁduiġ | cuṫaċ |
| duḃa | duḃairt | duḃras |
| duṫaċas | duṫaiġ | duṫraċt |
| dluṫ | luġa | Mac Cuṁaill |
| mínuġ(aḋ) | i muḋa | siuḃail |
| iuḃar | ruġa | uḃall |
| uḃla | uḋaċt | uġdar |
| uġdarṫás | uġmuiġim | uṁa |
| uṁal | mṁalóid | uṁlaċt |
| urlár | urlais | urnaiġṫe |
The “u” is short in guṫ, sruṫ, tiuġ, (M.=tiuḃ).
70. Ṁ and ġ sometimes cause lengthening of o. A síneaḋ ought not to be written because the “o” is not long naturally, and is not pronounced as ó in some places—e.g., Doṁnall, coṁnuiḋe, foġnaṁ, coṁairle. See list given in § 65. In Dēsi the “o” in these words=ú; and the “o” in roṁam, roṁat, &c.,=diphthong “a—ou.”
71. When ġ, or slender ḃ or ṁ, + a vowel comes immediately after l, n, or r, the aspirated consonant is silent, but produces the sound of í.
| Aonġus | carrġas | coinġeall |
| Ó Conailġe | doilġeas | éirġe |
| feadġail | Fearġus | Ó Fearġusa |
| gainṁe | Gaillṁe | glamġail |
| inḃear | inġean | muinġin |
| muirġin | súirġe |
| beirḃeaḋ=beiriú |||
72. When i, ui or oi (all short), under tonic accent, is followed by a protected liquid, or by Ḋ, ḃ, Ġ + a vowel or liquid, the i is lengthened to í; the “o” and “u” are merely broad glides in Desmond. In Desi the pronunciation is usually î (§ 67).
| binn | buiḋe | buiḋean |
| cill | cinn | cloiḋeaṁ |
| coill | croiḋe | cuiḃe |
| Cuinn | cuiḃeasaċ | cuiḃreaċ |
| cruinn | dliġe | druim |
| duinn | duiḃe | Ó Duiḃir |
| fuinn | fuiġleaċ | fuiḋeaċ |
| fuiġeall | fuinnseog | fill |
| grinn | guiḋe | im |
| impiġ | inntinn | linn (a pool) |
| luim | luiġe | luiġead |
| Muiṁneaċ | muinntir | niṁe |
| niṁneaċ | puimp | rinnce |
| sliġe | suiḋe | Mac Suiḃne |
| soiġead | timċeall | tinn |
| riompe | ruim | Mill |
(a) In the following words “oi” is pronounced î:—roinn, roinnt, doiṁin (dhîng), foiḋinne (fîng-e).
(b) The following pronouns are not lengthened except in poetry:—sinn, linn, againn (accent on second syllable).
73. Protected r never produces a diphthong, but lengthens the preceding vowel.
The following table shows the vowels which are lengthened:—
| a | is lengthened to | á |
| u | „„ | ó |
| ea | „„ | á (first caol vowel) |
| ei | „„ | éi |
| oi | „„ | ói |
| ui | „„ | úi |
| ai | „„ | ái |
| bearna | bearr | bearrṫa |
| barr | bord | buird |
| carnaḋ | ceard | cairde |
| ceirde | corda | carnaim |
| dearna | fearr | feirrde |
| foirne | foirneart | gearr |
| gearrfad | meirleaċ | meirleaċas |
| ord | orduiġ | pardún |
| ṫarla | uird | urla |
| urlais | urnuiġṫe | urlár |
doirse = dóirse in Minister, but not in Connaught.
74. The a and o in ṫársa and ṫórsa (from ṫar) are long; we have written a síneaḋ over the vowels because they are long in Munster and Connaught, and s does not usually protect r—e.g., pearsa, tuirse, ursa, foirse, &c.
A síneaḋ ought not to be written over a vowel that is long by position (especially when long in only one dialect)—e.g., bord, ceard, barr, ord, ought not to be written bórd, ceárd, bárr, órd, because the genitives of bord and ord are buird and uird (cf. cnoc, cnuic; port, puirt; gort, guirt, &c.), whilst the genitives of bórd, órd, should be bóird, óird (cf. spórt, spóirt; brón, bróin; bród, bróid; sról, sróil, &c). Similarly the genitive of ceard is ceirde, not ceáirde. Again, the ​“a” in barr is short when a termination beginning with a vowel is added—e.g., barraiḃ, barra, showing that the “a” is not naturally long in barr.
A still stronger reason for not writing a síneaḋ on a vowel that is long by position is that this vowel may not be pronounced long in other parts of the country. For example: urlár is pronounced úrlár in Munster, but the “u” is not long in Connaught or Ulster; hence Munster writers ought not to mark the “u” long. It may be well to remark here that the spelling of some of the words given in the preceding lists is slightly different from the way in which the words are usually spelled at present. For example: it is now a common practice to omit one of the n’s sainnt, cainnt, muinntir, muinntearḋa, cionntaċ, cionntuiġ, ionntaoiḃ, conntaḃairt, ionnta, &c. This practice ought not to be followed, because “t” does not protect single “n”—e.g. cluintear, cantain, geinte, greanta, &c. The first syllable in cionnta, cionntaċ, muinntir, ionnta, conntaḃairt, &c, is pronounced short in some places, but this should not furnish writers with an excuse for omitting one of the n’s, since the nn is the correct spelling, and moreover the words are pronounced long in other places.
If every writer is to spell his words in accordance with the pronunciation of his own little district, the inevitable result will be that in a few years instead of having a modern literature we shall have a few hundred parochial scrips and scraps that will be read by no one outside the writer’s own parish.
​ 75. The addition of any inflection beginning with a vowel will hinder the formation of a diphthong, or the lengthening of a vowel.
| Diphthong. | No Diphthong. | Diphthong. |
| meall | meallaim | meallta |
| gleann | gleanna | gleannta |
| gall | gallaiḃ | gallda |
| caill | caillim | caillte |
| crom | cromann | cromṫa |
| poll | ṗollas | pollta |
| am | amanta | |
| cam | camaim | camfad |
| geall | geallaim | geallfad |
| Long. | Short. | Long. |
| gearr | gearraim | gearrṫa |
| bearr | bearraḋ | ḃearrfá |
| fearr | fearra | feirrde |
| luing | luingeas | luingséoir |
| coill | coille | coillte |
| fill | fillim | fillfad |
| binn | binne | |
| tonn | tuinne | tonnta |
76. The development of a helping vowel (§ 124) will prevent a diphthong, or a long vowel, being produced,
Donnċaḋ (=Donnaċa); dorċa (=doraċa); bolg (= bolag); guirm (= guirim); luimniġ (=luiminiġ); carn (=carn), &c.
​ 77. A diphthong cannot be developed immediately beside a long vowel.
Diaḃal, bliaḋain, fiaḃras, fiaḋain, diaṁair.
N.B.—The i of ia is always long,=í.
78. A long vowel sound at the end of a word is usually shortened by the addition of a grammatical inflection beginning with a consonant.
| me, mise | dliġe, dliġṫe |
| tu, tusa | scéaluiḋe, scéaluiḋṫe |
| sé, seisean | críostuiḋe, críostuiḋṫe |
| sí, sise | sliġe, sliġe |
| ní, neiṫe | croiḋe, croiḋṫe |
Likewise with the verbal adjectives of verbs ending in iġ: bailiġṫe, malluiġṫe, &c.
* ↑ Sometimes spelled únfairt.
* ↑ Note that the other liquids when protected lengthen the “i” in “oi” and “ui” to í. (§ 72).