How, and in what contexts in 'de' enunciated as /d'e/ or /@/?


"Tuatha De Danann"

/tuh@ d'e dan@N/ or /tu@h@ d'e dan@N'

or /tu@h@ danaN/

donc...

is de as /d'e/ or /@/?

in "Tuatha Dé Danann", "Dé" isn't a preposition, it's the genitive of "Dia" (God).

Tuatha Dé Danann = the tribes of the God(dess) Danu.

I have never heard of "Tuatha Danann". It would mean "the tribes of Danu", but that isn't what is found in mythology.

Tuatha Dé Danann is pronounced /tu:@h@ d'e: dan@N/.

Dé is the genitive of Dia, as I said, it is spelled Dé and has always a long é, pronounced /d'e:/.

In Connemara, the simple preposition "de" is /g@/ (not /d@/)
The third person masculine "de" is /γ´e/ (/je/, i.e. "dhe") or even /γo:/ (i.. "dhó")

In Ulster/Munster, the simple preposition "de" is pronounced /d@/.

AFAIK, both simple prepositions "de" and "do" are pronounced the same way.

In names, the particle "de" is pronounced /@/.
But I'm not sure if it is pronounced that way everywhere.

That is right. In Donegal, there's no difference in speech between "de" and "do", and people pronounce them /d@/ but most of the time /do/, and they often write "do" instead of "de" because of that.

But in "Tuatha Dé Danann", the Dé isn't the preposition "de" at all, it is the genitive of "Dia", as I said.

BTW: Are there any living dialects which make a difference between the simple prepositions "de" and "do" in pronounciation?

> But in "Tuatha Dé Danann", the Dé isn't the preposition "de" at all, it is the genitive of "Dia", as I said.

Sea, ar ndóigh.

Lars

I think that dialects other than Donegal one do make a difference between do and de.

"BTW: Are there any living dialects which make a difference between the simple prepositions "de" and "do" in pronounciation?"

Not that I know of. I thought Donegal did, but obviously not. Neither Munster nor Connacht make any difference between them.

So what Lars wrote is wrong?

Why?
I wrote:
In Conamara do/de is pronounced /g@/
In Munster/Donegal do/de is pronounced /d@/.

Lars

Oh, sorry, I misread. Actually, if no living dialect makes any difference, why do we have two forms in the Standard? because of etymology?

> because of etymology?

Yes, probably because of etymology. And because of Gaeilge Clasaiceach, maybe. And because there are different combined forms (díom vs. dom, de vs. dó etc.), though even they are mixed up in dialects.

Only Lárchanúint seems to make a clear difference:
de /d´e/
do /d@/.

How about Mayo Irish?

Lars

Lárchanúint isn't a natural language.

quote:

And because there are different combined forms (díom vs. dom, de vs. dó etc.)

Sin agat é go díreach glan. Is iad na forainmneacha réamhfhoclacha a choinnigh "de" scartha ó "do" riamh anall -- nó ó ré na Sean-Ghaeilge ar aon nós, mar is minic a scríobhadh "do" in áit "de" 1,200 bliain ó shin! Ní chuirtear mearbhall ar aon duine ach sna cásanna nach n-úsáidtear forainm réamhfhoclach iontu, den/don chuid is mó, mar shampla.

"Are there any living dialects which make a difference between the simple prepositions "de" and "do" in pronounciation?"

No. Neither did Seathrún Céitinn make any such distinction:

"Agus is uime do orduigh an innilt do bheith 'n-a coirr mar aon ris an ríoghain, do bhrígh gurab í tháinig i dteachtaireacht ón ríoghain go Conall ag a rádh ris an cádhas do thabhairt don choirrchléireach ná da bhuidhin. Agus do chluinim ó n-a lán do dhaoinibh go bhfaicthear dá choirr do ghnáth ar an áth atá láimh ré Druim Ceat ó shoin ale."

"Only Lárchanúint seems to make a clear difference:
de [d´e]
do [dэ]."

Look again. That's [de] and [dэ], both with a broad /d/.

"How about Mayo Irish?"

gэ	de
di:m	díom
di:t	díot
de	de
diçэ	di
diN'	dínn
di:v'	díbh
di:fэ	díobh

There are also lenited forms γi:m, γi:t, etc.

gэ	do
dum	dom
dut' /dit'	duit
do:	dó
diçэ	di
du:N' /diN'	dúinn
di:v'	daoibh
do:fэ	dóibh

There are also lenited forms γum, γut', etc.

— Éamonn Mhac an Fhailigh, "The Irish of Erris, Co. Mayo"

Note that the initial consonant in every one of those forms is pronounced broad.

Although the table gives de as a pronunciation of the pronominal form de, the same book contains examples of it pronounced (and therefore spelled) as do: — kud do: cuid dó, ti: mu do: taobh amuigh dó, gr'amiçэ γo: greamaighthe dhó — and I think it is in fact usually do: or γo: in Erris, as elsewhere in Connaught.

Actually, if no living dialect makes any difference, why do we have two forms in the Standard? because of etymology?

Because of a pedantic compulsion to eliminate homophony by all available means: "We can't let people say 'tigim' for 'I come,' because Connaught speakers pronounce 'tuigim' the same as 'tigim'; so let's teach them that the Munster form 'tagaim' — being, as it is, a most clever innovation — is the only acceptable one!"
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"de, prep. Of, off. According to MacBain, the peculiar custom of confusing this word with do, to, in speaking Gaelic, extends back to Old Irish in pre-accentual de compounds, but the erroneous practice has no doubt largely been increased by the publishers of the Gaelic Scriptures, the instances of the use of do, instead of de making the meaning of the text in Gaelic just the opposite of what the original conveys. It is strange how tenacious some Gaelic writers are of the pernicious custom of using do for both de and do, while it is quite plain that the meaning of one is just the opposite of the other. It is no excuse to say that it is often spoken so (in some places de is practically obsolete) for it is the duty of scholars and those who write or speak Gaelic, to do so correctly, and so help to correct popular errors instead of perpetuating them. This is only one case among many, where any unprejudiced person can see the absolute necessity of Gaelic being taught in every school, at least in Gaelic-speaking districts, to prevent its becoming a mixture of exceptions like English."

— Edward Dwelly

CORRECTION:

In Risteard B. Breatnach's "The Irish of Ring, Co. Waterford," the preposition "de" is consistently transcribed as d'e, with a slender d.

>Because of a pedantic compulsion to eliminate homophony >by all available means: "We can't let people >say 'tigim' for 'I come,' because Connaught speakers >pronounce 'tuigim' the same as 'tigim'; so let's teach >them that the Munster form 'tagaim' — being, as it is, >a most clever innovation — is the only acceptable one!"

Native speakers manage to understand each other for centuries... They have not been waiting for Standard Irish for that. There are loads of homophones in Mandarin Chinese, and people still understand each other, and nobody has tried to replace Mandarin homophones by Cantonese Chinese words in order to differentiate them. So let the native speakers speak naturally.

Lughaidh, homophones in Chinese are differentiated when written down by different characters. Yes it is true that in ordinary speech people understand one another, aided by context, but colloquial speech has a small vocabulary and does not stray too much into rarer words. Many Chinese passages of text would be incomprehensible when read out if there were no characters, particularly classical Chinese of course. Anyway, a link with classical Irish should be maintained. Can you tell me, is Munster Irish closest to classical Irish?

quote:

Can you tell me, is Munster Irish closest to classical Irish?

Complicated! No single dialect is more conservative than the others in all areas. Munster is the most conservative in verbal morphology (endings, mainly). But within the verb realm, the West and North (I think!) and Scotland are more conservative in keeping relative endings. All the discussion of "l,n, r" points out that Munster is the least conservative in some phonological areas. Scottish Gaelic still has vocabulary that goes back to Old Irish in common use, which has been lost in Ireland. And so on.

>Lughaidh, homophones in Chinese are differentiated when >written down by different characters.

I do know that.

>Yes it is true >that in ordinary speech people understand one another, >aided by context,

Same thing in Irish! As far as I know, "tuigim" (= I understand) and "tigim" (I come), aren't used in the same kind of context, so even if they are pronounced the same way in Connemara, people will understand each other. No need to force people to say "tagaim" ! That's what I meant.

Yup.
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"The simple prepositions de, do have fallen together as (leniting) go gэ. The corresponding pronominal forms either retain d (non-palatal) or when lenited have γ. The preposition de is entirely omitted preceding an initial consonant in the following word in certain expressions relating to time, e.g. эN tra: ∫o vl'iэn' an tráth seo de bhliadhain, эn' çe:d v'î: hãwru: an chéad mhí de shamhradh, but is retained preceding a vowel, e.g. эN darэ m'i: gõ:wэr an dara mí d'fhoghmhar.

"Preceding a in the word fhear, de › gэ j with all good speakers, and also with some in gэ jaLэx de eallach, gэ jarэx de earrach..."

— "The Irish of Erris, Co. Mayo"
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k'aun d'en' xu:g'эr ceann de'n chúigear

d'e jasg i: v'e m'i:-a:vэrэx de dheasgaibh í bheith mí-ághmharach

xa §e: vuэg' k'aun d'es nэ krэ§í:n'i: chaith sé uaidh ceann des na croisíní

xu: §e: d'i: t'ig' jes nэ ku:rsin' э v'i: gar'э(d') dэ hig' э fo:sdэ Chuaidh sé go dtí tigh dhes na comharsain do bhí gairid do thigh an phósta

— "The Irish of Ring, Co. Waterford"

Thanks for the answers...I was on the radio to hear some girl on Today FM speak Irish in Dublinish Irish and here name was X de Y, but she pronouced it as 'de' and I was, loike, was that not /@/?

Dia/de, yes...mal example

>>mal example

where does this come from?

"where does this come from?"

cod french, perhaps?

"de" as a name element is Norman, not Irish. So it is not surprising that it would be pronounced differently.

That's right. When the consonant in "de" is pronounced in surnames, it's a broad /d/, and never a /g/, because although it's spelled the same as the Irish preposition and is cognate with it, it's not the Irish one and is not identified with it:
tuma:s dэ waLdrihэ Tomás de Bhaldraithe
§a:n э bu:rk Seán de Búrca

Peadar,
tuma:s dэ waLdrihэ Tomás de Bhaldraithe
§a:n э bu:rk Seán de Búrca

Why, /d@/ in one spot, and /@/ in another.

Might I assume from Norman 'le', as in Tomas le Blanc (thomas the white, or Tomas of Paris etc)

Botúin cló, cheapfainn!

De Burgo (Burke) an bunleagan de de Búrca

(Message edited by aonghus on September 29, 2005)

"Why, /d@/ in one spot, and /@/ in another."

Maybe because Tomás de Bhaldraithe was born in Limerick and the Seán de Búrca I have in mind was from Mayo — just as the word "Mac" in surnames is normally pronounced "Mac" in Munster and in spelling-oriented diction, but as an unstressed "ac" in ordinary speech in Connaught and Ulster.

http:///search?q=cache:01zRfKb7d5sJ:www.pgil-eirdata.org/html/pgil_d atasets/authors/d/DeBhaldraithe,T/life.htm+%22tom%C3%A1s+de+bhaldraithe%22&hl=en

http://www.waldronireland.com/connacht.html

http://www.waldronireland.com/journals.html

"Might I assume from Norman 'le', as in Tomas le Blanc"

Maybe in some cases.

At www.whitepages.com I've found the following:

DUBOURG	47 listings
DEBOURG	20
LEBOURG	6
DEBOURQUE	1

Ní botún cló é mar sin. Mo leithscéal. Cá bhfuair tú an fuaimniú, a Pheadair?

Tá an litriú "a Búrca" le feiceáil chomh maith, sílim, ó am go ham.

"Cá bhfuair tú an fuaimniú, a Pheadair?"

B'fhéidir gur ó "Learning Irish" a d'fhoghlaim mé é sin, agus tá sé le fáil in "The Irish of Tourmakeady, Co. Mayo," le Seán de Búrca, chomh maith...

"Cf. an tagairt in Annála Connacht, sub anno 1398, do ‘Tomas a Burc tigerna Gall Connacht’ (a fuair bás i 1401)."
http://www.clanntuirc.co.uk/TRAA/traaN/11.html

When the consonant in "de" is pronounced in surnames, it's a broad /d/

Yup, even in "The Irish of Ring, Co. Waterford":
dэ bu:rk de Búrc

Abairtí leis an réamhfhocal dho agus dhon ins an leabhar “Na hAird Ó Thuaidh,” le Pádraig Ua Maoileoin:

Dúthaigh í seo go dtagann aimsir ana-cheannsa inti, agus tá boigeacht agus úrmhaireacht aeir inti a thagann go maith dhon bplannda, is cuma cad é.

Uaireanta, b'fhéidir go raghadh caora le faill tar éis í a thiteam de dhraip éigin, agus gur amuigh ar an bpoll a chífeá a corp nuair a bheifeá ag cur na coda eile dhon loc i ndéanaí an lae.

Bhí na seanabhuachaillí abhfad níos aicillí tímpeall orthu ná sinne, agus is é a dheineadh cuid acu san nuair a bhainidís cor as an gcorrán, bonn a gcoise clé a chur roimis agus an spiairlint a theanntú dhon iarracht san.

"Ambaiste mhóir," ars an Cíobhánach, tar éis priosla tobac a chaitheamh isteach dhon tine, "go bhféadfadh an ceart a bheith aige.

"I gcuntais Dé," ar seisean, "cén neamhaistear agus cén díth céille a bhí orainn in aon chor agus géilleadh dhon alfraits sin.

Dar an leabhar ná fuil tuillte aige ach é a chaitheamh síos dhon pholl ar bhior a chinn agus é a dh'fhágaint thíos."

Rug beirt air, agus do ropadar síos dhon pholl é, agus bhí cúpla scaob chré caite anuas i mullach an chinn air nuair a labhair m'athair.

Ansan paca a bhualadh chughat agus é a ropadh síos dhon tsimné nó é a leathadh ar a bharra anairde.

Bualadh síos isteach dhon tigh nuair a bheadh do chúram déanta agat, agus ná cífeá méar a chur

Gramaisc an bhaile, b'fhéidir seisear nó seachtar acu, bailithe ina tímpeall, duine nó dhó sínte ar a sciain ar an mbord ag féachaint isteach dhon tine.

Is é a dheintí leo so ansan iad a bhreith abhaile agus scoilb a dhéanamh díobh le cur dhon tine, agus iad a stobháil ar an gcúl-lochta ar dhá thaobh an chlabhair ós cionn na tine.

Mo chroí dhon diabhal ná beiríonn bhur leath i gceart é.

Ach dá mbeadh aon rathúnas ar an seanathigh agus gur thigh é gur dh'éirigh go maith leo faid a bhíodar lonnaithe ann, is amhlaidh a bheadh áthas orthu clocha an tí sin a bhreith leo le cur dhon tigh nua.

Bhí muintir an tí ana-cháiréiseach i dtaobh na gruaige seo, agus dob fhada go ligfí dhuit í chaitheamh dhon tine nó aon íde eile a thabhairt uirthi.

Rud eile ba mhaith leo a bhreith isteach dhon tigh nua i gcónaí ab ea seanachathaoir nó seanastól; pé rud eile a dh'fhág-faidíst ina ndiaidh sa tseanabhothán ní ceann acu so é, pé lúb istigh a bhí acu iontu, n'fheadar.

Bhí múinteoir orm féin tamall i gColáiste Bhréanainn Chill Airne - tá sé anois ina shagart paróiste in Oileán Ciarraí, an Canónach Dáithí Ó Conchubhair - agus an lá a thiocfadh sé isteach dhon rang ag cuimilt a bhaise dhíot agus ag briseadh a chroí ag gáirí, is maith a bhí a fhios agat cad a bhí i ndán duit an lá san.

Nuair a bhínnse thiar sa Chom i dtigh des na comharsain, ceathrú mhíle ón dtigh, níor ghá dho aon teachtaire a chur ag triall orm nuair a bhínn ag teastáil uaidh.

Is maith is cuimhin liom aon lá amháin gur chuas leis an dtae chuige suas dhon Tuar, me féin agus mo dheirfiúr Cáit.

"Dar do chorp dhon diabhal," ar seisean ag éirí ar a chosa deiridh tharam suas, agus b'sheo leis im dhiaidh.

Timpin Sheáin Uí Shé an Choma a théadh dhon téid mar seo i gcónaí dhuinn.

Dheineadh sé maitheas dom é a dh'fheiscint ag éirí agus a sciatháin leata ar an ngaoith aige mar bheadh sprid ghléigeal go raibh a saoirse fachta dhon gcéad uair aici.

Do bhailíomair na cleití beaga le chéile isteach dhon pholl i dteannta na gcnámh, agus do chuireamair an leac thar n-ais orthu.

N'fheadair éinne ach an difríocht a dheineann an suaimhneas so dhon bhfeoil; an chaora a bhíonn de shíor á crá agus á tnáthadh le gadhair, agus age daoine ag bagairt uirthi, n'fhéadfadh a cuid feola san gan a bheith righin i gcomórtas leis an gceann eile.

D'aithneofá ar fhéachaint air, agus óna ghothaí ag gabháil tímpeall, go raibh a fhios aige comh maith leis an nduine féin cá rabhamair ag dul nuair a ghealfadh lá, dhá mhíle dhéag de bhóthar de shiúl ár gcos isteach dhon Daingean.

Ach is minic, mar a dúrt, a chuirfeadh Mórach an Daingin gach aon ní i bhfaighid orm féin agus ar an ngadhar nuair a thiocfadh sé ar a mhótar isteach dhon bhuaile, agus go gceannódh sé ar an láthair óm athair iad.

Mótar agus mileoidean nua á sheimint istigh inti, rud mór ab ea a leithéid sin ag teacht isteach dhon Chom tráthnóna Sathairn, mar ní minic a bhí a leithéid le feiscint ann ná aon chóir acu chuige, ar nós phósadh Dhomhnaill Bhuí fadó.

Más ea, ní geáitsíocht a bheadh in aon chor anois aige, rud a dh'aithneofá ar an gcéad bhuille a thabharfadh sé dhon úirlis, agus an tarna buille agus an tríú buille, agus iad go léir ag teacht le chéile i streanncán iontach ceoil a thabharfadh síos isteach i gceo brothaill trí chumaracha draíochta thu, agus aníos arís i gcomhluadar na sí go dtí lanntán aerach ar bhruach gleanna nár fhág an ghrian riamh é.

"Ach an chéad lá eile a raghaidh tusa dhon Daingean, bíodh trúmpa dhá theangan ag teacht abhaile agat.

Ní dhon tigh chéanna a théimís gach aon oíche, gan dabht, ach is mó a bhí ár ngnáth ar thigh an Mhainnínigh agus ar thigh Dhomhnaill Criothain ná ar an gcuid eile acu.

Bhí sé tugtha fé ndeara leis acu gurb ar an nDomhnach is mó a bhí Stail á chaitheamh, agus níorbh aon ní é sin go bhfeacaidh duine éigin coicíos nó trí seachtaine roimis sin á chaitheamh ag dul dhon Daingean aige é.

Bean dlúthmhuinteartha dho Phaid - marab aintín do í - Máire Ní Mhainnín ón gCom, a bhí mar bhean age Seán Ó Duinnshléibhe, file na mBlascaodaí, agus is minic, ní nach ionadh, a thiocfadh ainm an fhile anuas insa chainnt dóibh, Paid féin caite ar a sciain ar an mbord, fear eile taobh istigh de agus fear eile taobh istigh de siúd arís.

Nuair a bhí an saol ag dul chun deilbhíochta ar an míntír lasmuigh ar fad ag déanamh isteach ar an ndrochshaol, an riach dá mhuintir nár dh'imigh leo isteach dhon Oileán agus nár thugadar leo é, dálta mórán nach iad a dhein an rud céanna ag an am."

"Agus cad a thabharfadh isteach dhon Oileán iad thar aon áit eile, a déarfá?" an ghuth ó thóin an tí ag cur na ceiste.

Ach gur bhain fir mhaithe leis a chuaigh dhon chill.

"dhon diabhal, a Mhainnínigh, eachtraigh duinn ar an bhfreagra a thug Duinnshléibhe ar chailligh bhun an bhaile."

Lá éigin gur ghaibh bean Dhuinn-shléibhe thairsti ar an gcosán, dhon diabhal di nár thug péac éigin fúithi i gcomhchlos don mbaile, ach nár chualaidh bean Dhuinn- shléibhe in aon chor í, an bhean bhocht, toisc allaidhre éigin a bheith uirthi.

"Ba mhaith an mhaise dho Sheán é nuair a tháinig an scéala chuige i dtaobh a raibh ráite ag an mbean thíos.

Más ea, is é féin a chuaigh sós dhon Chuaisín, mar ná ligfeadh eagla dhomhsa m'aghaidh a thabhairt síos arís ann.

Ba mhaith an mhaise dho phrionnsa na háite sin é, ambaist, mar ní fada a bhí Piaras agus a chomhluadar lon- naithe sa chuan gur thug sé cuireadh dinnéir do féin agus dá chaptaen loinge.

Tá a fhios againn, cuirim i gcás, gur hídíodh an tEaspag Baothlach Mac Aogáin ar an láthair chéanna sa bhliain 1650, agus gur cuireadh deartháir céile dho Phiaras, an tAthair Tadhg Ó Mur-chadha, a bhí ina phríora ar an gColáiste Doiminiceach i dTráigh Lí sa bhliain 1651, gur cuireadh chun báis é sin ann comh maith ar an 16ú Deireadh Fómhair, 1653.

Do bhíodar ullamh go maith dhon namhaid nuair a thánadar san i dtreo an Dúna, agus nuair a buaileadh an cath eatarthu is ansan a bhí an liútar léatar ann - Piaras agus a chuid fear ag cúlú go deas seiftithe trasna an droichid mar an raibh a gcuid marc fágtha acu dhóibh féin, agus an chuid eile ag titeam isteach ar bhior a gcinn síos dhon scoilt go rabhadar uile go léir smiotaithe ar an carraigreacha laistíos.

Ní hé an feillbheart claon so a mheasfá dhon dtaoiseach oscailte geal a ghlac i gcion na Gaill féin tar éis a gcuid arm a bhaint díobh i gCaisleán Thráigh Lí, ach a chlúdaigh le héadach iad agus a thug cead gluaiste dhóibh go dúnaibh eile ar fuaid na tíre, gan bascadh ná bárthainn a dhéanamh orthu.

Agus dob é an tarrac ar an saibhreas é, cé go bhfuil cuid mhaith dhe imithe síos dhon úir lena gcois anois agus gan aon teacht air.

Ní bheadh aon fhaoiseamh agat, puinn, ón mbia so go dtí go dtiocfadh breac úr dhon tigh le linn an tséasúir, ballach nó pollóg a mharófaí ón gcloich nó deargán a bheadh tar éis teacht isteach ón gCúrán nó ó thaobh Bheiginis!

Cliabh age fear eile ansan agus iad á líonadh isteach aige inti le tabhairt ar barra agus iad a dh'fhágaint ina gclais i lúib an bhóthair ag fanacht leis na hasail chun iad a chur dhon ghort le húmacha.

Is cuimhin liom gur chuireas féin trí hualaí déag ar fhichid, idir aoileach buaile agus iascáin, suas dhon Tuar ós cionn an tí an lá amháin idir eadartha agus chon- tráth; más ea, ní mór an fonn rith a bhí orm féin ná ar an gcapall tar éis ár lae, geallaim dhuit.

Labhras cheana tamall siar anso ar na "Laethanta Breátha," mar a thugaimíst orthu, a bhíodh ag teacht dhon Chom chughainn sa tsamhradh ag foghlaim na Gaeilge agus ag cur aithne ar na daoine.

Is í an Ghaeilge a thugadh na daoine seo dhon áit comh maith, agus is maith blasta mar a thugadh cuid acu leo í.

Díreach sara dtáinig an naomhóg dhon dúthaigh, do bhí seacht gcinn de bháid saighne istigh i nDún Chaoin, gan trácht thar a raibh as san ó thuaidh isteach go Cuas an Bhodaigh, i mBaile na nGall agus ar an nDúinín acu.

Is lú a dh'oir an seanabhád dóibh siúd ná do lucht na míntíreach go mór, mar do bhí gnó dho bhád acu a dhéanfadh turasanna móra farraige in aghaidh an lae lasmuigh den iascach ar fad, ag teacht amach ar chalath Dhún Chaoin ag triall ar a gcuid maingisíní beaga, agus dhon Daingean féin uaireanta trí fharraigí tréana, mar a dúirt Duinnshléibhe, "a théann des na lachain a shnámh."

Muintir Hairtní a bhí ina gcónaí thíos ar an bhFeorainn lámh le Caisleán Ghriaghaire a tháinig dhon dúthaigh ón gContae sin, b'shin iad an chéad dream a dhein naomhóg san áit.

Nuair a chuireadh sí dhon leabaidh istoíche me, dob é mo bhiorán suain óna beolaibh é, agus í ag eachtraí dhom ar an saol agus í óg ar an mBlascaod, ar an gcuideachtain agus ar an gcomhluadar a bhí ann, agus ar an ndraíocht go léir a bhí le feiscint age duine nuair a bheadh an ghrian ag dul fé siar ós cionn na Tiarachta agus é ina sheasamh ar an nDumhaich agus ar bharra thráigh Ghearaí.

Do rug a bráca féin uirthi a chuir dhon úir í.

Leanbh a shaolú dhi in aghaidh na bliana, dob shin é a bhí i ndán di gur chuir an t-ochtú ceann dhon chill í.

Is fé sheol is measa í dhon té ná fuil an taithí amuigh aige, go mórmhór in aon tsuathadh mar a bhí ann an lá san.

Dob shin é mo chéad turas dhon Oileán Tiar.

Ach féach nach mar sin a dh'imíonn an saol in aon chor, ach an rud a bhíonn ceaptha dho dhuine, is dócha.

"Th'anam dhon deans," a déarfadh sé, "is deacair díbh; airneán go búndún agus codladh go headartha..."

"Th'anam dhon deans," a déarfadh sé, "ná héisteodh sibh leis an bhfear ó thóin an Choma ag cainnt ar dheargáin, agus ná haith-neodh sé ceann acu ón madra éisc," agus gach aon tritheamh as.

Na scioltáin péactha sarar cuireadh dhon chré iad, agus a cheann curtha aníos ag an gcéad ghas roim Lá 'le Pádraig.

A dhrom tugtha dhon bhfarraige aige agus é ina phríosúnach anois aici, an fharraige a thug beatha dho tráth, do féin agus dá ál.

Mar ní bhroicfeadh Tomás le haon ní gan fuaimeant agus éifeacht a bheith leis; ní raibh aon ghnó aige dhon éagantacht ná dhon áiféis.

"Daoine uaisle" a thugadh sé orthu so, nuair ná tabharfadh sé ar na gnáthchuairteoirí a thagadh dhon Oileán ach "Laethanta Breátha" ar nós na coda eile againn.

"What an extraordinary alliance of the sacred and the profane," mar a dúirt aon fhear amháin a tháinig dhon cheantar agus a thug fé ndeara don chéad uair é.

Dhá shaibhreas iad so nár thugas-sa féin riamh isteach dhon Bhéarla liom.

Do tháinig duine acu abhaile dhon Chom - deartháir do Stail - tar éis trí mbliana agus dathad a bheith tugtha thall aige.

Dob fhada an aga í, ach ina dhiaidh san agus uile ní mór thar n-a dhóthain Béarla a bhí aige tar éis a thurais chun a chúraim a dhéanamh dá raghadh sé dhon Daingean!

http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/~oduibhin/tobar/