4A
An Gaodhal.
5
VOL. I. — No. 1. OCTOBER, 1881. PRICE, TEN CENTS.
The Gaelic alphabet.
Capital.
Small.
English letter.
Sound.
A
a
a
aw
B
b
b
bay
C
c
c
kay
D
d
d
dhay
E
e
e
ay
F
f
f
eff
G
g
g
gay
I
i
i
ee
L
l
l
ell
M
m
m
emm
N
n
n
enn
O
o
o
oh
P
p
p
pay
R
r
r
arr
S
s
s
ess
T
t
t
thay
U
u
u
oo
The following consonants: b, c, d, f, g,
m, s, p and t sometimes undergo a change
called Aspiration, and are then sounded
thus: bh and mh sounds like w, when pre-
ceded or followed by a, o, u, and like v,
when preceded or followed by e and i;
dh and gh, like y; sh and th, like h ; ch like ch;
ph, like f; fh is mute; dh and gh are silent
at the end of words, and all the other
aspirates are nearly so.
SOUNDS OF THE VOWELS.
The vowels are classified into long and
short, thus:
LONG.
á sounds like
aw in awful, as
bán, white.
é "
a " fate, "
gé, a goose.
í "
ee “ seen, "
mín, fine.
ó "
o " more, "
ór. gold.
ú "
u " sure, "
úr, fresh.
SHORT.
a sounds like
a in what, as
mart, an ox.
" e
e " net, "
uisge, water.
i "
i " pin, "
min, meal.
o "
o “ come, "
cos, foot.
u "
u " full, "
luch, mouse.
The six following diphthongs never
vary in sound, and should be committed
to memory:
ae sounds like
a in ate, as aer, the air.
ao "
ai “ jail, " aol, lime.
eo "
eo " keon, as ceol, music.
eu "
ai " fair, " feur, grass
ia "
ea " fear, " ciar, a comb
ua "
ua " truant " uan, a lamb.
SHORT DIPHTHONGS.
ea sounds like
ea in heart, as
fear, mar
ei "
e " den, "
ceil, hide
io "
i " fin, "
fionn, fair.
iu "
u " pur, "
diur, dark.
oi "
u " shut, "
coir, crime.
ui "
ui " quill, "
fuil, blood,
ai "
ai " wassail "
caill, loss
There are variable diphthongs, so call-
ed because they vary in sound; the ac-
cented vowel takes the leading sound.
FIRST LESSON.
Definitions — Agus, and; am, time; an,
the; bán, white; bás, death; mil, honey;
min, meal; mín, fine; mé, I me; pioghaid,
a magpie; fada, long; cnadán, frog; a;
his, her, their, who, which; mór, large ;
sé, he, it; sí, she, her; siad, they them;
sibh, ye, you; sinn, we, us ; tá, am, art, is,
are; tú, thou; úr, fresh; uan, a lamb; ní,
not; ursa, a prop; lá, a day; im, butter
bord, a table; air, on, cuir, put; ann, in
