This thread was inspired by Bríd's Focal an Lae viewtopic.php?f=28&t=1095&start=140

Today's 'focal an lae' was 'mala' (eyebrow) and she pointed out the importance of not confusing it with 'mála' (bag). Leaving out a fada or including an extra one is like omitting a letter or adding in an extra one.

I thought it might be interesting for people to add in words that have the same spelling except for fadas. I'll start it off.

Luigh mé ar an bhféar. "I lay on the grass."
This is quite different to Luigh mé ar an bhfear.

[A friend of mine uses that example with students to emphasise the importance of the fada. I think it makes the point well!]

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And very different from the Ulster Luigh mé ar an bhéar. "I lay down on the bear." (GU)
Or the Ulster Luigh mé ar a bheár "I lay down on the bar." (GU)

PS: Aren't standard English (i.e., outside America) quotation marks still double (") by default and single (') when "nested" or is the EU forcing Ireland to change them?

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

Every time I drive through Magh nAla, I think of eyebrows.

It appears that the incorrect Magh eala was too complicated, so they changed it to 'Mala', which is as stupid as 'Mallow'.

Depending on which part of town one is in, you will see signs for 'Mallow', Magh eala', Magh ealla' even Maigh ealla (wherever they got that one) and the latest simplified (must be the caighdeán) 'Mala'.

Some wit even painted in a sineadh fada on the 'Mala' so they ended up with 'Mála !

As a roadsign watcher, is it any wonder I always arrive stressed out ?

Only in Ireland !

If you would like something with a cup of tea, make sure you ask for a 'píosa cáca' and not 'píosa caca'!

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typical!

Maigh would have been neutral in Old Irish meaning adjectives that followed it would be nasalised.

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Please wait for corrections/ more input from other forum members before acting on advice

in Brittany it's much worse, believe me...

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Is fearr Gaeilg na Gaeltaċta ná Gaeilg ar biṫ eile
Agus is í Gaeilg Ġaoṫ Doḃair is binne

You'll be carrying a heavy burden if you mix up eire and Éire!

Redwolf