Special Pronunciations in Verb Forms
In verb forms, some letters and letter combinations are pronounced differently from elsewhere.
In the imperfect, conditional, and imperative, -dh is pronounced /tʲ/ before a pronoun beginning with s-:
- mholadh sé /ˈwɔl̪ˠətʲ ʃeː/ "he used to praise"
- bheannódh sibh /ˈvʲan̪ˠoːtʲ ʃɪvʲ/ "you (pl.) would bless"
- osclaíodh sí /ˈɔsˠkl̪ˠiːtʲ ʃiː/ "let her open"
Otherwise it is pronounced /x/:
- mholadh an buachaill /ˈwɔl̪ˠəx ə ˈbˠuəxəlʲ/ "the boy used to praise"
- bheannódh na cailíní /ˈvʲanoːx n̪ˠə ˈkalʲiːnʲiː/ "the girls would bless"
- osclaíodh Siobhán /ˈɔsˠkl̪ˠiːx ˈʃʊwaːn̪ˠ/ "let Siobhán open"
In the preterite impersonal, -dh is pronounced /w/:
- moladh é /ˈmˠɔl̪ˠəw eː/ "he was praised"
- beannaíodh na cailíní /ˈbʲan̪iːw nə ˈkalʲiːnʲiː/ "the girls were blessed"
-(a)idh and -(a)igh are pronounced /ə/ before a pronoun, otherwise /iː/:
- molfaidh mé /ˈmˠɔl̪ˠhə mʲeː/ "I will praise"
- molfaidh Seán /ˈmˠɔl̪ˠhiː ʃaːn/ "Seán will praise"
- bheannaigh mé /ˈvʲan̪ˠə mʲeː/ "I blessed"
- bheannaigh Seán /ˈvʲan̪ˠiː ʃaːn/ "Seán blessed"
In the future and conditional, f (broad or slender) has the following effects:
- After vowels and sonorants (/l̪ˠ lʲ mˠ mʲ n̪ˠ nʲ ɾˠ ɾʲ/) it is pronounced /h/:
- molfaidh /ˈmˠɔl̪ˠhiː/ "will praise"
- dhófadh /ˈɣoːhəx/ "would burn"
- déarfaidh /ˈdʲeːɾˠhiː/ "will say"
- It makes a voiced obstruent (/bˠ bʲ vʲ d̪ˠ ɡ/) or /w/ voiceless:
- scuabfadh /ˈsˠkuəpəx/ "would sweep"
- goidfidh /ˈɡɛtʲiː/ "will steal"
- leagfadh /ˈlʲakəx/ "would lay"
- scríobhfaidh /ˈʃcɾʲiːfˠiː/ "will write"
- shnámhfadh /ˈhn̪ˠaːfˠəx/ "would swim"
- It is silent after a voicless obstruent (/k c x ç pˠ pʲ sˠ ʃ t̪ˠ tʲ/)
- brisfidh /ˈbʲɾʲɪʃiː/ "will break"
- ghlacfadh /ˈɣl̪ˠakəx/ "would accept"
- But in the future and conditional impersonal f is often /fˠ, fʲ/
- molfar /ˈmˠɔl̪ˠfˠəɾˠ/ "one will praise"
- dhófaí /ˈɣoːfˠiː/ "one would burn"
- scuabfar /ˈsˠkuəbˠfˠəɾˠ/ "one will sweep"
- brisfear /ˈbʲɾʲɪʃfʲəɾˠ/ "one will break"
In the past participle th (also t after d) is silent but makes a voiced obstruent voiceless:
- scuabtha /ˈsˠkuəpˠə/ "swept"
- troidte /ˈt̪ˠɾˠɛtʲə/ "fought"
- ruaigthe /ˈɾˠuəcə/ "chased"
Read more about this topic: Irish Orthography
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