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.