Another Wee Hint

Leid # 2, feil and fuil

This is another fundamental point about the Irish of Rathlin Island.

Most people who have studied Irish will remember the words, ní, and an bhfuil.

'Níl' is made up of the elements 'ní fhuil'. We have already seen that cha takes the place of ní in Rathlin and East Ulster, but there is a little more.

'is not' was chan fheil in Rathlin as it was in mainland Antrim, Omeath and South Armagh, and Scotland and Man as can be seen of the map.

'Chan fheil' is pronunced /han n'el/ or /han n'il/ approximately. The important thing is to remember that the 'n' is pronounced slender as in Newry.

'Bhfeil' differs from 'bhfuil' in that the 'bh' is slender, it is a 'v' sound, not a 'w' sound as in Donegal Irish. 'Bhfeil' is there pronounced /vel/ or /vil/ approximately.

A Wee Hint

Leid Beag # 1, 'a wee hint'.

The fundamental aspect of Irish as spoken in Rathlin, as opposed to the Standard Irish taught in schools today is that the dialect of Rathlin was a 'cha' /xa/ dialect.

For example, 'ní raibh mé' (I was not) was 'cha rabh mé' in Rathlin.
Gaelic dialects can be spilt into the language of 'cha' and the language of 'ní' as illustrated in the map opposite.

East Ulster, Scotland and Mann use 'cha', most of Ireland uses 'ní'.

However, as the map illustrates, 'cha' was once used over quite a bit of Ireland's East Coast, including Co. Meath.

To find out more about how to use 'cha' click here.

Basic Phrases of Rathlin Irish

Gaelc / Gaelg  
/gɛːlk/
Irish / Gaelic 

Fáilte  
/fɑːltʃə/
welcome

Maidin Mhath duit 
/mɑdʒin mɑ  dɑtʃ/
good morning

Dia duit ar maidin
/dʒiɑ dʎtʃ əɾ mɑdʒin/
good morning

Lá math
/lɑə mɑ/
good day

Coinfheascar math duit
/kɔnʲəskəɾ mɑ (dʎtʃ)
good evening to you

Goidé mar atá tú / thú 
/gə dʒeː məɾ ə tɑː tʎ (ʎ)/
how are you?

Goidé mar atá thú dol ar t'aghaidh?
/gə dʒeː məɾ ə tɑː ʎ dol əɾ teˑi/
How are you getting on?

Tá mé go math 
/tɑː mɛ gə mɑ/
I am well

Tá sinne go math 
/tɑː ʃinʲə gə mɑ/
we are well

Tá mé meanach 
/tɑː mɛ mɛːənɑx (mɛːənəx)/
I am middling

Tá mi go dona 
/tɑː mi gə dɔnə/
I am sick / I am feeling ill

Caidé an t-ainm a t(h)á ort?
/gə dʒeː ən tɑɾʲm a hɔɾt/
what is your name?

Oíche mhath (leat) 
/ɪːçə vɑ/
good night (to you)

Go rabh mile math a’d 
/gə  ro miːlə mɑ  ɑt/
thank you

Go rabh math a’d fhé’ 
/gə ɾəˈmɑ  agət he:/
thank you yourself

Mar sin leat
/məɾ   ʃin lʲɑt/  
same to you

Beannacht leat 
/bjɑnɑxt lʲɑt/                            
goodbye      

(ón leabhar 'Dhá Scéal Reachlann agus Eile, 2008)

http://www.coisceim.ie/dhasceal.html

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