30
AN GAOḊAL.
ċreidsin; aċ ní féidir iad a ṡeunaḋ,
óir tá siad i ḃ-fiaḋnaise go fóill air
leaḃraiḃ dliġe na Sacsan, má's mian
le aonduine ḋul le n-a ḃ-feicsint.
(Le ḃeiṫ leanta)
it; but they cannot be denied for they
are yet in evidence in the law books
of England, if any one wishes to go
see them.
ERRATA.
As we desire to present Father Cun¬
iffe's Lecture to students as a model of
modern Gaelic speech in every form,
we correct a few typographical errors
which escaped the proof-reader's notice
in the last instalment. —
Line
For
Read
24
míoḟorún
míaḟortún.
34
anis
anois.
36
aaḋ
ráḋ.
39 della one of the ag's. Second col¬
umn, line 19 read ṁian for ḃian; line
25 read acu for aċu; line 26 read
iomlán for imlán.
The Gael fovors the modern tenden¬
cy of dropping the 'i' from the simple
preposition air, 'on' and write ar, 'on',
while it (the i) is retained in the
prepositional pronoun air, 'on him'.
THE PRONUNCIATION OF IRISH.
We saw a suggestion from someone in a late issue
of the Irish-American that to preserve the purity
of Irish pronunciation it should be spoken into a
phonograph by a good Irish speaker.
We think that Irish pronunciation has been al¬
ready preserved in the writings of the late Arch¬
bishop McHale. If intelligence and an opportun¬
ity to study and practise any matter or thing be
assumed to assure perfection, then we submit that
the Archbishop possessed these data to an extent
beyond the reach of any man now living. Hence,
if Irish writers of the present day observed the
mode of accenting etc., pursued in his writings,
there would be no fear of the pronunciation; and
also, to bear in mind that the Irish sound is broad
and guttural.
Another matter we would call attention to is, the
indiscriminate use of the accent at the whim of
the writer, and which puzzle the learner. In
Irish grammars and text-books we are given six
long diphthongs, and yet we see some of these ac¬
cented by some writers. Accent cannot lengthen
the sound of long diphthings. Do those persons
under review suppose that they show a superior
knowledge of Irish by violating its rules? Why
don't they take the same liberty with the English
language? Why? we repeat.
Since the Rev. Professor O'Growney's "Simple
Lessons in Irish" have been put in book form we
have read them carefully, and from that reading of
them we are satisfied — as far as we are competent
to judge — that they are the best Irish text-book
for beginners yet published. The pronunciation
of each word is presented in such elaborate, me¬
thodical form that any person who read them
cannot fail to acquire a tolerably correct Irish
pronunciation — as correct as is possible without
hearing the language spoken. No wonder that the
learned Professor's health wanted recuperation
after going through such a mountain of labor.
Professor O'Growney states that
the vowe should not be accented be¬
fore rr in such words as gearr, etc., as
the rr of itself lengthens the sound of
the vowel immediately before it. Also,
that the aspirated d (ḋ) and g (ġ) in
the middle of words, lengthen the
sounds of vowels immediately preced¬
ing them, and therefore, that a of deaġ
the i of buiḋe, tuiġe, etc. should not be
accented. This is an old rule and we
are glad that the learned Professor has
called special attention to it.
The Gael in its infancy printed matter
from students in almost the identical
form in which they sent it in order to
not damp their enthusiasm by any
sensible mutilation of it, but the status
of the Gaelic movement now dictates
a different policy; though we shall be
glad to publish the exertions of learn¬
ers at all times, it will be subject to
such alterations if necessary, as will
make them conform with the suggest¬
sions and rules contained in Professor
O'Growney's Lessons, the Dublin So¬
ciety's books, or Canon Bourke's Easy
Irish Lessons. The deviation from
this purpose will be in regard to Poets
who have at times been accorded cer¬
tain latitudes.
