69
93. Io, under tonic accent, followed by a protected liquid = iú in Desmond, and ou in Dēsi.
iompuiġ | fionn | iomċar |
ionntaoiḃ | cionntuiġ | iongna (=úna) |
ionnraic | (ós)cionn | prionnsa |
Refer to § 66.
94. ioḋ and ioġ = í + “o” glide (Connaught and Munster).
ioḋna | tioḋlaic | ioḋbairt |
ioḋal | dioġaltas | dioġrais |
dioġla | fioġar | bioḋg |
bioḋḃa | fioḋ | bioḋgaċ |
The “i” is naturally long in ríoġain and díoġḃáil.
95. In io unstressed, “i” is the vowel and “o” the glide—e.g., ciotóg, miotóg, scioból, tionól, iománuiḋe, giobógaċ, &c. Tiomáin = tomáin (i.e., broad t).
Ionad = inead (old Ir. inad); cionnus = conus (cá + ionnus).
Oi.
96. The digraph oi has three distinct sounds, viz.:—
- (1) o followed by a slender consonant.
- (2) i preceded by a broad consonant.
- (3) e preceded by a broad consonant.
It is very difficult to formulate definite rules to direct the student which pronunciation is to be given in a particular case. The following, however, may be of some assistance:—
(a) After gutturals (including l), or when followed by