Books and other items printed in Gaelic from 1841 to 1870 > Double grammar, of English and Gaelic, in which the principles of both languages are clearly explained

ORTHOGRAPHY.
LITIREACHADH. 29
.same class, i.e. both broad
or both small; as,
smid a bhi dhe ’n aon
seorsa, i.e. araon leathan no
caol; mar,
caileag, a girl; feorag, a squirrel.
It would be false ortho¬
graphy to write words
thus
Bhitheadh e ’na fhocal-
achadh breugach focail a
sgriobhadh mar so
cailag, feor-eag, cui-lag, lur-eag, cir-adh, barreadh.
Obs—The application of this rule, which is borrowed from
the Irish, softens the harsh sounds of consonants, and gives a
mellow sound to the language, but in many instances its use might
be set aside, for it is by a strict observance of it that so many
diphthongs are used in words where a single vowel is sufficient to
express the vocal sound. And it interferes materially with the
primitive simplicity and purity of the language. However, any
material deviation from this mode of spelling in the system of or¬
thography now established would introduce much confusion and
inconvenience.
The following are in¬
stances of Gaelic words in
which the letters a, e, i, o,
f, gh, m, t, s are silent, or
very faintly heard.
Is iad na samplairean a
leanas focail Ghaelig amis
a bheil na litrichean a, e, i,
o, f, gh, m, t, s samhach, no
iar an cluinntinn gle fhann.
Peasair, pease ; cuileag, a fly ; faittteadaireachd, pro¬
phecy ; biodag, a dirk ; thugaibh, give ye ; on/Aadh,
raging of the elements ; caimean, a mote ; leintean,
shirts ; sheinn, did sing ; caisdeal, a castle ; n oth, to
freeze ; saip/idear, a soldier.
Rules for spelling English
words.
E is the principal final
vowel in Enghsh.
1. E final is always silent, ex¬
cept in a few words of foreign
origin ; as,
2,. E sounded at the end of a
word is generally doubled; as.
epitome, synecdoche, simile.
Rialtan gu Cubadhfhocail
Bheurla.
Is i e a phriomh fhuaim-
rag dheiridh 'sa Bheurla.
1- Tha e deireannach a ghna
samhach, ach ann am beagan
fhocail o stoc coimheach; mar,
2. Tha e fuaimichte aig deir-
eadh focail gu cumanta dubuilt;
mar,
see, tree, free, donee ; except the, be, me, he, we, ye, she.