The text is spoken by Pádraig Ó Baoighill (1934–2024), of Rann na Feirste, as recorded by RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta.
Pádraig's pronunciation is an ideal model to follow. Words which may cause surprise include baile, oileán, liom; aithne, raithneach, druithleog; eagla, eaglais, leagtha, beag, eadar; aghaidh, laghduighe, adharc, bladhaire; maighistir; airde; gaibhte; toighthe.
The listener should be aware, however, that the written and spoken texts occasionally diverge.
Among other reasons for this, the speaker is reading from the 1979 edition, from which some Ulster features have been removed, although he does not always adhere exactly to the text of this edition either. Often he does not go as far as the 1979 edition does, sometimes he goes beyond it.
We will exemplify below some of the differences between the written and spoken texts, but not comparing either with the 1979 edition in matters of detail. These data are not exhaustive, but may help you to spot such cases, and to follow the writer or the speaker, as you choose.
Sentences will be identified by their numbers, as displayed in the "Abairteacha (il-teangthach)" retrieval mode of Tobar na Gaedhilge.
The 1979 edition makes a number of non-linguistic corrections, including:
1694: Conall Bán > Séamas; Shéamuis Úna > Mhicheáil Fheargail
3255: tincleoir > Híleantóir
4423, 4429, 4432, 4437, 4441, 4442, 4444, 4446, 4448, 4456, 4461: Frainc > Liam
The 1979 edition omits whole sentences: 489, 1127–1129, 1296, 1364, 3279, 3929, 4327, 4663, 4974, 5220
The speaker further omits most chapter titles, some sentences in English (2646–2647, 3825–3831, 4930–4934), and also the following whole sentences: 507, 3153, 3804
The 1979 edition omits part of the following sentences: 490, 632, 633, 1098, 2365, 2675, 3860, 3861
The speaker further omits part of the following sentences: 5, 206, 752, 1814, 2332, 2480, 3154, 3254, 4560, 5450
In the 1979 edition (only a few examples are given)
Word inserted: 1465 (deireadh > deireadh an bháid), 2055 (níl 'fios > níl a fhios agam), 4537 (stócachaí > a stócachaí)
Word dropped: 154 (sé), 538 (againn), 1793 (bhí sin), 2674 (air), 5043 (bhí eagla orm > eagla orm)
Word substituted: 207 (annsin > nó), 1724 (d'aithris tú > tharla), 1850 (tús > teideal), 3322 (seo chugainn > a bhí chugainn)
Further, in as many as 5% of the 5,525 sentences, the speaker makes small changes of wording, which generally result in an acceptable alternative expression. Again, space will allow only a few examples of each category.
Word dropped: 67 (dar leat), 224 (féin), 361 (aca seo), 374 (leis), 832 (beag), 884 (bán), 914 (tamall), 1005 (sgór), 1059 (ar bith), 1196 (sin)
Word inserted: 60 (aiste > aiste mhaith), 120 (easbuic > an easbuic), 749 (a' sgoil > an sgoil sin), 1075 (roimh sin > roimh sin ann), 1522 (aistí > aistí agat), 1630 (an chuid eile > an chuid eile aca)
Word substituted: 67 (saoghail > domhain), 195 ('un > chuig), 235 (aniar > anuas), 577 (domh féin > sin domh), 819 (ar bh'fhéidir > ach b'fhéidir), 993 (seo > sin), 1117 (Néill > Neilidh), 1226 (am Aifrinn > an Aifrinn)
Words reordered: 557 (cá bith ba chúis leis > cá bith cúis a bhí leis), 654 (é rud beag > rud beag é), 1187 (í tamall > tamall í), 1927 (fios ar sin > a fhios sin), 2254 (áit 'fhágháil a b'fhearr > áit a b'fhearr a fhágháil)
There are occasions where, while retaining the same wording, the speaker's pronunciation differs from that implied by the author's spelling.
Most but by no means all such alterations can be attributed to the deprovincialising influence of the 1979 edition.
It may also happen that the speaker's changed pronunciation accords with the writer's spelling of the expression on another occasion.
Note however that is is not an examination of the 1979 edition, but of the speaker's pronunciation, compared with the author's text.
The variability evident in these data reflects a tension between the speaker's natural speech, closer to the author's text, and the spelling of the 1979 text which he is reading.
Attention will be drawn here only to some of the more interesting points.
Elision is an integral part of any spoken language. It occurs where some of the sounds indicated in spelling are omitted in natural speech,
to facilitate ease and efficiency.
Elision is widely, though not exhaustively, indicated in the author's spelling, where the elided letters may simply be dropped, or be replaced by an apostrophe.
For example, the writer often reduces the word an to a or a'; or he may simply delete the word a.
Apart from a few cases which include sa, san, don, den, these silent letters are re-inserted in standard written Irish,
and the speaker quite often follows the 1979 book in pronouncing them.
In the following examples, we give an idea of how often each expansion is made by the speaker. In most cases, only a subset of the 5525 sentences are examined.
nothing > a (e.g. 36, an éagcaoin ba lugha > an éagcaoin a ba lugha) — changed in 29 of 43 cases in sentences 1–1000
nothing > an (interrogative) (e.g. bhfuil > an bhfuil) — changed in 1 of 4 cases
mar (+ verb) > mar a (e.g. 5, mar chuirtear anois > mar a chuirtear anois) — changed in 24 of 65 cases in sentences 1–2000
apostrophe > a (various meanings) — changed in 20 of 34 cases in sentences 1–500
apostrophe > an (e.g. 'bhfuil > an bhfuil) – changed in 2 of 14 cases
apostrophe > i (e.g. tá mé 'mo shuidhe > tá mé i mo shuidhe) — changed in 3 of 10 cases in sentences 1–500
a > an (e.g. 454, ar a chladach > air an chladach) — changed in 9 of 17 cases in sentences 1–1000
a' > an (e.g. 12, a' boladh deas > an boladh deas) — changed in 24 of 49 cases in sentences 1–200
a' > ag (e.g. 6, a' feitheamh > aig feitheamh) — changed in 10 of 12 cases in sentences 1–200
'na > ina (e.g. 48, é 'na shuidhe > é ina shuidhe) — changed in 103 of 106 cases in sentences 1–2000
'na > chun a' (e.g. 978, 'na Chlocháin Léith > chun a' Chlocháin Léith) — changed in 3 of 4 cases
'na > chun na (e.g. 583, mo bhealach 'na sgoile > mo bhealach chun na sgoile) — changed in 12 of 16 cases
sé > is é (s leathan) — changed in 24 of 42 cases
sí > is í (s leathan) — changed in 2 of 4 cases
siad > is iad (s leathan) — changed in 2 of 2 cases
is > agus — changed in 6 of 35 cases in sentences 1–500
nanach > an é nach — changed in 5 of 5 cases
sé rud > sé an rud — changed in 3 of 8 cases
c'air > cá hair — changed in3 of 4 cases
c'ainm > cá hainm — changed in 3 of 4 cases
c'fhad > cá fhad a — changed in 4 of 6 cases
san > ins an (e.g. 6, san am > ins an am) — changed in 1 of 10 cases in sentences 1–100
sna > ins na (e.g. 238, sna brístí > ins na brístí) — changed in 31 of 38 cases
The converse is also observed, as prescribed in standard written Irish and used in the 1979 edition:
ins a' > sa — changed in 13 of 13 cases
ins an > sa – changed in 6 of 6 cases
ins an > san — changed in 7 of 7 cases
ins na > sna — changed in 4 of 23 cases
Conclusion: It is likely that elision in speech is appropriate wherever the author's spelling shows it, and it is possible that there are further situations where elision applies even though not shown. A closer study of the phonetic context may result in a greater degree of predictability, and phonetic dialect studies may corroborate the findings.
féin in at least six cases (1281, 1321, 2205, 2855, 3182, 5261)
lingfeadh in 1 of 1 case (8)
sguabfaidh in 1 of 1 case (1159)
cluinfeas, ceilfeas in 1 of 1 case (2501)
cluinfear in 1 of 1 case (1860)
cluinfimis in 1 of 2 cases (1981)
cuirfear in 1 of 1 case (2627)
déarfaidh in 2 of 10 cases (2641, 3041)
leanfadh in 1 of 1 case (3604)
shílfeadh in 1 of 4 cases (4088)
tchífeadh in 4 of 4 cases (434, 2602, 2602, 4751)
There is a difference of initial mutation between the book and the speaker in the following sentences (at least):
1239 tairbhe > thairbhe,
2072 bealach > bhealach, 2100 bhéadh > mbéadh, 2111 fad > fhad, 2339 mhire > mire, 2340 t-inspector > inspector, 2379 t-inspector > inspector,
2407 t-inspector > inspector, 2709 mór > mhór, 2793 fholamh > folamh, 3064 marbh > mharbh, 3082 Dhéinidh > Déinidh, 3088 mór > mhór,
3182 sheanchuis > seanchuis, 3193 Dhomhnaill > Domhnaill, 3376 sháith > sáith, 3589 fad > fhad, 3928 shléibhe > sléibhe, 3964 báin > bháin,
4293 ticeád > thiceád, 4308 síorruidhe > shíorruidhe, 4316 anam > n-anam, 4659 fad > fhad, 4680 fheirime > feirime, 4692 shamhraidh > samhraidh,
4774 shuidheachán > suidheachán, 4841 sheans > seans, 5041 Mhac > Mac, 5044 shamhraidh > samhraidh, 5464 mheisce > meisce
aitineach > aiteannach — changed in 1 of 1 case
agra chinn > eagna chinn — changed in 5 of 5 cases
cárda > cárta — changed in 2 of 2 cases (a card; cárta is a quart)
cart > cairt (ns, gs, ds) — changed in 4 of 4 cases
coinsíosa > coinsíos (ns) — changed in 1 of 1 case
dadadh > dadaí — changed in 6 of 6 cases
deifre > deifir — changed in 1 of 9 cases
éachta > éacht — changed in 8 of 8 cases (one other case already had éacht)
fastódh > fostú — changed in 12 of 19 cases
freagar > freagra — changed in 2 of 19 cases (one other case already had freagra)
Gaedhilg > Gaeilge (ns, ds) — changed in 5 of 27 cases
gárradh > garraí — changed in 1 of 1 case
iomláinte > iomláine — changed in 1 of 1 case
mioscas/miosgas (ns) > mioscais — changed in 2 of 3 cases
oideas > oideachas (education) — changed in 1 of 2 cases
posta > post (employment) — changed in 1 of 1 case
réalt > réalta — changed in 1 of 2 cases
an saghad > an tsaghad — changed in 1 of 1 case
sgoláir (ns, ds) > sgoláire — changed in 4 of 4 cases
síothcháimh (ns) > síothcháin — changed in 4 of 4 cases (one other case already had síothcháin)
taos óg > aos óg — changed in 4 of 7 cases
teagasg Críosta > teagasg Críostaidhe — changed in 23 of 23 cases (and referenced by feminine pronoun or possessive adjective, like bád 1826 2060 2061 2475 4204 4350 4358 srl; leabhar — 4935 5267 srl.)
ua > ó (grandchild) — changed in 1 of 1 case
fionn-ua > fionnó (greatgrandchild) — changed in 1 of 1 case
abhanna > abhann — changed in 4 of 4 cases
aifise > oifig — changed in 1 of 1 case
Aileach > Ailigh — changed in 2 of 2 cases
na h-aitinighe > na h-aiteannaighe — changed in 5 of 6 cases; > an aiteannaigh — changed in 1 of 6 cases
na hAlbana > na hAlban — changed in 3 of 3 cases
cánta > cáinte — changed in 1 of 1 case
ceineamhainte > cinneamhna — changed in 1 of 1 case
fastóidheach (gp) > fostóidh (gs) — changed in 1 of 1 case
feille > fill – changed in 1 of 1 case
gramair > graiméire — changed in 1 of 1 case
an taois óig > an aois óig — changed in 1 of 1 case
agallaí > agallaimh — changed in 1 of 1 case
céadtaí > céadta — changed in 3 of 9 cases
daimhseoirí > damhsóirí — changed in 2 of 3 cases
dántaí (np) > dánta — changed in 2 of 3 cases
dánta (np) > dántaí — changed in 1 of 1 case
duirn (np, dp) > duirne — changed in 1 of 2 cases
gasraí > gasúraí — changed in 54 of 55 cases; > gasúir — changed in 1 of 55 cases
guailneacha > guailleacha — changed in 3 of 4 cases
laethibh (dp) > laetha — changed in 4 of 4 cases
leabharthaí > leabhair — changed in 1 of 7 cases; > leabhra — changed in 1 of 7 cases
leitireacha > leitreacha — changed in 3 of 3 cases (one other case already had leitreacha)
molltaí/moltaí > mollta — changed in 2 of 2 cases
righte > righthe — changed in 1 of 1 case
seanmóracha > seanmóirí — changed in 2 of 2 cases
sgéaltaí > sgéalta — changed in 1 of 19 cases
sgéalta > sgéaltaí — changed in 2 of 2 cases
Noteworthy here is the author's frequent use of a truncated form of the nominative plural, a feature almost completely removed in the 1979 edition.
achtann > achtannaí — changed in 1 of 1 case
ainmneach > ainmneacha — changed in 3 of 3 cases
áiteach > áiteacha — changed in 2 of 2 cases
bailteach > bailte — changed in 2 of 2 cases
báltach > báltaí — changed in 1 of 1 case
bliadhantach > blianta — changed in 5 of 5 cases
ceisteann > ceisteannaí — changed in 3 of 4 cases
comhairleach > comhairleacha — changed in 1 of 1 case
críoch > críocha — changed in 1 of 1 case
dántaí (gp) > dánta — changed in 2 of 3 cases
díogthach > díogthacha — changed in 1 of 2 cases; > díog — changed in 1 of 2 cases
éachtaí (gp) > éacht — changed in 2 of 4 cases
fidileoir > fidiléirí — changed in 1 of 1 case
láimh-sgríbhinn > láimh-sgríbhinní — changed in 1 of 1 case
leabharthach > leabhar — changed in 1 of 1 case
leitreach > litreacha — changed in 0 of 4 cases
saigdiúir (gp) > saighdiúirí — changed in 2 of 2 cases
sgéaltach > sgéaltaí — changed in 4 of 4 cases
sgillingeach > sgillingeacha — changed in 1 of 1 case
sgoláir > sgoláirí – changed in 3 of 3 cases
tincleoir > tincléirí — changed in 2 of 2 cases
trághann > tráigheannaí — changed in 1 of 1 case
chodail > chodluigh — changed in 7 of 7 cases
tiormuigh > triomuigh — changed in 1 of 1 case
thárla > thárluigh — changed in 3 of 4 cases
drod > druid — changed in 1 of 1 case
leigin > leigint — changed in 9 of 17 cases
ráidht > rádh — changed 1 of 1 case (many other cases already had rádh)
seachnamh > seachaint — changed in 1 of 1 case
Characteristic forms completely replaced. Replacement forms already found only in suidhigidh (1771, 2279) and ithigidh (1554).
cuimhnighidh > cuimhnigidh — changed in 3 of 3 cases
deánaidh > deánaigidh — changed in 1 of 1 case
dearcaidh > dearcaigidh — changed in 2 of 2 cases
druididh > druidigidh — changed in 1 of 1 case
suidhidh > suidhigidh — changed in 2 of 2 cases
Characteristic forms almost completely replaced.
bhíthear > bhíothas — changed in 14 of 16 cases
rabhthar > rabhthas — changed in 11 of 11 cases
bhíthidhe > bhítí — changed in 3 of 3 cases
ghníthear > ghnítear — changed in 1 of 1 case
má théighthear > má théitear — changed in 1 of 1 case
críochanta > críochnuighthe — changed in 1 of 1 case
iarraiste > iarrtha — changed in 1 of 1 case
náirighthe > náiriste — changed in 1 of 2 cases
Characteristic forms completely replaced.
abóradh > abróchadh — changed in 4 of 4 cases
abóraidhe > abróchthaí — changed in 1 of 1 case
fosgólaidh > fosclóchaidh — changed in 1 of 1 case
fuasgólas > fuasglóchas — changed in 1 of 1 case
imeoradh > imreochadh — changed in 1 of 1 case
imeoraidhe > imreochthaidhe — changed in 1 of 1 case
musgólaidh > musglóchaidh — changed in 1 of 1 case
samhóladh > samhlóchadh — changed in 2 of 2 cases
samhólaidhe > samhlóchaidhe — changed in 2 of 2 cases
socóradh > socróchadh — changed in 1 of 1 case
tarrónadh > tairneochadh — changed in 1 of 1 case
tarrónaidh > tairneochaidh — changed in 2 of 2 cases
tarrónaidhe > tairneochthaidhe — changed in 1 of 1 case
sílidh > síleann — changed in 2 of 4 cases
go mbidh > go mbéidh — changed in 3 of 7 cases
go nighe > go nighfe — changed in 1 of 1 case
go marbha > go marócha — changed in 1 of 1 case
fuígfidh > fágfaidh — changed in 1 of 1 case
gheibheadh (imperfect) > gheobhadh — changed in 1 of 3 cases
go bhfuigheadh (cond) > go bhfaghadh — changed in 1 of 3 cases
nach dteachaidh > nach ndeachaidh — changed in 1 of 4 cases
éirigheadh (imperfect) > éireóchadh — changed in 1 of 1 case
éirigheadh (past subj) > éireóchadh — changed in 1 of 1 case
ní chuala(idh) > níor chuala(idh) – changed in 1 of 4 cases
thiocfadh ('could' without 'le') > thiocfaidhe — changed in 1 of 2 cases
cumhan > cuimhin — changed in 4 of 6 cases; > cuimhneach – changed in 1 of 6 cases; > cuimhne – changed in 1 of 6 cases
furas > furast — changed in 13 of 16 cases; > furasta — changed in 1 of 16 cases
iomdha > iomaidh — changed in 37 of 37 cases
nuaidh > nua — changed in 1 of 6 cases
sona > sonasach — changed in 1 of 1 case
thú > tú – changed in 6 of 35 cases
un > 'n – changed in 8 of 18 cases, > chun – changed in 4 of 18 cases, > chuig — changed in 1 of 18 cases; in sentences 1–500 only
'un > chun — changed in 1 of 1 case
go > go dtí — changed in 2 of many cases
thara > thar – changed in 7 of 8 cases
faoi smúid > fá smúid — changed in 1 of 7 cases
daobhtha > díobh — changed in 2 of 33 cases; > dóibh — changed in 2 of 33 cases
dóbhtha > dóibh — changed in 2 of 12 cases
domh > díom — changed in 1 of many cases
fúm > faoim — changed in 2 of 5 cases
fútha > faobhtha — changed in 1 of 2 cases
Characteristic forms are largely removed. Some of the replacement forms are also widely used.
ag n-a > ag a — changed in 13 of 13 cases
do n-a > dá — changed in 2 of 2 cases
de n-a > dá — changed in 1 of 1 case
chuig n-a > chuig a — changed in 3 of 3 cases
roimh n-a > roimh a — changed in 1 of 1 case
thar n-a > thar a — changed in 2 of 2 cases, but unchanged in thar n-a bhárach
thara n-a > thar a — changed in 3 of 3 cases
The speaker has substituted the article for the possessive adjective in the following (one case of each):
do n-a > don; de n-a > den; roimh n-a > roimh an; ó n-a > ón; go dtí n-a > go dtí an
in mo > i mo — changed in 50 of 56 cases
in do > i do — changed in 11 of 15 cases
le'r > lenár — changed in 1 of 1 case
trí duirn > trí dhorn — 266
sna trí phobal > sna trí pobail — 381
na míle grág > na mílte grág — 649
(go cionn/ar feadh) sheacht mbliadhan > (go cionn/ar feadh) seacht mbliadhain — 1304 but 2631 is unchanged
(ar feadh) chúig mbomaite > (ar feadh) chúig bhomaite — 4590 but 3126 is unchanged
(stócach) ocht mbliadhan déag > (stócach) ocht mbliadhna déag — 3292
but the following are unchanged:
i gcionn a shé mbliadhan déag — 3778 (189.26)
i gcionn mo thrí mbliadhan déag — 3779 (189.29)
i gcionn a dheich mbliadhan — 3611 (181.26)
fá chionn thrí mbliadhan eile — 3780 (189.30)
ós cionn cheithre mbliadhan déag — 4303 (212.18), 4307 (212.24), 4314 (212.31)
gur bh' > gur — changed in 14 of 30 cases
gur ab > gur — changed in 4 of 6 cases
gur b' > gur — changed in 2 of 5 cases
ar bh' > ab' — changed in 1 of 5 cases
ba d-- > ba dh-- — changed in 1 of 20 cases
ba s-- > ba sh-- — changed in 2 of 3 cases
ba t-- > ba th-- – changed in 0 of 5 cases
dhe > de — changed in 6 of 9 cases
dh' > d' (eg. fá'n am seo dh'oidhche; a dh'aindeoin) — changed in 6 of 6 cases
dh' > ag (eg. thoisigh mé dh'urnaighe) — changed in 1 of 26 cases
teach a' phobail > an teach pobail — changed in 1 of 26 cases
achan > achan aon — changed in 10 of 110 cases
achan > ach aon — changed in 7 of 110 cases
Aodh' (gs) > Aoidh — changed in 1 of 26 case
ar ais > arís — changed in 3 of 32 cases
ar bhórdaí > ar bord a — changed in 1 of 1 case
ar sise > arsa sise — changed in 2 of 16 cases in sentences 1–1000
ar shon > ar son — changed in 1 of 4 cases
Baile Bó Féich > Bealach Féidh — changed in 2 of 2 cases
ca bith > cár bith – changed in 3 of 3 cases
cá bith > cár bith — changed in 7 of 9 cases
cé bith > cér bith — changed in 2 of 3 cases
fá dear > fá deara — changed in 1 of 9 cases4
i n-eabar > in abar — changed in 2 of 3 cases
mur > bhur — changed in 7 of 13 cases
Port na mBó > Port na Bó — changed in 1 of 7 cases
sgánta > sgáinte — changed in 1 of 1 case
In a number of sentences, a split second of the recording is dropped or duplicated.
It has been possible to improve some of these which involve duplication or other insertion.
The recordings of the following sentences still show minor imperfections which may not be attributable to the speaker:
182, 236, 239, 349, 587, 687, 774, 1963, 1999, 2043, 2125, 2132, 2136, 2481, 2667, 2673, 3199, 3210, 3227, 3404, 3623, 3695,
3728, 3834, 3898, 3908, 4614, 4619, 4661, 4688, 5192, 5199, 5286, 5311, 5430, 5450