Munster Irish

Irish pronunciation: [{{{1}}}] Munster Irish is the dialect of the Irish language spoken in the province of Munster. Gaeltacht regions in Munster are found in the Dingle Peninsula Gaeltacht of west Kerry, in the Iveragh Peninsula in south Kerry, in Clear Island off the coast of west Cork, in West Muskerry; Coolea, Ballingeary, Ballyvourney, Kilnamatyra, and Renaree of central Cork; and in the Ring Gaeltacht in west Waterford. The north and west of Corca Dhuibhne are today the only place in the province of Munster where Irish has survived as the daily spoken language of most of the community although the language is spoken on a daily basis by a minority in other official Gaeltacht areas in the province. Historically, the Irish language was spoken throughout the province of Munster and Munster Irish had some influence on those parts of Connacht and Leinster bordering Munster such as Kilkenny, Wexford and south Galway and the Aran Islands.

Authors such as Peadar Ua Laoghaire have written in the Munster dialect.

Lexicon

Munster Irish differs from the Ulster and Connacht dialects in a number of respects. Some words and phrases used in Munster Irish are not used in the other dialects, such as:

• [in aon chur] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) (Corca Dhuibhne, West Muskerry, Waterford) or [ar aon chor] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) (Clear Island, West Carberry) "at any rate" (other dialects [ar chor ar bith] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) (Connacht) and [ar scor ar bith] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) (Ulster)
• [fé] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "under" (standard [faoi] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help))
• [Gaelainn] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "Irish language" (Cork and Kerry), [Gaeilinn] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) (Waterford) (standard [Gaeilge] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help))
• [ná] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "that...not; do not" (standard [nach] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help))
• [leis] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "also" (Connacht [fresin] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help), Ulster [fosta] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help))
• [anso] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) or [atso] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "here" and [ansan] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) or [atsan] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "there" instead of standard [anseo] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) and [ansin] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help), respectively
• In both demonstrative pronouns and adjectives speakers of Munster Irish diffentiate between [seo] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "this" and [sin] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "that" following a palatalised consonant or front vowel and [so] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "this" and [san] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "that" following a velarised consonant or back vowel in final position: [an bóthar so] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "this road", [an bhó san] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "that cow", [an chairt sin] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "that car", [an claí seo] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "this fence"
• the use of [thá] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) instead of [tá] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) in the extreme west of Corca Dhuibhne and in Ring
• the preposition [chuig] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "to, towards" which is common in Connacht Irish and Ulster Irish is generally absent from Munster. The prepositions [go, do, chun] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) and [go dtí] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) are used instead depending on the context.
• [féachaint] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "looking", "watching" (Connacht [breathnú] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help), Ulster [amharc] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) but [breithniú] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "carefully observing" and [amharc] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) are also used to some degree in Corca Dhuibhne)
• the historic dative form [tigh] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "house" is now used as the nominative form (Standard [teach] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help))
• Munster retains the historic form of the personal pronoun [sinn] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "us" which has largely been replaced with [muid] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) (or [muinn] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) in parts of Ulster) in most situations in Connacht and Ulster.
• Corca Dhuibhne and Ring use the form [cím] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) (earlier [do-chím] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)) "I see" while Muskerry and Clear Island use the form [ficim] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) (< [feicim] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help))
• The adverbial forms [chuige, a chuige] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) in Corca Dhuibhne and [a chuigint] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "at all" in Ring are sometimes used in addition to [in aon chor] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) or [ar aon chor] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)
• The adjective [cuibheasach] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) /kiːsəx/ (spelt [cuíosach] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) in modern usage) is used adverbially in phrases such as [cuibheasach beag] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "rather small", "fairly small", [cuibheasach mór] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "quite large". Connacht uses [sách] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) and Ulster [iontach] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)
• [Faic] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) or [pioc] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "nothing" in West Munster, [dada] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "nothing at all" in Ring, [ní dúrt pioc] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "I said nothing at all", [níl faic dá bharr agam] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "I have gained nothing by it"
• The interjections [ambaiste, ambaist, ambasa, ambaic] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "Indeed!", "My word!", "My God!" in West Munster and [amaite, amaite fhéinig] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) in Ring
• [obann] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "sudden" instead of [tobann] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) in the other major dialects
• [práta] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "potato", [fata] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) in Connacht and [préata] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) in Ulster
• [oiriúnach] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "suitable", [feiliúnach] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) in Connacht and [fóirsteanach] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) in Ulster
• [nóimi(n)t, nóimeat, neomint, neomat, nóiméad] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) in Connacht and [bomaite] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) in Donegal
• Munster diffrentiates between [ach go háirithe] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "anyway", "anyhow" and [go háirithe] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "particularly", "especially"
• [gallúnach] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "soap", [gallaoireach] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) in Connacht and [sópa] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) in Ulster
• [deifir] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) is "difference" in Munster; [níl aon deifir eatarthu] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "there is no difference between them". In the other major dialects, [deifir] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) means "hurry"
• [deabhadh] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) /dʲau/ or /dʲou/ or [deithneas] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) /dʲihinəs/ "hurry" whereas the other major dialects use [deifir] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)

Phonology

The phonemic inventory of Munster Irish (based on the accent of West Muskerry in western Cork) is as shown in the following chart (based on Ó Cuív 1944; see International Phonetic Alphabet for an explanation of the symbols). Symbols appearing in the upper half of each row are velarized (traditionally called "broad" consonants) while those in the bottom half are palatalized ("slender"). The consonant /h/ is neither broad or slender.

Consonant phonemes	Bilabial		Coronal						Dorsal				Glottal
			Dental		Alveolar		Palato- alveolar		Palatal		Velar
Plosive	pˠ pʲ	bˠ bʲ	t̪ˠ	d̪ˠ	tʲ	dʲ			c	ɟ	k	ɡ
Fricative/ Approximant	ɸˠ ɸʲ	βˠ βʲ			sˠ		ʃ		ç	j	x	ɣ	h
Nasal		mˠ mʲ		n̪ˠ		nʲ				ɲ		ŋ
Tap						ɾˠ ɾʲ
Lateral approximant				l̪ˠ		lʲ

The vowels of Munster Irish are as shown on the following chart. These positions are only approximate, as vowels are strongly influenced by the palatalization and velarization of surrounding consonants.

In addition, Munster has the diphthongs /iə, ia, uə, əi, ai, au, ou/.

Some characteristics of Munster that distinguish it from the other dialects are:

• The fricative [βˠ] is found in syllable-onset position. (Connacht and Ulster have [w] here.) For example, [bhog] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "moved" is pronounced [βˠɔg] as opposed to [wɔg] elsewhere.
• The diphthongs /əi/, /ou/, and /ia/ occur in Munster, but not in the other dialects.
• Word-internal clusters of obstruent + sonorant, [m] + [n/r], and stop + fricative are broken up by an epenthetic [ə], except that stop + liquid remains in the onset of a stressed syllable. For example, [eaglais] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "church" is pronounced [ˈɑgəl̪ˠəʃ], but [Aibreán] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "April" is [aˈbrɑːn̪ˠ] (as if spelled Abrán).
• Orthographic short a is diphthongized (rather than lengthened) before word-final m and the Old Irish tense sonorants spelled nn, ll (e.g. [ceann] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) [kʲaun̪ˠ] "head").
• Word-final /j/ is realized as [gʲ], e.g. [marcaigh] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "horsemen" [ˈmˠɑɾˠkəgʲ].
• Stress is attracted to noninitial heavy syllables: [corcán] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) [kəɾˠˈkɑːn̪ˠ] "pot", [mealbhóg] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) [mʲal̪ˠəˈβˠoːg] "satchel". Stress is also attracted to [ax, ɑx] in the second syllable: [coileach] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) [kəˈlʲax] "rooster", [beannacht] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) [bʲəˈn̪ˠɑxt̪ˠ] "blessing", [bacacha] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) [bˠəˈkɑxə] "lame" (pl.).
• In some varieties, long /ɑː/ is rounded to [ɒː].

Morphology

Irish verbs are characterized by having a mixture of analytic forms (where information about person is provided by a pronoun) and synthetic forms (where information about number is provided in an ending on the verb) in their conjugation. In Munster synthetic forms are more often used than in the standard language, where analytic forms (those with a general ending + personal pronoun) are more common.

Munster	Standard	Gloss
molair	molann tú	"you (sg.) praise"
molaid	molann siad	"they praise"
mholas	mhol mé	"I praised"
mholais	mhol tú	"you (sg.) praised"
mholabhair	mhol sibh	"you (pl.) praised"
mholadar	mhol siad	"they praised"
molfad	molfaidh mé	"I will praise"
molfair	molfaidh tú	"you (sg.) will praise"
molfaid	molfaidh siad	"they will praise"

Some irregular verbs have different forms in Munster than in the standard:

• [deinim] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "I do/make" (standard [déanaim] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)) and [dheineas] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "I did/made" (standard [rinne mé] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help))
• [cím] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "I see" (standard [feicim] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)) agus [chnuc] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) or [chnoicíos] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "I saw"

Past tense verbs can take the particle [do] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) in Munster Irish, even when they begin with consonants. In the standard language, the particle is used only before vowels. For example, Munster [do bhris sé] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) or [bhris sé] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "he broke" (standard only [bhris sé] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)).

Syntax

One significant syntactic difference between Munster and other dialects is that in Munster, [go] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("that") is used instead of [a] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) as the indirect relative particle:

• [an fear go bhfuil a dheirfiúr san ospidéal] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "the man whose sister is in the hospital" (standard an fear a bhfuil...)

References

• Ó Cuív, Brian (1944). The Irish of West Muskerry, Co. Cork. Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. ISBN 0-901282-52-9.