Pronounciation of ‘dh’

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  • #36679
    Séamas O’Conaill
    Participant

    I am just wondering about the pronunciation of ‘dh’ in Irish, especially when it takes a ‘g’ sound. For example, if I said ‘mo dhoras’ would it be pronounced as ‘goras’? Also if ‘dh’ came at the end of a word, would it be pronounced as a ‘g’ or remain silent. I mo thrí bhliain ag foghlaim mo chuid Gaelainn, seo é cheann des na rudaí beaga a chuireann isteach orm. Beidh mé sásta led’ chuid cúnamh.

    #44961
    Labhrás
    Participant

    I am just wondering about the pronunciation of ‘dh’ in Irish, especially when it takes a ‘g’ sound. For example, if I said ‘mo dhoras’ would it be pronounced as ‘goras’?

    No, not at all.
    It is pronounced as ‘ghoras’ /ɣɔɾəs/
    The relation between /g/ and /É£/ is the same as between /k/ and /x/ (i.e. c and ch)

    Next to e, i dh and gh is pronounced as /ɣ´/ which is almost the same as a a y-sound, e.g. “a Dhiarmaid”

    Also if ‘dh’ came at the end of a word, would it be pronounced as a ‘g’ or remain silent.

    That depends on dialect and on the situation.
    In Munster dialect -idh (and -igh) at the end of words (verbs, nouns) is pronounced /əg´/ (except a subject pronoun follows a verb)

    #44962
    Cúnla
    Participant

    Since it looks like you’re going after the Munster pronunciation, a Shéamais, here are a few of the different ways and circumstances of how ⟨dh⟩ can be pronounced (with rough phonemic spellings in the Munster pronunciation, though I’m no expert in the ways of the southerners!).

    At the beginning of a word:

    When leathan, ⟨dh⟩ at the beginning of a word is always pronounced [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voiced_velar_fricative]/É£/[/url], e.g., ⟨duit⟩ /dÌªË Éªt/, lenited ⟨dhuit⟩ /ɣɪt/.

    When caol, ⟨dh⟩ at the beginning of a word is always pronounced [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palatal_approximant]/j/[/url], e.g., ⟨díot⟩ /diːtÌªË /, lenited ⟨dhíot⟩ /jiːtÌªË /.

    In the middle of a word:

    In the middle of a word, ⟨dh⟩ (whether leathan or caol) usually is not (i.e., no longer) itself pronounced but instead indicates the lengthening or diphthongization of the vowel (unless it’s at the beginning or end of one of the constituents in a compound word, in which case it’s usually treated just as it would be in that word on its own).

    E.g., [url=http://breis.focloir.ie/ga/fuaim/adhain]⟨adhain⟩ /aɪn/[/url], ⟨aidhnín⟩ /aɪˈniːn/.

    At the end of a word:

    At the end of a word, especially in Munster, the pronunciation of ⟨dh⟩ depends in large part on its grammatical function.

    At end of nouns:

    When leathan (i.e., usually when the noun is in the nominative singular), ⟨dh⟩ at the end of a word is usually not pronounced, e.g., [url=http://breis.focloir.ie/ga/fuaim/samhradh]⟨samhradh⟩ /ˈsaʊɾə/[/url].

    When caol (e.g., if the noun is in the genitive singular), ⟨dh⟩ is usually pronounced [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voiced_velar_stop]/ɡʲ/[/url], e.g., [url=http://breis.focloir.ie/ga/fuaim/samhraidh]⟨samhraidh⟩ /ˈsaʊɾɪɡʲ/[/url].

    At the end of verbs:

    The pronunciation of ⟨dh⟩ at the end of verbs in Munster depends entirely on its function.

    When ⟨dh⟩ leathan at the end of a verb is part of the conditional or past-habitual/past-subjunctive ending, it’s pronounced /x/, e.g., ⟨déarfadh⟩ /ˈdiəɾhÉ™x/, ⟨deireadh⟩ /ˈdɛɾʲəx/.

    When ⟨dh⟩ leathan at the end of a verb represents the past autonomous ending, well, even within Munster it depends on where you are! In different places in Munster it’s variously pronounced /É¡/, /x/, or /v/, at the very least, e.g., ⟨deineadh⟩ /ˈdɪnəɡ/ ∨ /ˈdɪnÉ™x/ ∨ /ˈdɪnÉ™v/.

    In the current standard spelling found at the end of verbs only (I think?) in the future endings {-f(a)idh} and {-óidh}/{-eoidh}, ⟨dh⟩ caol is usually pronounced /ɡʲ/, e.g., ⟨buailfidh an bhean an cat⟩ /ˈbuÉ™lhɪɡʲ É™n væn əŋ katÌªË /. This ⟨dh⟩ caol is however not pronounced when directly followed by a subject pronoun, e.g., ⟨buailfidh sí an cat⟩ /ˈbuÉ™lhɪ ʃiːŋ katÌªË /.

    There are of course yet other possibilities (the adjectival suffix {-dha}, for example…), but the ones given above are I think the most common…

    #44963
    Labhrás
    Participant

    At the end of verbs:

    In modern-day standard spelling, only ⟨dh⟩ leathan is ever found at the end of a verb,

    You probably forgot the future ending -fidh.

    #44964
    Cúnla
    Participant

    Aye, a Labhráis, so I did! I’ll edit the post and put that in.

    #44974
    Séamas O’Conaill
    Participant

    Buíochas libh, as ucht bhúr gcabhair.

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