pronunciation

Luke Ó Scolaidhe · **Joined:** Tue 03 Dec 2013 1:08 pm **Posts:** 50

In the old tale 'The Dream of Wandering Aengus' how do you best pronounce the name of the charachter 'Caer' ? Is it 'Ker' or simpliy 'Car'?

Lughaidh · **Joined:** Thu 15 Sep 2011 12:06 pm **Posts:** 2436

I think they would pronounce it as "kire" [kajr] in Old Irish.

Braoin · **Joined:** Sat 17 Sep 2011 11:52 pm **Posts:** 460

Lughaidh wrote:

I think they would pronounce it as "kire" [kajr] in Old Irish.

... if 'kire' is pronounced like 'mire' then I remember quite a colourful meaning to this word.... I'm wondering what the jokes might have been like in the time of the Old Irish when this name was mentioned in certain company out of earshot of the victim... LOL...
... no offence intended but I just couldn't resist

Lughaidh · **Joined:** Thu 15 Sep 2011 12:06 pm **Posts:** 2436

Char thuig mé 'n jóc a bhí i gceist agad!
Is beag focal nár athraigh a fhuaimniú eadar am na Sean-Ghaeilge agus an t-am atá inniu ann

Jay Bee · **Joined:** Tue 15 Nov 2011 7:35 am **Posts:** 1098

Nil a fhios agam ach oiread....

RobertKaucher · **Joined:** Thu 26 Dec 2013 3:21 pm **Posts:** 155

According to E.G. Quin in his Old Irish Workbook:

Quote:

6. The two diphthongs represented by the spellings aé/aí and oé/oí were originally distinct but fell together during the old-Irish period, both sometimes appearing in the same word (e.g. moídem maídem ‘boasting’). As they cannot with certainty be distinguished except on the basis of etymology they are both transcribed /oi/; the precise pronunciation remains uncertain. There was also a diphthong spelt uí.

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