Page:Aids to the Pronunciation of Irish - Christian Brothers.djvu/33

 spirant which is heard, we sometimes refer to as, “a suggestive y sound.” Learners should pay particular attention to these two consonants, because there is a great tendency at present, even with Irish speakers, to drop the true Irish sounds altogether. In Connaught the English sound of “ch” is being substituted for that of slender ; and the sound of “j” for slender ; whilst in many places in Munster an opposite tendency prevails—viz., the substitution of the hard English “t” and “d” for the true Irish slender sounds. This arises from two causes: (1) the direct influence of the English language being spoken so generally throughout the country; (2) from slovenly pronunciation; just as we hear the words “tune” “dew” &c, pronounced by mutterers chune, jew, &c.

(c) Slender in Irish corresponds fairly well with the sound of “sh” in English: shun, shine.

Whenever is followed immediately by  or, in the same word, it does not get its slender sound, but has a sound similar to the English hard “s”: (“some” “same” “saw” &c.)., e.g.—.

In Clare is pronounced slender in all these and similar words.

(d) There is a great tendency in the spoken language to add a “” to verbal nouns ending in “”—e.g., &c. In Munster it is often added to other words ending in “,” e.g., (or ).

C