The Irish Societies in New York, Philadelphia and Boston, carry on their classes vigorously. As for the new classes in Providence, they surpass any previous efforts to revive the study of Irish, either in Ireland or abroad, as the classes number over 170 members. The classes are taught by Mr. O’Casey and Mr. Henehan, the latter being a native of one of the glens to the west of Lough Mask. Irish history, music, tradition, study of place and family names all find a place in the work of the classes. Father Ryan may congratulate himself in the result of his exertions.
The first part of the Easy Lessons in Irish will be issued in book form in a few weeks.
EASY LESSONS IN IRISH.
(Continued.)
EXERCISE XXI.
§ 146. WORDS.
| Máire (maur′-ĕ) Mary | Uilliam (il-ee′-am), William | |
| Munster | ||
| idir, between | id′-ir | id-ir′ |
| oileán, an island | el′-aun | el-aun′ |
| sgioból, a barn | shgib′-ōl | shgib-ōl′ |
§ 147. Ins an oileán úr “in the new Island,” is often said for “in America”; also in Ameiriocá (am-er′-i-kau).
§ 148. Anois (a-nish′), now, has the accent on the last syllable.
§ 149. Atá súiste ins an sgioból. Atá Máire ag obair ag an túirne. Níl Máire ag an doras, atá sí ag dul síos do’n tobar Atá an bád mór ag dul do’n oileán eile Níl Peadar in Éirinn anois, atá sé ins an oileán úr, agus atá Conn agus Art leis. Níl an long ag an oileán, atá sí in Éirinn. Níl sí in Éirinn fós, ata sí ar an sáile. Atá fíon saor agus fíon daor in Éirinn, agus ins an oilean úr: atá an fíon saor ins an tí eile.
§ 150. Nora and Mary are at the well; Mary is going down to the meadow with a pitcher, and Nora is at the barn. The grass is dry and heavy. The fresh grass is heavy yet; the dry grass is not heavy now. There is dry turf in the barn. Art is on the road now, he is not going to Kildare yet. James is going to America, and Nora is going with him. I am not going with you to the island. The salt-sea (sáile) is between Ireland and America. There is a long road between Kildare and Derry. Mary is not working now, the spinning-wheel is old and broken; the work is heavy, and Mary is not strong. William is not sick now, he is well (and) strong.
EXERCISE XXII.
§ 151. The pronunciation of the digraphs, as indicated in § 132, may be followed in all cases; but the popular spoken language, in some cases, retains an older pronunciation. Thus, io is now pronounced like i short; as, fios (fis), knowledge; lios (lis), a fort; but in liom (lŭm, l-yŭm), with me, as usually pronounced, we can yet hear the older pronunciation, both the i and the o being sounded. In the following list the io may be pronounced i short by students who have no opportunity of hearing Irish spoken.
§ 152. WORDS.
| iolar (ŭl′-ăr), an eagle | siopa (shŭp′-ă), a shop |
| iomorca, ŭm′-ărk-ă, too much | sioc (shŭk), frost |
| tar (thor), come (thou). | |
§ 153. Dún, a fort, means usually a stone building; lios, a mound of earth, generally of circular form. siopa, the word in general use for “shop,” is borrowed from the English word.
§ 154. Atá an lá te. Níl an lá té, atá sioc ar an ród. Atá Tomas ag an siopa, agus atá Art leis. Atá Peadar ag dul go Cill-Dara, agus níl Conn ag dul leis: atá sé tinn. Atá an fear eile ag dul liom go Gránárd. Atá sioc ar an uisge, ag an tobar. Atá an tobar mór tirim, agus atá an tobar eile lán. Atá sioc bán ar an lios. Iolar mór, áluinn. Atá an dún deas. Atá feur ag fás ar an iomaire. Atá an iomarca uisge ins an tobar.
§ 155. The large fort is old; the other fort is not old. The whole field is green; and the hedge is not green yet. Come with me to Derry. I am not going with you to Derry, I am going with him to Granard. Leave the young horse on the road, and come with me. The path is clean (and) dry: there is water on the road. All the road is not clean. Come on the other road. There is an eagle in the high fort, he is large and beautiful.
EXERCISE XXIII.
§ 156. We have seen in §§ 75-78, how the short vowels are lengthened in Munster before double consonants. The short vowel-sounds represented by the digraphs in § 132, are lengthened in the same way by Munster speakers. Thus:—
| ea | is pronounced | e-ou, | or almost | you | |
| io | „ | i-oo | „ | yoo | |
| ai | In some parts of Munster all these are pronounced like (ei); as a rule, however, ui is pronounced uí, that is (ee).
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| ei | |||||
