Blair Collection > Elements of Gaelic grammar

Part I.] AND ORTHOGRAPHY.
OF THE P0AVJ:H3 OF THE CONSONANTS.
The iimple powers of the confonants differ not mvjch
from their powers in Enghfli. Thofe called mediae by the
writers on Greek grammar, viz, b, d, g, approach nearer in
force to the correfponding tenues p, t, c, than they do in
Engl i Hi.
In accented fyllables, where, If the vocal found be fliort,
the voice neceflarily refts on the fubfequent articulation ; the
confonants, though written fingle, are pronounced with the
fame degree of force as when written double in Englilh ; as
' bradan' a fahnv/i, ' cos' the foot ; pronounced ' braddan,
cofs.' No confonants are written double except /, «, r. xj
A propensity to afpiration is a confpicuous feature irt the
Gaelic tongue, (g) The afpirating of a confonnnt has
been ufually marked, in the Irifli dialecl, by a dot over the
letter afpirated ; in the Scottifli dialecl, by writing h after it.
All the confonants have their found changed by being af-
pirated ; and the eftejSl is different on different confonants.
In fome cafes the articulation is changed, but ftill formed
by the fame organ. In othersj the articulation is formed
by a different organ. In others, the h alone retains its
power. And fometimes both the h, and the confonant to
which it is fubjoined, become entirely quiefcent.
In treating of the confonants feparatcly, it will be conve-
nient to depart a little from the alphabetical order of the
letters, and to confider firft the Labials, next the Palatals,
and laftly the Linguah,
LABIALS.
(g) This propensity is seen in the aspirating of consonants in
Gaelic words, which have an evident afnr.ity to words in other
mgiiages, where the same consonants are not so aspirated. The
jllowing list will sufficiently illustrate and confirm the truth of
'lis remark.
Greek.