63
many Scotch dialects (ZCP. iv 92 ff.), occurs in other parts of Ulster. For Monaghan see G. J. 1896 p. 146 col. 1. iə is regular in kʹiəNə, ‘same’, O.Ir. cétne and must have existed in the case of çïd, ‘first’ (§ 105). Occasionally we find iα for iə, as in uəfʹiαLtə, ‘wild-looking’, Di. uaith-bhéalta, cp. M.Ir. oibéla; fʹiαχ beside fʹiəx imper. of fʹiαχælʹ, ‘to try’, M.Ir. féchaim, cp. § 13.
14. iu.
§ 167. In a very few cases i is followed by ũw arising from O.Ir. m but iũw only forms one syllable, e.g. gʹrʹiũw, ‘deed’, O.Ir. gním; ʃNʹiũw, ‘to spin’, M.Ir. sním. The substantive formed from dʹi꞉wĩ꞉nʹ, ‘single, unmarried’, is dʹiũ(꞉)nʹəs, M.Ir. dímain.
15. yə.
§ 168. yə appears instead of uə in a few words which begin with f. This is more particularly the case when the initial disappears by aspiration, e.g. tα꞉ n çeʃtʹ dælʹi꞉ yəskluw, ‘the question is hard to answer’; fwyər, ‘cold’ (§ 66). Further in parts of the verb for ‘to sew’, infin. fwyαl, Di. fuagháil, pres. fwəjəm, Wi. fúagaim, pret. dyəi, Nʹi꞉rʹ yəi, imperf. pass. dyətʹi꞉, condit. pass. dyɛifʹi꞉. Similarly in fwyə, ‘hatred’; dyəgirʹ mʹə, pret. of fuəgruw, ‘to announce’.
16. əu.
§ 169. I have only heard this diphthong in fəutαχ, ‘not right’, cp. Cl. S. 20 viii ’04 p. 6 col. 1, Di. fabhtach; məuwlə, compar. of məwilʹ, ‘quiet’, Di. modhamhail.
17. ə⅄.
§ 170. This most peculiar diphthong occurs in a few monosyllables ending in ‑eadh, ‑eagh and in one or two other words. The diphthong is always clipped and there is generally a suspicion of a a glide at the finish. For a long time I was at a loss to analyse the sounds, more especially as there is always an alternative pronunciation with ïg (§ 106) and ə⅄ is confined to the oldest people. The sound occurs in ʃLʹə⅄, ‘spear’, M.Ir. sleg; fʹə⅄, ‘fathom’, Di. feadh, O.Ir. ed; fʹə⅄, fʹïg, ‘rush’, Di. fiag; ʃə⅄ according to J. H. is a Rosses pronunciation of ʃα, O.Ir. is ed. Further in ə⅄ri꞉m, ïꬶəri꞉m, ‘I adore’, Spir. Rose p. 6
