This sounded so weird

Redwolf · **Posted:** Sat 12 Jan 2013 1:11 am

I heard someone on TG4 the other day pronounce "m'iníon" as "muh ih-NEE-un" (twice!). Is there anywhere where that pronunciation is used? (especially with the "mo" pronounced distinctly like that, rather than elided with the vowel?). I've always heard it as more or less muh-NEEN."

Redwolf

Scooby · **Joined:** Tue 06 Sep 2011 7:18 pm **Posts:** 576

I can't answer that question, but I'd say min-een (or maybe closer to min-ee-un).

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

Quote:

I've always heard it as more or less muh-NEEN."

what you heard is the Donegal form, which is "mo níon" (nighean). It's as in Scotland (mo nighean).
The Connachta and Munster form is "m' iní(o)n", pronounced "minneen".

Who was the person who said "mo iníon" on TG4, was it a native speaker? Because it's sounds odd. But maybe it exists in some dialect, I don't know...

Brian O'Cathain · **Joined:** Fri 09 Mar 2012 10:01 am **Posts:** 84

Sorry guys, but I have been pronouncing m'iníon as muh ih-Nee-un for over seventy years. I had to
have picked it up either around An Spidéal or Inverin. I have noticed over the years that as that area becomes more breac Gaeltacht some pronunciations have changed.

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

If Gaeltacht native speakers say it, then it is right.

Saoirse · **Posted:** Sat 12 Jan 2013 3:13 pm

Brian O'Cathain wrote:

Sorry guys, but I have been pronouncing m'iníon as muh ih-Nee-un for over seventy years.

Would you have felt the need to apologise if it were only sixty years? :mrgreen:

Seaghan · **Joined:** Tue 06 Sep 2011 12:09 pm **Posts:** 118

Some younger people in Conamara, and indeed some not so young, say 'mo inghean', like in Tír Chonaill, but the older people, and those who haven't been corrupted all say m'inghean (mwineen)

I have spoken to some teenagers and if they weren't so obviously native one would think they were from Baile Átha Cliath with the accent. They may be from houses where students stay in summer.

Redwolf · **Posted:** Sat 12 Jan 2013 5:32 pm

The person in this case is the actor who plays the police superintendent on Ros na Rún...I don't know her name, or if she's a native speaker or not.

Redwolf

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

Quote:

Some younger people in Conamara, and indeed some not so young, say 'mo inghean', like in Tír Chonaill, but the older people, and those who haven't been corrupted all say m'inghean (mwineen)

i dTír Chonaill deireann muidinne mo níon, chan *mo iníon

Seaghan · **Joined:** Tue 06 Sep 2011 12:09 pm **Posts:** 118

Lughaidh wrote:

Quote:

Some younger people in Conamara, and indeed some not so young, say 'mo inghean', like in Tír Chonaill, but the older people, and those who haven't been corrupted all say m'inghean (mwineen)

i dTír Chonaill deireann muidinne mo níon, chan *mo iníon

Peut etre vous voulez dire que ils disent, au lieu de nous disons ? De toute facons je sais bien que ils disent 'mo nighean' la haut. Merci d'avoir répondu quand meme ! :GRMA:

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