Here are some pronunciation notes for the last blog.  Again, the purpose of the occasional blogs that are devoted primarily to pronunciation here is to provide a rough guide, especially aimed at addressing the issue of silent letters.  For more practice with pronunciation, I always recommend Transparent’s Word of the Day, which comes with sound files, and their various other programs for learning Irish (see blogs.transparent.com/irish)

falaróp [FAH-luh-rohp], pl. falaróip [FAH-luh-roh-ip], phalarope (the aquatic bird).  This word is actually quite straightforward to pronounce in Irish, sounding pretty much like its English counterpart.  The interesting point though, I think, is that the “ph” of the English and the original Greek, has quite logically been changed to an “f” for Irish.  This process of changing a “ph” to “f” in loanwords happens quite consistently in Irish, as in

Filideilfia, Filipigh, an cocatú Filipíneach, and the scientific term, feanótailéin, as well as, of course, fón.  The English equivalents are listed at the end of this article, in case there are ceisteanna ar bith. 

“Ph” wouldn’t be retained in Gaelicizing a word like “phalarope” since “ph” in Irish indicates that the letter “p” has been lenited (softened).  You’ve probably seen the p/ph alternation already (Pádraig, a Phádraig, cóta Phádraig or Ó Peatáin, Ní Pheatáin, Uí Pheatáin, for the surname Peyton/Paton).  So, to return to “falaróp,” it’s quite predictable that the word starts with “f” in Irish. 

Pronunciation of “F,” “Fh,” and “bhF”

Of course, the new initial letter “f” is subject to mutation.  It can be lenited (fh), becoming silent, as in “Na hOileáin Fhilipíneacha” [nuh HIL-yaw-in il-ip-EEN-yukh-uh].  Or “bia an fhalaróip” [BEE-uh un AH-luh-roh-ip].  In fact, I would say it’s about a 99.99% rule in Irish: “fh” is silent. 

The letter “f” can also be eclipsed (bhf), in which case it is pronounced like a “v” when next to “e” or “i,” as in “cobra seileogach na bhFilipíneach Thuaidh” and “cobra seileogach na bhFilipíneach Thoir Theas” [KOB-ruh SHEL-yohg-ukh nuh vil-ip-EEN-yukh HOO-ee / HIR^zh HASS] (I’m giving both the northern and south-eastern variety since I don’t want to overlook any of those spitting cobras and risk offending one!).   My ciarsúr nimhdhíonach is ready though, just in case!

That was the slender “bhf.”  How about “broad bhf”?  You’ve probably been pronouncing the “broad” version of “bhf” since you started Irish, perhaps without dwelling on the whys and wherefores of it.  Beginners are often just told to pronounce “bhfuil” as “wil,” i.e with a “w” sound, no matter how counterintuitive it may look.  Since “bhfuil” is the question form of the verb “to be” (present tense), you typically learn it in your first or second Irish lesson (Cén chaoi a bhfuil tú?  An bhfuil tú go maith?, etc.).  The rule? “Bhf” next to a “broad” vowel (a, o, u) is pronounced like a “w.” 

So that also tells you how to pronounce teideal an bhlag seo: Nótaí ar Fhuaimniú na bhFocal [NOH-tee err OO-im-n^yoo nuh WUK-ul, with the “bhf” like a “w”]

In summary, then:

Slender “f” and Slender “bhf”:

a. Filideilfia [FIL-ih-del-fee-uh]

i bhFilideilfia [ih VIL-ih-del-fee-uh, except of course for Philly’s marketeers, who want locals to say, “ih VIL-ih-del-fee-aaaaah!” (in Philadelphiaaaaah!).  Hmm, we could apply an dea-fhoghras sin to Baile Átha Cliath (Dublin) too, since it conveniently ends in an “uh” sound – Baile Átha Cliáááá!  That would incorporate function number two (of four) of the one-letter word “á” in Irish – “ah!,” the interjection used to express joy, surprise, contentment, etc.  Yes, “á” has four separate meanings in Irish, but guess what – sin ábhar blag eile!  And, yes, I’m assuming you remembered that the final “-th” of “Cliath” is silent, otherwise the whole réamhleagan falls apart. 

b. Feabhra [F^yOW-ruh, “ow” as in “cow,” “now,” or “auf Wiedersehen], February

i bhFeabhra [ih V^yOW-ruh], in February (or “i mí na Feabhra,” ach sin scéal eile!)

Broad “f” and Broad “bhf”:

a. na falaróip [nuh FAH-luh-roh-ip], the phalaropes

bia na bhfalaróp [BEE-uh nuh WAH-luh-rohp], the food of the phalaropes.  And yes, there’s a change at the ending too, but this is the section for pronunciation of initial “bhf” – not the section for possessive plural endings!

b. folach [FOL-ukh], (act of) hiding

i bhfolach [ih WOL-ukh], in hiding

Well, that’s a couple words (falaróp, folach) from the last blog!  It may be a bit of short shrift for the next few, but here’s at least a few more ón mblag is déanaí:

ficheall [FI-h^yul, the “hy” as in “humid,” “human,” “Hugh,” or “hew,” in other words, all breath – NOT like “church” or “loch” or “Achtung”], chess or its Celtic counterpart

corrmhíol [kor-veel, equal stress on both syllables, since it’s a compound word], one of the choices for “mosquito”

bia beagmhaitheasa [BEE-uh B^yUG-WAH-huss-uh, equal stress on “beag-” and “-mhaith-“ since they’re in a compound word].  “Beagmhaitheas” more generally means “uselessness” or “worthlessness,” not “junk” per se, as discussed in the previous blog.  Literally, it’s “beag” (small) and “maitheas” (goodness). 

Freagraí: Philadelphia, Philippians, the Philippine cockatoo, phenolphthalein (did I hear someone say that only Irish seemed to have long strings of silent letters?), phone.  Lenited: The Philippine Islands, the food of the phalarope.  Eclipsed: North Philippine spitting cobra, South-east Philippine spitting cobra.

Gluaisín: ar fhuaimniú [err OO-im-n^yoo], on pronunciation; dea-fhoghras [DJA-OH-russ, silent “fh” and “gh”], euphony; réamhleagan [RAYV-L^yAG-un], premise