Why is Irish spelling so difficult?
The reason why Irish spelling looks weird at first is that it makes slender and broad consonants explicit. Instead of using a different character for broad and slender, Irish uses vowels (and sometimes extra consonants) to indicate if a consonant is slender or broad.
Is the letter Y used in Irish?
The letters j (jé), k (ká), q (cú), v (vé), w (wae), x (ex), y (yé) and z (zae) do not occur in native Irish words, but do appear in some English loanwords, for example jab (job) and veain (van).
How do Irish letters work?
Gaelic has only eighteen letters in its alphabet, so no J, K, Q, V, W, X, Y or Z. A consonant + H denotes a completely different sound to the same consonant without an H following it. Gaelic has a system of broad vowels (A, O, U) and slender vowels (E, I).
How do Irish spell I?
In some languages, the old consonant is completely replaced, in writing, by the new consonant. In Irish, however, the new consonant is written in front of the old one. So, for example: I (in: pronounced “ih”) + bád (a boat: pronounced “bahd”) becomes i mbád (in a boat: pronounced “ih mahd”).
Is B pronounced V in Irish?
B -> BH. The /bh/ is pronounced very much like the English W, when it is followed by a broad vowel (a, o, u). When it is followed by a slender vowel (e, i), it is more like the English V.
How do Irish pronounce Z?
However, head to England, Ireland, or pretty much any other English-speaking country, and you’ll find that most natives refer to the same letter as zed. Whereas the more established zed has an etymology that makes logical sense, the reason why Z is pronounced as zee in the U.S. is a bit more pragmatic.
How is D pronounced in Irish?
D or like the English word ‘THE’ or the ‘th’ in THRONG. For example, the Irish word drong is pronounced ‘drong’ or ‘throng’ and is the origin of the English word ‘throng’. As noted above, when an ‘h’ is used to change the way a consonant is pronounced, the consonant is said to be ‘aspirated’ or ‘lenited.
How do you say FH in Irish?
fh (broad) = silent. fh (slender) = silent….The long vowels are:
- í as in sí pronounced “shee”
- é as in sé pronounced “shay”
- ú as in tú pronounced “too”
- ó as in bó pronounced “boe”
- á as in tá pronounced “taw”
Why is Siobhan spelled that way?
The most common anglicisations are Siobhan (identical to the Irish spelling but omitting the Síneadh fada acute accent over the ‘a’), Shevaun and Shivaun. A now uncommon spelling variant is Siubhán….Siobhan.
| Origin | |
|---|---|
| Word/name | Hebrew יוחנן Yôḥānnān |
| Meaning | God’s grace |
| Region of origin | Ireland |
| Other names |
How do Irish say R?
After a vowel, Irish English is similar to U.S. English in that it can have /r/ regardless of the sound which follows, whereas British English retains the /r/ only when it is followed by a vowel.
Is FH silent in Irish?
fh (broad) = silent.
Why is there no J in Irish?
The Irish alphabet uses 24 of the 26 letters of the English alphabet, as opposed to the original number of 18. That said, there are few words with j, k, v, x, y or z, and the ones which do exist are generally words incorporated from English.
What is lenition in Irish?
An important and frequent feature in Irish grammar is the concept of lenition. Basically, when an initial consonant is lenited (or softened) it changes the way that consonant is sounded and how the beginning of the word is spelt. You lenite or soften the sound of a consonant in Irish by normally placing a ‘h’ after it.
How do you pronounce Aoi in Irish?
As indicated in the previous section, aoi is pronounced ee. Now we can tell that Caoimhín is pronounced KwEE-VEEN. (The tiny “w” is there because we’re going from an initial broad consonant into a medial slender consonant.)