Well Jim,
I like that explanation. It recalls to some extent the background of the
/séimhiú /or lenition in Irish Gaeli/c - //Gaeilge/ - a very, very old
language. The 'h' is not part of the Irish alphabet, which helps to
explain in part, the difficulty in pronunciation of Irish Gaelic.
In Irish, the /séimhiú/ is used to soften the sound of the letter and
in old Irish was represented by a 'dot' over the consonant. This can be
seen in the Book of Kells, for instance. The dot became difficult to
reproduce when printing became common so a letter, which isn't otherwise
used in Irish, the 'h', was used. The /séimhiú /is applied to consonants
and is a bit like the accents used in many languages to modify the sound
of letters - usually a vowels.
To take an example, the 'b', which in /Gaeilge /normally sounds like the
English 'b' or 'b-yah' (depending on whether it's sandwiched between
broad or slender vowels) becomes, when lenited as in 'bh', a 'w' or 'v'
sound (depending on whether it's sandwiched between broad or slender
vowels). Or the 'f', which sounds like the English 'f' or 'f-yah'
(depending on whether it's sandwiched between broad or slender vowels),
becomes silent when the /séimhiú /is added as in 'fh'.
//
Trying to read modern Irish, especially out loud, can be trying for the
novice.
Thanks for the reference.
Gordon
BTW, can anyone on this list speak /Gaeilge/ ? Ulster Gaelic /- Gaeilge
Uladh/ - is still common in parts of Donegal.
//
On 13/05/2020 7:11 pm, Jim McKane via CoTyroneList wrote:
Well, I was very surprised at the correct answer............
https://blog.eogn.com/2020/05/12/how-do-you-pronounce-ye-2/
Enjoy!
Jim McKane
Kitchener, Ontario
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