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4 OF PRONUNCIATION [Part I.
In almoft all polyfyllables, excepting fome words com-
pounded with a prepofition, the accent falls on the firft fyl-
lable. (d) The o-ther fyllablcs are fhort and unaccented ;
and the vowels in that litnation have, in general, the fame
fhort obfcure found. Hence it happens that the broad
vowels, in thefe fyllables, are often ufed indifcriminately.
There are no quiefcent final vowels.
A
A has three founds.
1 . The firft is both long and fhort ; long, like a in the
Englifh words far, Jiar ; as * àr' Jlaiighter, * ath' a ford,
* gradh' love, * saruich' opprefs : fhort, like a in thai ; as
•^ cath' n battle, * alt' a Joints * abuich' ripe.
2- Both long and fliort, before do and gh. This found
has none like it in Efiglifh. Long ; as ' adhbhar' a caufe,
' adhradh' nvorjiiip : fhort ; as * lagh* a law, * magh' -afield,
* adharc* a horn.
3. Short and obfcure, like e in mother ; as * an, a' the,
* ar' our, * ma' if, and in the plural termination ' a' or * an'.
E
E has three founds.
1 . Both long and fliort .- long, like e in nvherc, there ; as
' è, sè' he, ' rè' during. This e is generally marked with
a grave accent. Short, like e in met ,- as ' le* luith, ' leth*
2. Long -, as ' re' the moon * ce' the earth, ' an de'
yefierday. This e is commonly marked with an acute accent.
3. Short, like e in mother ; as ' duine' a man, * ceann-
uichte' bought. I
(d) If it be thought that this renders the language too mono-
tonous, it may be observed, on the other hand, that it prevents
ambiguities and obscurities in rapid sptaking, as the accent
marks the initial syllable of polysyllables. Declaimers, of ei-
ther sex, have often found their advantage in this circumstance.
In almoft all polyfyllables, excepting fome words com-
pounded with a prepofition, the accent falls on the firft fyl-
lable. (d) The o-ther fyllablcs are fhort and unaccented ;
and the vowels in that litnation have, in general, the fame
fhort obfcure found. Hence it happens that the broad
vowels, in thefe fyllables, are often ufed indifcriminately.
There are no quiefcent final vowels.
A
A has three founds.
1 . The firft is both long and fhort ; long, like a in the
Englifh words far, Jiar ; as * àr' Jlaiighter, * ath' a ford,
* gradh' love, * saruich' opprefs : fhort, like a in thai ; as
•^ cath' n battle, * alt' a Joints * abuich' ripe.
2- Both long and fliort, before do and gh. This found
has none like it in Efiglifh. Long ; as ' adhbhar' a caufe,
' adhradh' nvorjiiip : fhort ; as * lagh* a law, * magh' -afield,
* adharc* a horn.
3. Short and obfcure, like e in mother ; as * an, a' the,
* ar' our, * ma' if, and in the plural termination ' a' or * an'.
E
E has three founds.
1 . Both long and fliort .- long, like e in nvherc, there ; as
' è, sè' he, ' rè' during. This e is generally marked with
a grave accent. Short, like e in met ,- as ' le* luith, ' leth*
2. Long -, as ' re' the moon * ce' the earth, ' an de'
yefierday. This e is commonly marked with an acute accent.
3. Short, like e in mother ; as ' duine' a man, * ceann-
uichte' bought. I
(d) If it be thought that this renders the language too mono-
tonous, it may be observed, on the other hand, that it prevents
ambiguities and obscurities in rapid sptaking, as the accent
marks the initial syllable of polysyllables. Declaimers, of ei-
ther sex, have often found their advantage in this circumstance.
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Early Gaelic Book Collections > Blair Collection > Elements of Gaelic grammar > (34) |
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Permanent URL | https://digital.nls.uk/79040383 |
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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. |
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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. |
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