An diofar eadar na mùthaidhean a rinneadh air "Intrusive T or Why we're writing sròn not *stròn"
Loidhne 1: | Loidhne 1: | ||
− | Ermm ... for the sake of all our sanity, I'll keep the explanation of *why* short. Phonetically, [r] and [d] are quite similar to each other - both are articulated at the same place using the tip of your tongue, the only difference really is the length of contact. Plus, because Gaelic only does that in | + | Ermm ... for the sake of all our sanity, I'll keep the explanation of *why* short. Phonetically, [r] and [d] are quite similar to each other - both are articulated at the same place using the tip of your tongue, the only difference really is the length of contact. Plus, because Gaelic only does that in <span style="color: #008000;">sr</span> clusters, there's an added articulatory reason. |
Actually, just taking a quick trip round the world, languages often change [d] into [r] and vice versa. In American English for example the ''-tt-'' between vowels has become much like [r] in words like ''matted, butter'' etc. Anyway. | Actually, just taking a quick trip round the world, languages often change [d] into [r] and vice versa. In American English for example the ''-tt-'' between vowels has become much like [r] in words like ''matted, butter'' etc. Anyway. | ||
− | So Gaelic introduces a [d] sound in | + | So Gaelic introduces a [d] sound in <span style="color: #008000;">sr</span> clusters (but doesn't replace the <span style="color: #008000;">r</span>). The northern dialects anyway, as you can see on the map below. |
− | This gives rise to a never ending stream of discussions about spelling. Is it sruth | + | This gives rise to a never ending stream of discussions about spelling. Is it <span style="color: #008000;">sruth, struth</span> or even *<span style="color: #008000;">sdruth</span>? The answer is complicated. A quick cross-check with Irish and Old Irish tells us that indeed there was no such sound many moons ago: |
{| style="width: 40%;" border="0" align="center" | {| style="width: 40%;" border="0" align="center" | ||
Loidhne 12: | Loidhne 12: | ||
! scope="col" align="left" | Gaelic | ! scope="col" align="left" | Gaelic | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | srath | + | | <span style="color: #000080;">srath</span> || <span style="color: #000080;">srath</span> [srah] || <span style="color: #008000;">srath</span> [sdrah] |
|- | |- | ||
− | | srón || srón [sroːn] || sròn [sdrɔːn] | + | | <span style="color: #000080;">srón</span> || <span style="color: #000080;">srón</span> [sroːn] || <span style="color: #008000;">sròn</span> [sdrɔːn] |
|- | |- | ||
− | | sreth || sreath [srah] || sreath [sdrɛh] | + | | <span style="color: #000080;">sreth</span> || <span style="color: #000080;">sreath</span> [srah] || <span style="color: #008000;">sreath</span> [sdrɛh] |
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
− | So what's the problem? Twofold, really. The [sdr] pronunciation has been dominant for so long, it has started to creep into the spelling bit by bit and with overall literacy rates in Gaelic dropping and dropping over the centuries, people have followed the conventions less and their ears more. Similar to the slochd/sloc problem. | + | So what's the problem? Twofold, really. The [sdr] pronunciation has been dominant for so long, it has started to creep into the spelling bit by bit and with overall literacy rates in Gaelic dropping and dropping over the centuries, people have followed the conventions less and their ears more. Similar to the <span style="color: #008000;">slochd/sloc</span> problem. |
− | But the main problems are lenition and loanwords. Loanwords, like strì or stràbh show one peculiarity - unlike sròn and srath, you can't lenite them: | + | But the main problems are lenition and loanwords. Loanwords, like <span style="color: #008000;">strì</span> or <span style="color: #008000;">stràbh</span> show one peculiarity - unlike <span style="color: #008000;">sròn</span> and <span style="color: #008000;">srath</span>, you can't lenite them: |
{| style="width: 30%;" border="0" align="center" | {| style="width: 30%;" border="0" align="center" | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | sròn ⇨ || mo shròn | + | | <span style="color: #008000;">sròn</span> ⇨ || <span style="color: #008000;">mo shròn</span> |
|- | |- | ||
− | | srath ⇨ || mo shrath | + | | <span style="color: #008000;">srath</span> ⇨ || <span style="color: #008000;">mo shrath</span> |
|- | |- | ||
− | | strì ⇨ || mo strì | + | | <span style="color: #008000;">strì</span> ⇨ || <span style="color: #008000;">mo strì</span> |
|- | |- | ||
− | | stràbh ⇨ || mo stràbh | + | | <span style="color: #008000;">stràbh</span> ⇨ || <span style="color: #008000;">mo stràbh</span> |
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
− | So, the neat solution is, if you can't lenite it, spell it str, if you can, spell it sr. You'd end up mostly with loanwords on the str side and mostly with native Gaelic words on the other. So as a rule of thumb, if it looks a bit like an English word, it probably has unlenitable [sdr] and should be spelled str. | + | So, the neat solution is, if you can't lenite it, spell it <span style="color: #008000;">str</span>, if you can, spell it <span style="color: #008000;">sr</span>. You'd end up mostly with loanwords on the <span style="color: #008000;">str</span> side and mostly with native Gaelic words on the other. So as a rule of thumb, if it looks a bit like an English word, it probably has unlenitable [sdr] and should be spelled <span style="color: #008000;">str</span>. |
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{{BeaganGramair}} | {{BeaganGramair}} |
Mùthadh on 17:17, 8 dhen Fhaoilleach 2012
Ermm ... for the sake of all our sanity, I'll keep the explanation of *why* short. Phonetically, [r] and [d] are quite similar to each other - both are articulated at the same place using the tip of your tongue, the only difference really is the length of contact. Plus, because Gaelic only does that in sr clusters, there's an added articulatory reason.
Actually, just taking a quick trip round the world, languages often change [d] into [r] and vice versa. In American English for example the -tt- between vowels has become much like [r] in words like matted, butter etc. Anyway.
So Gaelic introduces a [d] sound in sr clusters (but doesn't replace the r). The northern dialects anyway, as you can see on the map below.
This gives rise to a never ending stream of discussions about spelling. Is it sruth, struth or even *sdruth? The answer is complicated. A quick cross-check with Irish and Old Irish tells us that indeed there was no such sound many moons ago:
Old Irish | Irish | Gaelic |
---|---|---|
srath | srath [srah] | srath [sdrah] |
srón | srón [sroːn] | sròn [sdrɔːn] |
sreth | sreath [srah] | sreath [sdrɛh] |
So what's the problem? Twofold, really. The [sdr] pronunciation has been dominant for so long, it has started to creep into the spelling bit by bit and with overall literacy rates in Gaelic dropping and dropping over the centuries, people have followed the conventions less and their ears more. Similar to the slochd/sloc problem.
But the main problems are lenition and loanwords. Loanwords, like strì or stràbh show one peculiarity - unlike sròn and srath, you can't lenite them:
sròn ⇨ | mo shròn |
srath ⇨ | mo shrath |
strì ⇨ | mo strì |
stràbh ⇨ | mo stràbh |
So, the neat solution is, if you can't lenite it, spell it str, if you can, spell it sr. You'd end up mostly with loanwords on the str side and mostly with native Gaelic words on the other. So as a rule of thumb, if it looks a bit like an English word, it probably has unlenitable [sdr] and should be spelled str.
Beagan gràmair | ||||||||||||
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