PRONUNCIATION
REVIEW
The sound for slender "g" in English resembles the
English sound for "g" in the words "give" and "get",
except that the Irish sound is pronounced with the
point of the tongue lower in the mouth and with the
sides of the tongue pressed against the upper back
teeth. The slender sound occurs when the nearest vowel
in the word is "e" or "i". Examples of slender "g"
at the beginning of a word:
geit (get), a sudden start; géar (gyay*r),
sharp; gearr (gyahr), short; geoin (GYOH-in), noise;
gile (GIL-e), whiteness; giúis (GYOO-ish),
pine tree; gleic (glek), contest; glé (glay*),
bright; glic (glik), clever; gleann (gloun), glen.
gleacaíocht (GLAK-ee-ohk*t), physical exercise;
gleo (gloh), noise; gliúmáil (GLOO-maw*-il),
fumbling; gné (gnay), species; gníomhaire
(GNEEV-uh-re), agent; greim (grem), a bite; gréasaí
(GRAY*-see), shoemaker; gread (grad), thrash; grian
(GREE-uhn), sun.
You will notice that in some of the words above, you
tend to add an additional (i) sound after the (g),
as in "gréasaí".
Examples of slender "g" inside or at the end of a
word:
cigire (KIG-i-re), inspector; figiúr (fig-YOOR),
figure; ligim (LIG-im), I allow; léigear (LAY*-guhr),
siege; smig (smig), chin; meirg (MER-ig), rust; oifig
(IF-ig), office; seilg (SHEL-ig), hunt.
Note that the combination "ng" has its own sound;
the (g) sound rarely follows it. "Pingin", a penny,
is (PING-in), not (PING-gin).
When a slender "g" at the beginning of a word is aspirated,
as in "géag" (GAY*-uhg), arm; "mo ghéag"
(muh YAY*-uhg), my arm, the sound is very close to
English (y), but there should be a trace of (g) in
it, too. Examples, some of which are difficult to
pronounce at first, are:
an ghé (un YAY*), the goose; ghearr sé
(YAHR shay*), he cut; bean ghlic (ban ylik), a clever
women.
If aspirated inside a word, slender "g" may have an
(eye) sound:
oighear (EYE-uhr), ice; leigheas (leyes), medicine,
remedy.
GRAMMAR
A few final pointers on comparative and superlative
usage before we continue to other topics. The phrases
"níos láidre" (nees LAW*-dre) and "is
láidre" (is LAW*-dre) can serve in simple sentences
to indicate that something is "stronger" or "strongest".
The form is:
Feicim an fear is láidre (FEK-im un far is
LAW*-dre), I see the strongest man.
Tabhair dom ceann níos láidre (TOO-ir
duhm kyoun nees LAW*-dre), Give me a stronger one.
In the past, the forms change slightly:
Chonaic sé an fear ba láidre (k*uh-NIK
shay* un far buh LAW*-dre), He saw the strongest man.
Fuair sé ceann níba láidre (FOO-ir
shay* kyoun NEE-buh LAW*-dre), He got a stronger one.
If an adjective begins with a vowel or "f" before
a vowel, the past forms contain "ab" or "nib", as
in:
óg,
young: ab óige, níb óige; (ahb
OH-i-ge, neeb OH-i-ge); maith, good: ab fhearr, níb
fhearr (ahb AHR, neeb AHR).
Examples of sentences with these forms:
Chuala sé an scéal ab aosta (K*OO-uh-luh
shay* un shkay*l ahb AY*S-tuh), He heard the oldest
story.
Shuigh sé ar an stól ab ísle
(hee shay* er un stohl ahb EESH-le), He sat on the
lowest stool.
Bhí mé ar an traein níb fhaide
(vee may* er tray*n neeb A-de), I was on the longer
train.
Tháinig sí ar an lá ab fhuaire
(HAW*-nig shee er an law* ahb OO-i-re), She came on
the coldest day.
Bhí duine níb oilte uainn (vee DIN-e
neeb IL-te WOO-in), We wanted a more skilled person.
VOCABULARY
Masculine Nouns
féilire (FAY*-li-re), calendar; iasc (EE-uhsk).
an t-iasc, fish; gnó (gnoh), business; paiste
(PAHSH-te), patch; sort (sohrt), sort, kind
Feminine Nouns
móin, an mhóin (MOH-in, un VWOH-in),
turf, peat; litir (LI-tir), letter; páirc,
an pháirc (paw*rk, un faw*rk), grassy field,
park
aibí (A-bee), ripe; múinte (MOO-in-te),
polite; ceanúil (kan-OO-il), loving, fond;
slán (slaw*n), safe
DRILL
Form Irish sentences from these elements:
We got: a better calendar; the best calendar.
They bought: wetter turf; the wettest turf.
I read (past): a longer letter; the longest letter.
Did you ever see: the younger girl; the youngest girl?
Where was: a dryer field; the dryest field?
They asked him for: the ripest apple; a riper apple.
Key:
Fuaireamar féilire níb fhearr (FOO-ir-uh-muhr
FAY*-li-re neeb ahr); fuaireamar an féilire
ab fhearr (ahb ahr).
Cheannaigh siad móin níba fhliche (HYAN-ee
SHEE-uhd MOH-in NEE-buh LI-hye).
Leigh mé litir níb fhaide (lay* may*
LI-tir neeb A-de); leigh mé an litir ab fhaide
(ahb A-de).
An bhfaca tú riamh an cailín níb
óige? (un VAHK-uh too reev un kah-LEEN neeb
OH-i-ge); an bhfaca tú riamh an cailín
ab óige?
Cá raibh páirc ní ba thirime?
(kaw* rev paw*rk NEE-buh HIR-i-me); cá raibh
an pháirc ba thirime? (un faw*rk buh HIR-i-me).
D'iarr siad an t-úll ab aibí air (deer
SHEE-uhd un tool ahb A-bee er); d'iarr siad úll
níb aibí air (ool neeb A-bee er).
(c)
1998 The Irish People. May be reprinted with credit.
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