Page:Alexander Macbain - An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language.djvu/35

Rh

A succeeding u affects only i or e; it is a mutation which does not now operate. Thus fiodh comes from *vidu- (O. Ir. fid); bior from *beru (O. Ir. bir); sliochd from slektu‑; cionn from the dat. *cennū, from *cennō.

The representation in Gaelic of the I. E. vowels is very com&shy;plicated owing to the prin&shy;ciples of mutation discussed above.

(1) Gaelic i, O. Ir. i, W. y.
 * bith, world, O. Ir. bith, W. byd, Br. bed: *bitu‑s, root ꬶi. So ith, fidir, nigh, fir (gen. and pl. of fear), as also nid from nead, etc.).

(2) G. ea, O. Ir. e.
 * beatha, life, O. Ir. bethu: *bitûs, stem *bitât‑, root ꬶi. So eadh, it, fear, geamhradh, meanbh, nead, seas, seasg, sleamh&shy;uinn, sneachd.

(3) G. io, O. Ir. i.
 * G. fiodh, wood, O. Ir. fid, W. gwydd, Br. gwez: *vidu‑. So fios, iodh‑. The io of fionn, O. Ir. find is due to the liquid and medial mute, which together always preserve the i and even develop it from an original ṇ or en (ṇb, ṇd, ṇg).

(4) G., O. Ir. iu.
 * This is a mutation by u: fliuch, wet, from *vliqu‑; tiugh, *tigu‑s.

(1) G., O. Ir. u, W. w (o).
 * G., O. Ir. sruth, stream, W. frwd: *srutu‑s. So bun, dubh, guth, muc, musach, slug, smug, tulach.
 * Here add G. ui: cluinn, luibh, uisge.

(2) G., O. Ir. o.
 * bonn, bottom, O. Ir. bond, W. bon, *bundo‑s. So bothan, con, dogs’, do‑, so‑, domhan, dorus, tom, os, trod.

(1) G., O. Ir. e, W. e.
 * Simple e is rare in G.: leth, side, O. Ir. leth, W. lled, *letos. So teth, hot.