Books and other items printed in Gaelic from 1871 to 1900 > Elements of Gaelic grammar

6
OF PRONUNCIATION
[Part I,
Ea.
The sound of ea is either made up of the sounds of both
the vowels, or like that of one of them.
1. Made up of (2) e and (1) a: e very short, a long,
as, heann a summit,pinnacle, feall deceit; a short, as, meal to
enjoy, speal a scythe.
Before a Lingual or a Palatal, not quiescent, the a fre¬
quently loses its sound, and only qualifies that of the fol¬
lowing consonant; hence,
2. Like (1) e, long : as, dean do ; short, as, fear a man,
bean a woman.
3. Like (2) e, long: as, easlan sick; short, as, fead
whistle.
After a Lingual or a Palatal, not quiescent, the e loses its
sound, and only qualifies that of the preceding consonant;
hence,
4. Like (1) a, long: as, ceard an artificer ; short, as, geal
white.
5. Like (3) a, short: as, itheadh eating, coireach faulty.
Ei.
The sound of ei is either made up of the sounds of both
the vowels, or like that of e alone.
1. Made up of (1) e and (1) i : e long, i short, as, sgeimh
beauty ; e short, as, meidh a balance.
2. Made up of (2) e and (1) i: e long, i short, as, feidh
d.eer; e short, as, greigh a herd, stud.
Before a Lingual or a Palatal, not quiescent, the i loses
its sound, and only qualifies that of the following consonant;
hence,
3. Like (1) e alone : long, as, meise of a plate.
4. Like (2) c alone: long, as, eigin necessity; short, as,
eich horses.
Eo
The sound of eo is either made up of the sounds of both
vowels, or like that of o alone.