Pronunciation
Review
In the letter group "io", the "i" is often the letter
pronounced, the "o" merely indicating that the next
consonant has its broad sound. Some examples:
fios (fis), knowledge; crios (kris), belt; giota
(GI-tuh), piece; bior (beer), point; ciorcal (KEER-kuhl),
circle; síol (sheel), seed.
In other cases, the "o" is pronounced instead of
the "i". Examples: siopa (SHOP-uh), store; liom
(luhm), with me; pioc (pyuhk), a bit. This occurs
when the "io" is in an accented syllable and is
followed by "c, g, ng, b, p, f, m".
If the "i" has a sineadh over it, then the "ío"
group receives the (ee) sound, as in: fíor
(FEE-uhr), true; bíoma (BEE-muh), a beam.
Pronunciation
Exercise
Read this aloud, phrase by phrase. Do not try to
get the meaning. After reading it, look at the key
directly following the exercise to verify your pronunciation.
Bhí cónaí ar roinnt teaghlach
ansin -- le linn an chorónaithe. Théadh
Seán timpeall -- go dtí na tithe sa
chomharsanacht -- agus is minic daoine ag fiafraí
conas a tharla é sin. Nuair a thug sé
cuairt uirthi -- d'fhan an díon ar an séipéal
-- tar éis bunú na scoileanna móra.
An tslí ar sheasadar leis an teanga Ghaeilge
-- trí dhánta ardchaighdeáin
a chumadh inti.
Key: vee KOHN-ee er rint TEYE-luhk* un-SHIN -- le
ling uh k*uh-ROHN-uh-hee. HAY*-uhk* shaw*n TIM-puhl
-- goh DEE nuh TEE-huh suh K*OH-uhr-suhn-uhk*t --
AH-guhs is MIN-ik DEEN-uh uh FEE-uhr-ee KUN-uhs
uh HAHR-luh ay* shin. NOO-ir uh HUG shay* KOO-irt
IR-ee -- DAHN un DEE-uhn er un SHAY*-pay*l -- tahr
AY*SH BUN-oo nuh SKUHL-uh-nuh MOR-uh. un TLEE er
HAS-uh-duhr lesh un TANG-uh GAY*-lig-e -- tree GAW*N-tuh
AHRD-heye-DAW*-in uh K*UM-uh IN-tee.
Grammar
To show that a person owns something, we use forms
like "carr Sheáin" (kahr HYAW*-in), John's
car. To show a less close connection, similar to
"Dublin harbor" or "harbor of Dublin", the form
is "cuan Bhaile Átha Cliath" (KOO-uhn vlaw*
KLEE-uh). The initial consonant in the second word
is usually aspirated, if it can be. Other examples:
muintir Shéamais (MWIN-teer HAY*-mish), James's
people.
oibrithe Dhoire (IB-ri-he GER-e), Derry workers.
sráideanna Chorcaí (SRAW*D-yuh-nuh
K*OHR-kee), Cork's streets.
To say "the mailman's hat", the Irish form is "hata
fhear an phoist" (HAH-tuh ar uh FWISHT), which is
literally "hat of the man of the mail". "The boatman's
house" becomes "teach fhear an bháid" (TAHK*
ar uh VWAW*-id).
Notice that the word "fear" in these expressions
stays in the nominative form instead of changing
to "fir," the genitive form.
The compound prepositions can take similar forms.
An example: "os comhair dhoras an tséipéil"
(ohs KOH-ir GUH-ruhs uh TAY*-pay*l), in front of
the chapel door.
Another example: "in aice leabhar Sheáin"
(in AK-e LOU-uhr HYAW*-in), near John's book.
Vocabulary
These are first-declension nouns, all ending in
broad consonant and all masculine.
úll,
an t-úll (un TOOL), an úill (un-OO-il),
na húlla; apple, the apple, of the apple,
the apples.
frog, an frog (un FROHG), an fhroig (un RIG), na
froganna (nuh FROHG-uh-nuh); frog, etc.
sort, an sort (un SOHRT), an tsoirt (uh TOH-irt),
na soirt; sort, etc.
muineál, an muineál (un MWIN-aw*l),
an mhuiníl (uh VWIN-eel), na muiníl;
neck, etc.
oigheann, an t-oigheann (un TEYE-uhn), an oighinn
(un EYE-in), na hoighinn; oven, etc.
méaracán, an méaracán
(un MAY*R-uh-kaw*n), an mhéaracáin
(uh VAY*R-uh-kaw*-in), na méaracáin;
thimble, etc.
poll, an poll (un POUL), an phoill (un FWIL), na
poill (nuh PWIL); hole, the hole, of the hole, the
holes.
samhradh, an samhradh (un SOU-ruh), an tsamhraidh
(uh TOU-ree), na samhraí (nuh SOU-ree); summer,
etc.
iarann, an t-iarann (un TEER-uhn), an iarainn (un
EER-in), na hiarainn; iron, etc.
glór, an glór (un GLOHR), an ghlóir
(uh GLOH-ir), na glórtha (nuh GLOHR-huh);
voice, etc.
gual, an gual (un GOO-uhl), an ghuail (uh GOO-il),
ญญ; coal, etc.
taobh, an taobh (un TAY*V), an taoibh (uh TEEV),
na taobhanna (nuh TAY*V-uh-nuh); side, etc.
Drill
Cuir Gaeilge ar na habairtíní seo
leanas (hah-bir-TEEN-ee shuh LAN-uhs), put Irish
on these phrases following:
filling the hole, filling a hole
listening to the man's voice
the coal bucket; filling the coal bucket
the summer's day
the door key; near the door key
collecting the thimbles
eating an apple; eating my apple; eating our apples
drive the car; driving the car; driving the cars
a kind of frog; a kind of oven; what kind of man?
Key
to the above: ag líonadh an phoill (uh
LEE-uhn-uh uh FWIL); ag líonadh poill (PWIL)
ag éisteacht le glór an fhir (eg AY*SH-tyahk*t
le GLOHR un IR)
buicéad an ghuail (bwi-KAY*D uh GOO-il);
ag líonadh buicéad an ghuail
lá an tsamhraidh
eochair an dorais (OHK*-hir uh DUH-rish); in aice
eochair an dorais.
ag bailiú na méaracán
ag ithe úill (eg I-he OO-il); ag ithe mo
úill; ag ithe ár n-úll (aw*r
NOOL)
tiomáin an carr (ti-MAW*-in un KAHR); ag
tiomáint an chairr (uh ti-MAW*NT uh K*AHR);
ag tiomáint na gcarranna (nuh GAHR-uh-nuh)
sort froig; sort oighinn; cé'n sort fhir?
Note:
"of our apples" is "ár n-úll:,
but "of the cars" is "na gcarranna". "Úll"
in the plural ends in " ----a", so the genitive
plural is the same as the nominative singular. "Carr"
ends in " ----anna" in the plural, so its genitive
plural ending is the same: "----anna."
(c)
1999 The Irish People. May be reprinted with credit.
|