Ulster Irish - Phonology

Phonology

The phonemic inventory of Ulster Irish (based on the dialect of Gweedore) is as shown in the following chart (see International Phonetic Alphabet for an explanation of the symbols). Symbols appearing in the upper half of each row are velarized (traditionally called "broad" consonants) while those in the bottom half are palatalized ("slender"). The consonants /h, n, l/ are neither broad or slender.

The vowels of Ulster Irish are as shown on the following chart. These positions are only approximate, as vowels are strongly influenced by the palatalization and velarization of surrounding consonants.

The long vowels have short allophones in unstressed syllables and before /h/.

In addition, Ulster has the diphthongs /ia, ua, au/.

Some characteristics of the phonology of Ulster Irish that distinguish it from the other dialects are:

• The only broad labial continuant is the approximant . In other dialects, fricative is found instead of or in addition to . No dialect makes a phonemic contrast between the approximant and the fricative, however.
• Often in Ulster dialects, can become as in "teach" (Pronounced as the English "ch"). Likewise can become as in "dearg" (Pronounced as the English "j"). This is particularly evident in younger speakers of this dialect. Such pronunciation of the slender "t" and "d" is also the case in Scottish Gaelic and Manx.
• There is a three-way distinction among coronal nasals and laterals: /n̪ˠ ~ n ~ ṉʲ/, /l̪ˠ ~ l ~ ḻʲ/, and there is no lengthening or diphthongization of short vowels before these sounds and /m/. Thus, while ceann "head" is /cɑːn/ in Connacht and /caun/ in Munster, in Ulster it is /can̪ˠ/
• /ɔː/ corresponds to the /oː/ of other dialects. The Ulster /oː/ corresponds to the /au/ of other dialects.
• Long vowels are shortened when in unstressed syllables.
• /n/ is realized as (or is replaced by /r/) after consonants other than . This happens in Connacht as well.
• Orthographic -adh in unstressed syllables is always (this includes verb forms).
• Unstressed orthographic -ach is pronounced, or .
• According to Ó Dochartaigh (1987), the loss of final schwa "is a well-attested feature of Ulster Irish". This has led to words like fada being pronounced .

Differences between the Western and Eastern sub-dialects of Ulster include the following:

• In West Ulster and most of Ireland, the vowel written ea is pronounced (e.g. fear ), but in East Ulster it is pronounced (e.g. fear /fʲɛɾˠ/. J. J. Kneen comments that Scottish Gaelic and Manx generally follow the East Ulster pronunciation. The name Seán is pronounced in Munster and in West Ulster, but in East Ulster, whence anglicized spellings like Shane O'Neill and Glenshane.
• In East Ulster, th or ch in the middle of a word tends to vanish and leave one long syllable. William Neilson wrote that this happens "in most of the counties of Ulster, and the east of Leinster".
• In East Ulster, /x/ at the end of words (as in loch) tends to be much weaker. For example amach may be pronounced and bocht pronounced . Neilson wrote that this is found "in all the country along the sea coast, from Derry to Waterford".
• Neilson wrote that the "ancient pronunciation" of broad bh and mh as, especially at the beginning or end of a word "is still retained in the North of Ireland, as in Scotland, and the Isle of Man", whereas "throughout Connaught, Leinster and some counties of Ulster, the sound of is substituted". However, broad bh or mh may become in the middle of a word (for example in leabhar).