PRONUNCIATION
REVIEW
You should be familiar now with the difference between
broad and slender sounds in Irish, especially at
the start of words. You must practice pronouncing
them when they are inside or at the end of words,
too, if you are to develop a proper "blas" (blahs),
or accent.
Some English words will illustrate this. The word
"epic" has a slender "c", while the word "epoch"
has a broad "c". Note the difference. Now try these
Irish pairs:
meirg (MER-ig), rust dearg (DYAR-ruhg), red
béic (bay*k), scream blaosc (blay*sk), skull
léic (lay*k), a failing leac (lak), flagstone
big (big), a form of "beag" beag (byuhg), small
circe (KIR-ke), of a hen Corcaigh (KOHR-kee), Cork
gairid (GAH-rid), short carad (KAHR-uhd), of a friend
"Corcaigh"
tends toward (KOHR-kwee). You will hear the differences
in sounds clearly in the speech of cainteoirí
dúchais (keyen-TYOHR-ee DOOK*-ish), or native
speakers of Irish.
GRAMMAR
"Déantar
anseo é" (DAY*N-tuhr un-SHUH ay*) means "It
is made here." This free form (called "saorbhriathar"
(say*r-VREE-huhr) or "free verb" in Irish) can be
put into the negative and question form, too, and
into direct speech. In the negative:
Ní dhéantar anseo é (nee YAY*N-tuhr
un-SHUH ay*), It is not made here.
Ní osclaítear an siopa roimh a deich
a chlog (nee OH-sklee-tuhr un SHOHP-uh rev uh de
uh k*luhg), The store is not opened before ten o'clock.
In the negative, "ní" aspirates the initial
consonant if possible.
For the question:
An ndéantar in Éirinn é? (un
NAY*N-tuhr) in AY*R-in ay*), Is it made in Ireland?
An óltar mórán bainne i gCeanada?
(un OHL-tuhr muh-RAW*N BAHN-ye i GAN-uh-duh), Is
much milk drunk in Canada?
"An"
eclipses the first consonant of the free form, if
possible. "Nach" and "go" also eclipse:
Nach ndéantar sa Ghearmáin é
(nahk* NAY*N-tuhr suh YAR-maw*-in ay*), Isn't it
made in Germany?
Sílim (SHEEL-im) go ndéantar sa Ghearmáin
é; I think that it is made in Germany.
Is dócha go ndeirtear in Éirinn é
sin (is DOHK*-uh goh NER-tuhr in AY*R-in ay* shin),
It's probable that that is said in Ireland.
Dúirt Séamas go bhfeictear go minic
í (DOO-irt SHAY*-muhs goh VEK-tuhr goh MIN-ik
ee), James said that she is seen often.
VOCABULARY
Masculine nouns
Meicsiceo (MEK-shi-koh), Mexico; Sasana (SAH-suh-nuh),
England; Béarla (BAY*R-luh), English (language)
Feminine
nouns
an Fhrainc (un RANK), an Ghearmáin (un YAR-maw*-in),
Germany; Ceanada (KAN-uh-duh), Canada; an Spáinn
(un SPAW*-in), Spain; an Iodáil (un i-DAW*-il),
Italy; Albain (AHL-uh-bin), Scotland; teanga (TANG-uh),
language; Fraincis, an Fhraincis (FRANK-ish, un
RANK-ish), French (language); Gearmáinis,
an Ghearmáinis (GAR-maw*-nish, un YAR-maw*-nish),
German (language); Spáinnis, an Spáinnis
(SPAW*-nish), Spanish (language); Iodáilis,
an Iodáilis (i-DAW*-lish), Italian (language)
thar lear (huhr lar), abroad
múinim, ag múineadh (MOO-in-im, uh
MOO-in-uh), teach, instruct
craolaim, ag craoladh (KRAY*-lim, uh KRAY*-luh),
broadcast
clóim, ag cló (KLOH-im, uh KLOH),
print
clónn sé (klohn shay*), he prints
uaireanta (OO-i-ran-tuh), sometimes, now and again
de ghnáth (de GNAW*), generally
go hannamh (goh HAHN-uhv), rarely
DRILL
(Cleachtadh (KLAK*-tuh))
Form questions and answers according to this example:
Cén teanga a labhraítear i Siceágo?
(kay*n TANG-uh uh LOU-ree-tuhr i shi-KAW*-goh),
what language is spoken in Chicago. Labhraítear
Béarla i Siceágo. An labhraítear
an Spáinnis i Siceágo? Ní labhraítear
ann í (oun ee)
Work with these groups:
Éire
(AY*-re); Gaeilge (GAY*-lig-e); an Iodáilis.
Meicsiceo; an Spáinnis; an Ghearmáinis.
An Fhrainc; an Fhraincis; Béarla.
An Ghearmáin; an Ghearmáinis; an Iodáilis.
An Iodáil; an Iodáilis; Gaeilge.
Ceanada; Béarla agus an Fhraincis; an Ghearmáinis.
KEY: Cén teanga a labhraítear in Éirinn?
(in AY*R-in); labhraítear Gaeilge in Éirinn;
an labhraítear an Iodáilis in Éirinn?
ní labhraítear ann í.
Cén teanga a labhraítear i Meicsiceo?
labhraítear an Spáinnis i Meicsiceo;
an labhraítear an Ghearmáinis i Meicsiceo?;
ní labhraítear ann í.
Cén teanga a labhraítear sa Fhrainc?
(suh RANK); labhraítear an Fhraincis sa Fhrainc;
an labhraítear Béarla sa Fhrainc?;
ní labhraítear ann í.
Cén teanga a labhraítear sa Ghearmáin?
(suh YAR-maw*-in); labhraítear an Ghearmáinis
sa Ghearmáin; an labhraítear an Iodáilis
sa Ghearmáin?; ní labhraítear
ann í.
Cén teanga a labhraítear i gCeanada?
(i GAN-uh-duh); labhraítear Béarla
agus an Fhraincis i gCeanada; an labhraítear
an Ghearmáinis i gCeanada? ní labhraítear
ann í.
Combine the words "múin", "craol", and "clóigh"
("clóitear" is the free form) with the languages
in the Vocabulary and with "uaireanta", "de ghnáth",
and "go hannamh" to form sentences containing the
free form. For example: Craoltar an Ghearmáinis
uaireanta in Albain (KRAY*L-tuhr un YAR-maw*-nish
OO-i-ran-tuh in AHL-uh-bin), German is broadcast
sometimes in Scotland.
(c)
1998 The Irish People. May be reprinted with credit.
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