AN GAODHAL.
777
FIRST LESSONS IN GAELIC.
The GAEL having received an unusual¬
ly large number of new subscribers du¬
ring the last two months, [thanks to
our brethren of the press, who kindly
noticed it], we shall repeat the rudi¬
mentary lessons for their benefit, and
will continue to do so. Let those who
would object remember that the mission
of the Gael is, to instruct.
THE GAELIC ALPHABET.
Irish.
Roman.
Sound.
Irish.
Roman.
Sound.
a
a
aw
m
m
emm
b
b
bay
n
n
enn
c
c
kay
o
o
oh
d
d
dhay
p
p
pay
e
e
ay
r
r
arr
f
f
eff
s
s
ess
g
g
gay
t
t
thay
i
i
ee
u
u
oo
l
l
ell
Bh and mh sound like w when followed
or preceded by a, o, u, as, a bhárd, his
bard, pronounced a wardh; a mhart,
his beef or ox, pronounced, a warth;
and like v when preceded by e, i, as,
a bhean, his wife, pronounced, a van, a
mhian, his desire, pronounced, a vee-un
Dh and gh sound like y at the beginning
of a word; they are almost silent in
the middle, and perfectly so at the end
of words. Ch sounds like ch; ph, like f;
sh and th, like h ; and fh is silent.
Sound of the Vowels — long. —
á sounds like
a in war, as
bárr, top.
é " "
e " ere, "
céir, wax.
í " "
ee " eel, "
mín' fine.
ó " "
o " old, "
ór, gold.
ú " "
u " rule, "
úr, fresh.
Short. —
a " "
a in what,
as, gar, near.
e " "
e " bet,
" bebh, died,
i " "
i " ill;
" mil, honey
o " "
o " got,
" lot, wound.
u " "
u " put,
" rud, thing.
Exercise 1
(The pronunciation under each word)
agus, and.
aug-us (the ua short).
am, time.
aum (the au short)
an, the [singular]
aunn (au short)
at, a swelling.
oth (the o as in got)
ba, cows.
bah (the b as in bought)
bán, white.
bawn (the b as in bought)
dall, blind.
dho-ull (the dh as th in tho')
dán, a poem; destiny.
dhawn (dh as th in though)
fada, long,
fadhah.
gas, a stalk.
gauss (au short)
glas, green.
gloss
lá, a day.
lhaw (the I guttural)
mac, a son.
mock
mall, slow, late.
mo-ullh (in one syl.)
na, the (plural).
nhau (au short)
tá, am, art, is, are
thaw
1 an mac. 2 an lá. 3 na ba. 4 am
agus lá. 5 dall agus mall. 6 glas
agus bán- 7 at bán. 8 dán fada. 9 tá
an gas glas. 10 tá an lá fada.
Translation.
1 The son. 2 the day. 3 the cows. 4 time
and day. 5 blind and slow. 6 green and white.
7 a white swelling. 8 a long poem. o the stalk
is green. 10 the day is long.
Exercise 2
cré, clay
kray (the k liquid)
é or shé, he, it.
a (as in English)
gé, a goose.
gay
glé, pure.
glay
le, with-
lay
mé, I. me.
may
sé, he, it.
shay
spré, a dowry.
spray (spr very liquid
1 cré agus spré. 2 An spré. 3 gé
bán. 4 le spré. 5 gé agus cré. 6 mé
agus sé. 7 tá mé. 8 tá sé. 9 tá cré
glé, 10 mé agus sé agus an spré.
1 Clay and a dowry. 2 the dowry. 3 a white
goose. 4 with a dowry. 5 a goose and clay. 6
I and he. 7 I am. 8 he is. 9 clay is pure. 10
I and he and the dowry.
Exercise 3
í, she, her.
ee (or as the e in me)
im, butter.
im (as the im in him)
inn, we, us,
inn (the nn as in in(g) )
is, is, are.
iss (the ss as in hissing)
mil, honey.
mill
min, meal,
min (as min in mineral)
mín, fine.
meen (as the word mean
ní, not.
nhee (the n nasal)
sí, she,
she (the Eng. sound)
sinn, we,
shinn (nn * nasal)
tinn, sick.
thi-inn (in one sound)
lán, full.
lhawn ( l lisping)
* This sound is heard in the ng of mignonette.
