The Irish republic. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1867-18??, 1867-06-01


times with This may be thought by people speaking
Saxon, all prime nonsense, and nothing than dis
tncon without difference Very likely untutored savage
would also fail perceive any difference between the
nous of the winds and and the exquisite adences
evoked from the most perfect musical instrument 1t this
which distinguishes languages of Celtic from those of
Germanc or origin All nations have of course
different and peculiar ideas about euphony but it will be
found TO be general rule that all polished nations prefer vowel
sounds to of and Glide modify hard
nants much possible and as often as possible The
French language furnishes with complete illustration of
this There is doubt that all the mute consonants in
modern French fully pronounced when the language
in less perfect state than at present At one time the French
said we'll Us aaio pronouncng every letter Al
though French founded almost altogether Latin and is
the original language of the French people, yet they tried
assmate their old language much possible Take
the two words m6e There nothing more evident than
that they the Latin words paer mosr transposed But
how the French have pruned them down by emitting the
in 1oSr and the in pa thereby making the sound much
euphonous The unbendng and logged pronunciation
of rugged consonants in every situation strong proof that
those who first spoke English and German barbarous
people, least that their ideas of euphony if they had
ideas at all the subject, formed rather strange
basis There hardly doubt that the German language
is rough to-day thousand years ago. at least
every in it still fully sounded No sacrifice is
made the sake of sound 1t is nearly similar Eng
where the requirements of euphony have been permitted
make any alteration and that is in the word milk People
generally say mich avoid the harsh sounds of and
hard coming together
Whatever changes modern languages may sometimes make
in the examinations of of them have nerfered
with the initial letters but those belonging the Celtic family
This change has been carried far that makes the study of
Welsh and Gaelic very puzzbg to the learner He will how
ever be amply repaid for his trouble by having field of
pathological studies opened and by having ideas impressed
him about the laws which the changes of languages
AS have said BEFORE the Welsh do spell their language
phosophcally the Irish This is the opinion of of
the most eminent phioogss and the Rev. Mr. Bourke of
Tuam, author of Easy Lessons in rh "a work that should
be in the hands of every DESTROYS of learning Gaecsays
By of aspiration and elpsis in Irish the varying
sounds of mutabe consonants clearly noted while at the
time the radical varyng spelling of each word is
strictly preserved From the of this system of nota
ton for the variable cononan the Welsh have in changing
the with every successive mutation of sound sadly
destroyed the photography of their language and rendered its
etymoogy puzzle" The meaning of the above quotation
may be made clear by the following comparison of the
Irish and Welsh methods ofspeng words whose initial letters
undergo change in sound under certain circumstances:
hih Welsh. Euqlsh
Car FOCUS Car agos near friend
A char Ri gar His friend.
car Ri char Her friend.
Ar gear Wy nghar Our friend.
From the foregoing example the difference in the system of
spelling adopted in both languages will be easily In Irish
the radical initial letter changes The word end
begins phoneticay sometimes with sometimes with and
sometimes with but will be that the initial radical
letter. Arrays retained the changes sound being shown
the panest and most philosophical by the letters
pexed to- and Immediately following the initial letter. Thus,
pronounced simply it is spelled but char is pro-
nounced hor the being aspraed by the and gear
gar the being ecpsed by the prefxed but
separated from the radical letter by hyphen In the Welsh,
the clumsest and most uncenfc system adopted system
which destroys the foundation of the language by render
ing it almost impossible the origin of words which
hardly be done unless clue the radical letter be
found There can be stronger proof against the antiquity
of Welsh literature than the which the language is