Difference between revisions of "Lenition"
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ColinGorrie (talk | contribs) (Lenition chart for stops) |
ColinGorrie (talk | contribs) (Normalised transcription to akerbeltz (with minor adaptations)) |
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! Example (lenited) | ! Example (lenited) | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | | + | | [pʰ] |
| − | | | + | | [f] |
| − | | '''''p'''aileat'' <br> | + | | '''''p'''aileat'' <br> ['''pʰ'''aiʎəʰt̪] <br> 'a pilot' |
| − | | ''aig a' '''ph'''aileat'' <br> | + | | ''aig a' '''ph'''aileat'' <br> [ɛgʲ ə '''f'''aiʎəʰt̪] <br> 'at the pilot' |
|- | |- | ||
| − | | | + | | [b̊] |
| − | | | + | | [v] |
| − | | '''''b'''odach'' <br> | + | | '''''b'''odach'' <br> ['''b̊'''ɔd̪̊ax] <br> 'an old man' |
| − | | ''a '''bh'''odaich'' <br> | + | | ''a '''bh'''odaich'' <br> [ə '''v'''ɔd̪̊ɪç] <br> 'old man (voc.)' |
|- | |- | ||
| − | | | + | | [t̪ʰ] |
| − | | | + | | [h] |
| − | | '''''t''' | + | | '''''t'''uathanach'' <br> ['''t̪ʰ'''uəhənax] <br> 'a farmer' |
| − | | ''a '''th'''uathanaich'' <br> | + | | ''a '''th'''uathanaich'' <br> [ə '''h'''uəhənɪç] <br> 'farmer (voc.)' |
|- | |- | ||
| − | | | + | | [tʲʰ] |
| − | | | + | | [h] |
| − | | '''''t'''eachdaire'' <br> | + | | '''''t'''eachdaire'' <br> ['''tʲʰ'''ɛxg̊ɪrʲə] <br> 'a messenger' |
| − | | ''a '''th'''eachdaire'' <br> | + | | ''a '''th'''eachdaire'' <br> [ə '''h'''ɛxg̊ɪrʲə] <br> 'messenger (voc.)' |
|- | |- | ||
| − | | | + | | [d̪̊] |
| − | | | + | | [ɣ] |
| − | | '''''d'''uine'' <br> | + | | '''''d'''uine'' <br> [d̪̊uɲə] <br> 'a man' |
| − | | ''a '''dh'''uine'' <br> | + | | ''a '''dh'''uine'' <br> [ə '''ɣ'''uɲə] <br> 'man (voc.)' |
|- | |- | ||
| − | | | + | | [d̊ʲ] |
| − | | | + | | [ʝ] |
| − | | '''''Di'''ùrachh'' <br> | + | | '''''Di'''ùrachh'' <br> ['''d̊ʲ'''uːrax] <br> 'a Jura-man' |
| − | | ''a '''Dh'''iùraich'' <br> | + | | ''a '''Dh'''iùraich'' <br> [ə '''ʝ'''uːrɪç] <br> 'Jura-man (voc.)' |
|- | |- | ||
| − | | | + | | [kʰ] |
| − | | | + | | [x] |
| − | | '''''c'''ailleach'' <br> | + | | '''''c'''ailleach'' <br> ['''kʰ'''aʎax] <br> 'an old woman' |
| − | | ''aig a' '''ch'''ailleach'' <br> | + | | ''aig a' '''ch'''ailleach'' <br> [ɛg̊ʲ ə '''x'''aʎax] <br> 'at the old woman' |
|- | |- | ||
| − | | | + | | [kʲʰ] |
| − | | | + | | [ç] |
| − | | '''''c'''eannaiche'' <br> | + | | '''''c'''eannaiche'' <br> ['''kʲʰ'''an̪ˠɪçə] <br> 'a salesman' |
| − | | ''a '''ch'''eannaiche'' <br> | + | | ''a '''ch'''eannaiche'' <br> [ə '''ç'''an̪ˠɪçə] <br> 'salesman (voc.)' |
|- | |- | ||
| − | | | + | | [g̊] |
| − | | | + | | [ɣ] |
| − | | '''''g'''obha'' <br> | + | | '''''g'''obha'' <br> ['''g̊'''o.ə] <br> 'a smith' |
| − | | ''a '''gh'''obha'' <br> | + | | ''a '''gh'''obha'' <br> [ə '''ɣ'''o.ə] <br> 'smith (voc.)' |
|- | |- | ||
| − | | | + | | [g̊ʲ] |
| − | | | + | | [ʝ] |
| − | | '''''g'''ille'' <br> | + | | '''''g'''ille'' <br> ['''g̊ʲ'''iʎə] <br> boy' |
| − | | ''a '''gh'''ille'' <br> | + | | ''a '''gh'''ille'' <br> [ə '''ʝ'''iʎə] <br> 'boy (voc.)' |
|} | |} | ||
Revision as of 14:08, 21 September 2009
Lenition is an Initial Consonant Mutation which "softens" the sound of the first consonant in a word. It is used to mark certain morphological contrasts and to mark |inflection. It also inaccurately known as aspiration (which is the term used for a phonological phenomenon involving a burst of air). we will use the more correct term here.
Contents
Basic phenomenon
Orthographic Changes
For most letters, lenition is indicated by putting an <h> after the first consonant in the word. For example, when the word caora "sheep" follows the feminine article a' , it is lenited and is written a' chaora.
The consonants written l,n,r which are subject to lenition phonologically (see below) show no orthographic change.
Phonological Changes
Stops
| Radical | Lenited | Example (radical) | Example (lenited) |
|---|---|---|---|
| [pʰ] | [f] | paileat [pʰaiʎəʰt̪] 'a pilot' |
aig a' phaileat [ɛgʲ ə faiʎəʰt̪] 'at the pilot' |
| [b̊] | [v] | bodach [b̊ɔd̪̊ax] 'an old man' |
a bhodaich [ə vɔd̪̊ɪç] 'old man (voc.)' |
| [t̪ʰ] | [h] | tuathanach [t̪ʰuəhənax] 'a farmer' |
a thuathanaich [ə huəhənɪç] 'farmer (voc.)' |
| [tʲʰ] | [h] | teachdaire [tʲʰɛxg̊ɪrʲə] 'a messenger' |
a theachdaire [ə hɛxg̊ɪrʲə] 'messenger (voc.)' |
| [d̪̊] | [ɣ] | duine [d̪̊uɲə] 'a man' |
a dhuine [ə ɣuɲə] 'man (voc.)' |
| [d̊ʲ] | [ʝ] | Diùrachh [d̊ʲuːrax] 'a Jura-man' |
a Dhiùraich [ə ʝuːrɪç] 'Jura-man (voc.)' |
| [kʰ] | [x] | cailleach [kʰaʎax] 'an old woman' |
aig a' chailleach [ɛg̊ʲ ə xaʎax] 'at the old woman' |
| [kʲʰ] | [ç] | ceannaiche [kʲʰan̪ˠɪçə] 'a salesman' |
a cheannaiche [ə çan̪ˠɪçə] 'salesman (voc.)' |
| [g̊] | [ɣ] | gobha [g̊o.ə] 'a smith' |
a ghobha [ə ɣo.ə] 'smith (voc.)' |
| [g̊ʲ] | [ʝ] | gille [g̊ʲiʎə] boy' |
a ghille [ə ʝiʎə] 'boy (voc.)' |
Initial <sp>, <st>, <sg>, and sometimes <sn> (depending upon the dialect) do not undergo lenition.
Lenition Triggers
- certain articles:
- intensifiers: glè, ro
