Pronunciation of unstressed -aid

Ciamar a chanas mi.... / How do I say...
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Droigheann
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Pronunciation of unstressed -aid

Unread post by Droigheann »

According to Blas na Gàidhlig rules this should be /-ɪdʲ/ (A19), but there are several words in AFB where the ending is put as /-adʲ/: casaid, cùbaid, eileamaid, pioghaid, trioblaid and probably more. Are these exceptions to the rule? For instance, because some of them started life as compounds, so the ending was initially stressed? (There is also somewhat bemusingly prìobhaideach /prʲiːvadʲəx/ but prìobhaideachd /prʲiːvɪdʲəxg/).


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Pronunciation of unstressed -aid

Unread post by GunChleoc »

It might be a dialectal thing. I have a friend fromm Lewis who always says /-adʲ/, even for "mionaid" which has /-ɪdʲ/ in AFB. I tend to say /-ɪdʲ/, but I'm a learner, so I don't count.
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akerbeltz
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Pronunciation of unstressed -aid

Unread post by akerbeltz »

There are two competing rules here. One that says
  • an unstressed vowel before a phonetically palatal consonant will tend towards /ɪ/
and the other
  • -aid tends to be /adʲ/
When I wrote Blas, I decided that given /ɪdʲ/ does occur with native speakers, I'd universalize the first rule but I've since come off generalizing that which is why in AFB, I have started to implement /adʲ/. I should fix that in Blas some time when I find my clone 8-)

I've fixed prìobhaideachd. On the bright side, it is not a hanging offence to flit between /ɪdʲ/ and /adʲ/
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Pronunciation of unstressed -aid

Unread post by Droigheann »

akerbeltz wrote:On the bright side, it is not a hanging offence to flit between /ɪdʲ/ and /adʲ/
Just to make sure: do you mean that I don't have to pick one and stick to it for all words, so it's fine if I say e.g. /karɪdʲ/ but /uːhbradʲ/? (I hope the aswer is yes, it would make life much easier :socair: :) ).
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Pronunciation of unstressed -aid

Unread post by akerbeltz »

Yes, just pick one and stick with it :)
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Pronunciation of unstressed -aid

Unread post by Droigheann »

Sgoinneil - mòran taing!
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