Irish/Déise Irish
The main page for describing the Déise dialect of Irish
Morphosyntax
Verbs
Analytic and Synthetic Forms
South Tipperary
In the variety of Déise Irish that was spoken in South Tipperary, the following conjugations of the verb bí along with the most typical analytic and synthetic forms are given: [note 1]
Stem Form | 1st Sg. | 2nd Sg. | 3rd Masc. Sg. | 3rd Fem. Sg. | 1st Pl. | 2nd Pl. | 3rd Pl. | Verb Conjugation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
thá | thá me | thá tu [note 2] | thá sé | thá sí | tháimíd | thá sibh | thá siad | indicative present independent affirmative |
nín | nín me [note 3] | nín tu | nín sé | nín sí | nínimíd [note 4] | nín sibh | nín siad | indicative present independent negative |
fuil | fuil me | fuil tu | fuil sé | fuil sí | fuilimíd | fuil sibh | fuil siad | indicative present dependent |
bhí | bhí me | bhí tu | bhí sé | bhí sí | bhíomar [note 5] | bhíobhair | bhíodar | indicative past independent |
raibh | raibh me | raibh tu | raibh sé | raibh sí | raibheamar [note 5] | raibheabhair | raibheadar | indicative past dependent |
Prepositions
Prepositional Pronouns
Preposition | 1st Sg. | 2nd Sg. | 3rd Masc. Sg. | 3rd Fem. Sg. | 1st Pl. | 2nd Pl. | 3rd Pl. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
aige [note 6] [note 7] | agam | agat | aige | aici | againn | agaibh | acu |
ar [note 8] [note 9] | orm [note 10] | ort | air | uirthi or uirthí | eirinn [note 11] or orthainn or orainn | oraibh [note 12] | ora [note 13] or ortha |
as | asam | asat | as | aiste | asainn | asaibh | asta |
chún | chúm | chút | chuige | chúithe | chúinn | chúibh | chútha |
de or dhe [note 14] | díom or dhíom | díot or dhíot | de or dhe | di or dhi | dínn or dhínn | díbh or dhíbh | díobh or dhíobh |
do or dho [note 14] | dom or dhom [note 15] | doit or dhoit | do or dho [note 16] | di or dhi [note 17] | dúinn or dhúinn | díbh or dhíbh | dóibh or dhóibh |
fé | fúm | fút | fé or féig or féighe | fúithi | fúinn [note 18] | fúibh [note 18] | fútha |
i [note 19] | ionam [note 20] | ionat [note 21] | ann [note 22] | inti | ionainn [note 23] | ionaibh [note 24] | iontu or annta |
idir [note 25] [note 26] | - | - | - | - | eadarainn | eadaraibh | eatarra |
le or lé | liom | leat | leis | léithe or léi | linn | libh | leotha or leo |
ó | bhuam or bhuaim or uam or uaim | bhuait or uait | bhuaidh or uaidh | bhuaithe or uaithe | bhuainn or uainn | bhuaibh or uaibh | bhuatha or uatha |
roimh (roi) or roimhigh (roig) or roimhe | romham (rúm) | romhat (rút) | roimhigh (roig) or roimhe | rúimpe or roimpe | romhainn (rúinn) | romhaibh (rúibh) | rúmpa or rompa |
thar or thear | thorm or thearm | thorat or thearat | theiris or thairis or theairis or thiris | thóirste or thóiste | thorainn or thearainn or theirinn or thirinn | thoraibh or thearaibh | thórsta or thósta |
trí | tríom | tríot | tríd | tríthe | trínn | tríbh | tríotha |
um [note 27] | iomam or umam | iomat or umat | imigh or uimigh | ímpe or oimpe | iomainn or umainn | iomaibh or umaibh | iompa or umpa |
Initial Mutations
Initial Mutations of Nouns
Following Simple Prepositions [note 28]
Without the Article
Lenition
The following simple prepositions cause lenition: [note 29]
- ar
- de
- do
- fé
- idir
- mar
- ó
- thear [note 30]
- trí
- um
Eclipsis
The following simple prepositions cause eclipsis:
- in [note 31]
h-Prothesis
The following simple prepositions cause h-prothesis:
- le [note 32]
- go
No Mutation
The following simple prepositions cause no mutation:
- aige
- as [note 33]
- go dtí, dtí
- roimh, roimhig
With the Singular Article [7]
Non-verbal nouns are affected by one of two forms of mutation, lenition or eclipsis, or no mutation, following a combination of a simple preposition and the singular article.
Simple Preposition and Article Combinations
The following simple prepositions with singular articles are found in Déise Irish:
- aige ‘n,
- ar an,
- as an,
- de ‘n,
- do ‘n,
- fé ‘n,
- ó ‘n,
- roimh ‘n,
- (go) dtí ‘n,
- leis an,
- thear an,
- tríd an,
- and ins an.
Lenition
Under this context, the following consonants are affected by lenition:
- b to bh,
- p to ph,
- g to gh,
- c to ch,
- and s to ts. [note 34]
Eclipsis
Under this context, the following consonants are affected by eclipsis:
- b to mb,
- p to bp,
- g to ng,
- c to gc,
- and f to bhf.
No Mutation
Under this context, the following consonants which can appear as unmutated initials in nouns[note 35] are not affected by mutation:
- d,
- t,
- m,
- n,
- l,
- r
- or h.
Contributing Factors
The following factors contribute towards determining the type of mutation used on the initial of the noun:
- The form of the preposition when used with the article,[note 36] whether it ends in a vowel or a consonant.
- The initial consonant of the noun:
- b, g or f
- p or c
- s [note 34]
General Rules
- b, g and f undergo eclipsis following all preposition and article combinations.
- s, only in the case of feminine nouns[note 34], undergoes lenition following all preposition and article combinations. It does not mutate if the noun is masculine.
- p and c undergo lenition following ins a’ (or sa).
- p and c undergo eclipsis following all other preposition and article combinations where the prepositional form ends in a consonant.
- p and c undergo lenition following all preposition and article combinations where the prepositional form ends in a vowel.
Noun Initial | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
b | g | f | p | c | s [note 34] | |
aige ‘n | E | E | E | L | L | L |
de ‘n | E | E | E | L | L | L |
do ‘n | E | E | E | L | L | L |
fé ‘n | E | E | E | L | L | L |
ó ‘n | E | E | E | L | L | L |
roimh ‘n | E | E | E | L | L | L |
dtí ‘n | E | E | E | L | L | L |
ar a’ | E | E | E | E | E | L |
as a’ | E | E | E | E | E | L |
leis a’ | E | E | E | E | E | L |
thear a’ | E | E | E | E | E | L |
tríd a’ | E | E | E | E | E | L |
ins a’ | E | E | E | L | L | L |
Deviations to the Rules
- Contrary to rule #1, a speaker in South Tipperary had a tendency to lenite initial b and g, but his usage of lenition in this context was inconsistent and he regularly used eclipsis instead.
- Contrary to rule #3, ins an (or sa) had a greater tendency to cause eclipses on initial p and c in South Tipperary, but lenition among the speakers from this area was also noted. Eclipsis has also been noted among speakers from Waterford, but this isn’t typical and might only occur with certain words and as an alternating pronunciation.
- Contrary to rule #5, p has a tendency to not undergo lenition, but this can be a case of alternating pronunciations as recorded among native Déise Irish speakers.
Notes
- ↑ Ó Maolchathaigh specifically details the paradigms for the forms bhí, thá, beidh, bheadh and bhíodh (alongside a paradigm for bhuail which functions exactly the same as the paradigm for bhí).[1] The remaining paradigms are retrieved elsewhere[2] or presumed by analogy.
- ↑ Míchéal Ó Maoldhamhna gives thár as a form in conas tathár?.[2] Ó Maolchathaigh gives táir as a form in conas táir?.[3]
- ↑ Míchéal Ó Maoldhamhna gives nínim.[2]
- ↑ Míchéal Ó Maoldhamhna gives nínmíd.[2]
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 While Ó Maolchathaigh had -amar endings, Míchéal Ó Maoldhamhna had -amair endings.[4]
- ↑ The form age is actually the same as the 3rd person masculine singular form aige, but spelled this way (by some people) to distinguish between the two in writing. Though often others will just use the more standard form ag in writing.
- ↑ aige can reduce to aig’, ‘ge or ‘g’; aige is used when the preceding word ends with a consonant and the following word begins with a consonant; aig’ is used when the preceding word ends with a consonant and the following word begins with a vowel; ‘ge is used when the preceding word ends with a vowel (or in initial position) and the following word begins with a consonant; ‘g’ is used when the preceding word ends with a vowel (or in initial position) and the following word begins with a vowel. aige and its pronominal forms have the stress on the second syllable and all are prone to dropping the initial vowel in initial position or when preceded by a word ending in a vowel, e.g. ‘gam, ‘gat, ‘ge, ‘ci, ‘gainn, ‘gaibh and ‘cu.
- ↑ The form ar is actually the same as the 3rd person masculine singular form air, but spelled this way to distinguish between the two in writing.
- ↑ Unlike aige, the stress can vary between the first or second syllable among the pronominal forms, often dropping the initial vowel, as in the 1st person singular rom, and when the initial vowel in the monosyllabic forms can be elided by a preceding vowel, as in the 2nd person singular ‘rt.
- ↑ Sometimes reduced to rom.
- ↑ Sometimes reduced to ‘rinn.
- ↑ Sometimes reduced to ‘ribh.
- ↑ Sometimes reduced to ‘ra.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Other than the pronominal forms (except for the 2nd person plural), de and do are indistinguishable. ‘ge, the reduced form of aige, is sometimes used by some speakers due to analogous delenition of dhe or dho.
- ↑ Emphatic form dúmhsa or dhúmhsa.
- ↑ Emphatic form dósan or dhósan.
- ↑ Emphatic form dísin or dhísin.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Sheehan gives nothing for the 1st and 2nd person plural pronominal forms of fé.[5]
- ↑ In the pronominal forms, the initial syllable is often unstressed and can by elided by preceding vowels..
- ↑ Often reduced to ‘num. The general emphatic form is numsa.
- ↑ The general emphatic form is nutsa.
- ↑ The general emphatic form is on.
- ↑ Sometimes reduced to ‘nainn.
- ↑ Sometimes reduced to ‘naibh.
- ↑ Often reduced to‘dir.
- ↑ idir has no conjugated forms for the singular persons.
- ↑ The quality of the initial vowel in the prepositional pronouns depends on the quality of a preceding consonant.
- ↑ Simple prepositions can take either the nominative or dative form of the following noun, the latter being more traditional in Munster grammar.
- ↑ f generally avoids being lenited.
- ↑ thear does not cause lenition when used to denote the physical passing of an object or place.
- ↑ Eclipsis of nouns beginning with b have both the m and the b pronounced, e.g. i mBéarla.
- ↑ le causes no mutation in South Tipperary.[6]
- ↑ as causes lenition in South Tipperary.[6]
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 34.3 Only affects feminine nouns with initial s; masculine nouns are not mutated.
- ↑ Not considering cases where word borrowings that use other letters, but these are generally not mutated anyway.
- ↑ For example, the preposition le becomes leis when combined with the article.
Bibliography
- Breatnach, R. B. (1961). "Initial Mutation of Substantives after Preposition + Singular Article in Déise Irish". Éigse: A Journal of Irish Studies. IX (IV). The National University of Ireland.
- Breatnach, R. B. (1984). Seana-Chaint na nDéise II: Studies in the Vocabulary and Idiom of Déise Irish based mainly on material collected by Archbishop Michael Sheehan (1870-1945). Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.
- Ó Maolchathaigh, S. (unpublished). An Gleann is a Raibh Ann (one of two original manuscripts).
- Ó Maolchathaigh, S. (1974). An Gleann agus a Raibh Ann (1974 edition). An Clóchomhar Tta. Dundalgen Press.
- Sheehan, Most Rev. M. (1944). Sean-Chaint na nDéise: the Idiom of Living Language (second edition). The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.
- Wagner, H. (1981). Linguistic Atlas and Survey of Irish Dialects: Vol. I. Introduction, 300 maps (1981 edition). Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.
- Wagner, H. (1982). Linguistic Atlas and Survey of Irish Dialects: Vol. II. The Dialects of Munster (1982 edition). Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.
- Ward, A. (1974). The Grammatical Structure of Munster Irish. University of Dublin.