Initial Consonant Mutations
In Irish, when certain words come together, their pronunciation changes because of the sounds around them. This is different from other languages where pronunciation changes are based on sound. In Irish, it's based on grammar.
Aspiration / Lenition
Aspiration, called Séimhiú in Irish, means softening or gentle pronunciation of consonants. It's when you let a bit more air out and the sound feels more like a vowel than a consonant. It's different from just adding a breathy "H" sound after the consonant.
To make these sounds, your mouth is shaped the same as when saying the consonant normally, but it's more open, and your tongue leaves a small gap to let the extra air through. There are two ways to make these sounds, called broad and slender.
Traditionally, aspiration was shown with a dot above the consonant, but in modern printing, it's written by adding an "H" next to the softened consonant. Think of this "H" as an accent on the consonant, not a separate sound.
Aspiration happens throughout the Irish language to produce specific sounds. It's also used in grammar, called lenition, which affects the beginnings of nouns, verbs, and adjectives.
| Sounds of Aspiration |
|---|
| Bh -> similar to V/W |
| Ch -> guttural C sound |
| Dh -> guttural D sound |
| Fh -> Ø no sound |
| Gh -> guttural G sound |
| Mh -> similar to V/W |
| Ph -> F (like in English) |
| Sh -> similar to an H |
| Th -> similar to an H |
When Does Lenition Happen?
At a beginner level, just knowing that this happens is enough so you aren’t confused by combinations like TH (which is not pronounced like TH in English at all). You can always come back for more details when you start to need them.
All these points are explained more and have examples in our member lesson.
Lenition to the beginning of verbs
1. After words that show the verb is in the past tense or negative
2. There used to be a word "do" that caused verbs to change when they were in the past tense or conditional form.
3. Caused by the word má “if”
4. Caused by the word ‘a’ when it means “that” or “who” (direct relative clauses)
5. Past or conditional forms of the copula
Lenition to the beginning of nouns
1. Caused by the word "an" (meaning "the") causes lenition for basic feminine nouns
2. Caused by the word “an” (meaning "of the") for masculine nouns in the genitive
3. When calling out a name (vocative)
4. When two words are combined into one
5. Caused by possessive pronouns that apply to only one person
6. Caused by certain prepositions
7. Caused by certain number words
8. Caused in Surnames
Lenition to the beginning of adjectives
1. Caused by following a singular, base feminine noun
2. Caused by following a singular masculine noun in the genitive form
3. Caused by following nouns in the vocative (calling) form
4. Caused by following a plural noun that ends with a slender consonant
5. When two adjectives are combined into one
Eclipse
During eclipse, the original sound of a letter is replaced by a different sound. For example, the letter "P" is eclipsed by "B," and "B" is eclipsed by "M." This creates a smooth transition between words and adds a musical flow to the language.
The sounds "P," "B," and "M" are all made with the mouth in the same shape, but with slight differences in airflow. This pattern is consistent throughout the language.
Eclipse happens in specific situations, such as at the beginning of words and only for nouns or verbs. It is caused by grammar and varies depending on the dialect spoken.
| Sounds of Eclipse |
|---|
| P -> B -> M |
| P -> bP -> pronounced as B |
| B -> mB -> pronounced as M |
| C -> G -> NG |
| C -> gC -> pronounced as G |
| G -> nG -> pronounced as NG |
| T -> D -> ND |
| T -> dT -> pronounced as D |
| D -> nD -> pronounced as N |
| F -> V/W -> Ø |
| F -> bhF -> pronounced as V/W |
When Does Eclipse Happen?
At a beginner level, just knowing that this happens so you aren’t confused by combinations like BHF is enough. You can always come back for more details when you start to need them.
All these points are explained more and have examples in our member lesson.
Eclipse to the beginning of verbs
1. When question particles are used
2. Caused by certain conjunctions or "dá" if
3. When two phrases are connected by "which" or "whose"
4. The special "wishing tense" (subjunctive mood) of the verb
Eclipse to the beginning of nouns
1. Caused by the numbers 7-10
2. Caused by possessive pronouns that apply to a group of people
3. Caused by a preposition + an “the”
4. Caused by na “the (pl.)” in the genitive plural
