language62

Irish Lesson 62

The letter "f" in Irish can have either a slender or broad pronunciation. If the nearest vowel in the word is "e" or "i", the "f" is slender. Pronounce it with the lower lip outside, and touching, the edges of the upper front teeth. Do not start with the lower lip behind the upper front teeth. Examples:

féin (fay*n), self; feicim (FEK-im), I see; fill (fil), return; fíor (FEE-uhr), true; fear (far), man; feachtas (FAK*-tuhs), campaign; feidhm (feyem), effect, use; feabhas (fous), improvement; feall (fyoul), treachery; fiú(fyoo), worth; feá(fyaw*), fathom; fleiscín (flesh-KEEN), hyphen; fleá(flaw*), festival; fliú(floo), influenza; frídín (free-DEEN), germ; freisin (FRESH-in), also; friotháil (fri-HAW*-il), serving; freagra (FRAG-ruh), answer.

Inside a word:

difríocht (DIF-ree-uhk*t), difference; diftéire (dif-TAY*R-e), diptheria;éifeacht (AY*-fuhk*t), effectiveness; gáifeach (GAW*-fuhk*), dangerous; paimfléid (pahm-FLAY*D), pamphlet; raidhfil (REYE-fil), rifle; taifeadán (TAF-uh-daw*n), tape recorder; teilifís (TEL-e-feesh), television.

Sometimes "f" inside a word is pronounced (h) or omitted. The future tense is an example:

feicfidh mé(FEK-hee may*), I shall see

Aspirated slender "f" has no sound: mo fhear (muh AR), my man.

GRAMMAR

The equivalent of "John is the best driver here" is: "IséSeán an tiománaíis fearr anseo" (shay* shaw*n un ti-MAW*-nee is fyaw*r un-SHUH), meaning literally, "Is he John the best driver here". Some other examples to familiarize you with this way of expressing what is called the superlative in English:

IsíMáire an cailín iséirimiúla sa rang (shee MAW*-re un kah-LEEN is ER-i-myool-uh suh rahng), Mary is the most intelligent girl in the class.

Isésin an fear is airde san arm (shay* shin un FAR is AR-de suhn AHR-ruhm), That is the tallest man in the Army.

Anéan bord isísleé? (un ay* un BOHRD is EESH-le ay*), Is it the lowest table?

NíhéBrian an t-oibríis measa (TIB-ree is MAS-uh) de na páistí(PAW* shtee), Brian is not the worst worker of the children.

Is tusa an bádóir is cúramaí(is TU-suh un baw*-DOH-ir is KOOR-uh-mee), You are the most careful boatman.

Nachéseo an seomra is teo (tyoh) sa teach?, Isn't this the warmest room in the house?

Note that the adjective form (for example, "airde") is the same for the superlative as for the comparative. It is the difference in sentence form that indicates whether the comparative or the superlative is intended.

VOCABULARY

amadán, un t-amadán (AHM-uh-daw*n, un TAHM-uh-daw*n), fool (man or boy)

amideach (AHM-i-dyuhk*), foolish; amaidí(AHM-i-dee), more foolish

aosta (AY*S-tuh), old; aosta, old

bog (bohg), soft; boige (BWIG-e), softer

ciallmhar (KEEL-vwuhr), sensible; ciallmhaire (KEEL-vwir-e), more sensible

íseal (EE-shuhl), low;ísle (EESH-le), lower

leathan (LA-huhn), wide; leithne (LE-ne), wider

glan (gluhn), clean; glaine (GLIN-e), cleaner

néata (NAY*-tuh), neat; néata, neater

riachtanach (REE-uhk*-tuhn-uhk*), necessary; riachtanaí(REE-uhk*-tuhn-ee), more necessary

DRILL

Form sentences based on the patterns: "Is airde Seán náSéamas" and "IséSeán an fear is airde sa seomra", using the following word groups:

amaideach, Nrian, Liam; buachaill, scoil.

aosta, Nóra, Diarmaid (DEER-mwid); an bhean (un van), cathair.

ciallmhar, Máire, Siobhán (shi-VAW*N); banaltra, ospidéal (OHS-pi-day*l).

néata, Seoirse (SHOR-she), Mícheál (MEE-haw*l); múinteoir, ar scoil.

bog, cathaoir (KAH-heer), tolg (TUHL-luhg); ceann, teach.

leathan, nuachtán, leabhar; páipéar, seomra.

íseal, bord seo, bord sin; ceann, cistin.

glan, cat, madra; rud, gairdín.

Key:Is amaidíBrian náLiam; IséBrian an buchaill is amaidísa scoil.

Is aosta Nóra náDiarmaid; IsíNóra an bhean is aosta sa chathair.

Is ciallmhaire Máire náSiobhán; IsíMáire an bhanaltra (VAHN-uhl-truh) is caillmhaire san ospidéal. ("Ospidéal" is "hospital".)

Is néata Seoirse náMícheál; IséSeoirse an múinteoir is néata inár scoil. ("in our school").

Is boige an chathaoir náan tolg; Isían chathaoir an ceann is boige sa teach ("the softest one in the house").

Is leithne an nuachtán náan leabhar; Iséan nuachtán an páipéar is leithne sa seomra.

Isísle an bord seo náan bord sin; Iséan bord seo an ceann isísle sa chistin.

Is glaine an cat náan madra; Iséan cat an rud is glaine sa ghairdín (gahr-DEEN).