Page:Aids to the Pronunciation of Irish - Christian Brothers.djvu/11

Rh (6) The Combinations of the Consonants, the Laws of Eclipsis and of Syncope, and, finally, Metathesis are explained.

By following out this method, pronunciation is reduced to a science, and science in this matter, as in all others, holds supremacy.

There is one point to which we desire to direct the attention of teachers, especially those teachers who are native speakers of Irish—viz., that differences of pronunciation do and must exist in every living language. In a living language pronunciation is ever changing, and hence differences of pronunciation between the older and younger generations are not merely possible, but inevitable. Consequently individuals ought not to set up the pronunciation of any particular district as a standard to be followed by the rest of the country.

The Christian Brothers beg to acknowledge their indebtedness to the Rev. Peter O’Leary, P.P., to Messrs. O. J. Bergin, B.A.; John MacNeill, B.A.; Joseph Lloyd, and O’Donoghue, for their kindness in revising the manuscript of the present work, and for the many valuable suggestions offered by them, also to Mr. Ernest Clarke for his drawing of the diagrams, and they take this opportunity of tendering to them their best thanks.