Download files
Complete book:
Individual page:
Thumbnail gallery: Grid view | List view
Part I.] AND ORTHOGRAPHY. 3
are alfo divided into Labials, Palatals^ and Linguals ; fo
named from the organs employed in pronouncing them :
Labials^ b, f, m, p : Palatals, c, g : Linguals^ d, 1, n, r, s, t.
The afpirate h is not included in any of thefe divi-
fions {f).
OF THE SOUNDS OF THE VOWELS (r).
All the vowels are fometimes long, fometimes fhort;
A long vowel is often marked with an accent, efpecially
when the quantity of the vowel determines the meaning
of the words ; as * has' death, ' sail' the heel, ' caraid' a pair,
* ris again, * mo' more, ' Ion* a marjh ; which are diflinguifh-
ed by the accent alone from * bas' the palm of the hand,
' fail' a beam, ' caraid' a friend, ' ris' to^ ' Ion' the elk.
All the vowels, but efpecially the broad ones, have fome-
what of a nafal found when preceded or followed by m, mh,
n, nn. No vowels are doubled in the fame fyllable like
ee, CO, in Englifh. In
mutes and liquids, by the letter m being removed from the class
of liquids to that of mutes. This is not an oversight, but an in-
tentional arrangement ; as the accidents of the letter m are, in
Gaelic, the same with those of th3 mute, not of the liquid conso-
nants. For a like reason, j- is included in the class of liquids.
(^bj Writers, who have touched on this part of Gaelic Gram-
mar, following the Irish grammarians, have divided the conso-
nants further into mutable and immutable. The former name has
been given to consonants which. In writing, have been occasion-
ally combined with the letter h j and the latter name to those
consonants which have not, in writing, been combined with h.
But, in fact, both classes of consonants are alike mutable in their
pronunciation ; and their mutation ought to have been marked In
the orthography, though It has not. This defect in Gaelic or-
thography has been often observed and regretted, though It has
never been corrected. Rather than continue a distinction which
has no foundation in the structure of the language, I venture to
discard the division of mutable and imtnutable consonants, as not
merely useless, but as tending to mislead the learner.
CcJ In explaining the sounds of the letters I have availed
myself of the very correct and acute remarks on this subject,
annexed to the Gaelic Version of the New Test. 1767.
are alfo divided into Labials, Palatals^ and Linguals ; fo
named from the organs employed in pronouncing them :
Labials^ b, f, m, p : Palatals, c, g : Linguals^ d, 1, n, r, s, t.
The afpirate h is not included in any of thefe divi-
fions {f).
OF THE SOUNDS OF THE VOWELS (r).
All the vowels are fometimes long, fometimes fhort;
A long vowel is often marked with an accent, efpecially
when the quantity of the vowel determines the meaning
of the words ; as * has' death, ' sail' the heel, ' caraid' a pair,
* ris again, * mo' more, ' Ion* a marjh ; which are diflinguifh-
ed by the accent alone from * bas' the palm of the hand,
' fail' a beam, ' caraid' a friend, ' ris' to^ ' Ion' the elk.
All the vowels, but efpecially the broad ones, have fome-
what of a nafal found when preceded or followed by m, mh,
n, nn. No vowels are doubled in the fame fyllable like
ee, CO, in Englifh. In
mutes and liquids, by the letter m being removed from the class
of liquids to that of mutes. This is not an oversight, but an in-
tentional arrangement ; as the accidents of the letter m are, in
Gaelic, the same with those of th3 mute, not of the liquid conso-
nants. For a like reason, j- is included in the class of liquids.
(^bj Writers, who have touched on this part of Gaelic Gram-
mar, following the Irish grammarians, have divided the conso-
nants further into mutable and immutable. The former name has
been given to consonants which. In writing, have been occasion-
ally combined with the letter h j and the latter name to those
consonants which have not, in writing, been combined with h.
But, in fact, both classes of consonants are alike mutable in their
pronunciation ; and their mutation ought to have been marked In
the orthography, though It has not. This defect in Gaelic or-
thography has been often observed and regretted, though It has
never been corrected. Rather than continue a distinction which
has no foundation in the structure of the language, I venture to
discard the division of mutable and imtnutable consonants, as not
merely useless, but as tending to mislead the learner.
CcJ In explaining the sounds of the letters I have availed
myself of the very correct and acute remarks on this subject,
annexed to the Gaelic Version of the New Test. 1767.
Set display mode to: Large image | Transcription
Images and transcriptions on this page, including medium image downloads, may be used under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence unless otherwise stated.
Early Gaelic Book Collections > Blair Collection > Elements of Gaelic grammar > (33) |
---|
Permanent URL | https://digital.nls.uk/79040371 |
---|
Description | A selection of books from a collection of more than 500 titles, mostly on religious and literary topics. Also includes some material dealing with other Celtic languages and societies. Collection created towards the end of the 19th century by Lady Evelyn Stewart Murray. |
---|
Description | Selected items from five 'Special and Named Printed Collections'. Includes books in Gaelic and other Celtic languages, works about the Gaels, their languages, literature, culture and history. |
---|