I remember thinking about this years ago...

Is there ever really any conflict between different dialects of a language? A very simple case would be where one word has a different meaning. In Ireland, for instance, we call "jelly" what the Americans call "jello", and we call "jam" what the Americans call "jelly". Does this cause a problem though? Well in spoken language, no, not really, because I'd pick up on the American accent and know to watch out for these things. Well how about in the written word? Well I suppose, yes, you'd wanna watch out for what part of the world the piece of text came from.

The reason I thought about this in anyway is that I was learning the Munster forms for past tense:

Dhúnas = Dhún mé

But I realised that there's another dialect, Connacht I think, which uses a "as" prefix on verbs for a different reason:

Sin an fear a dhúnann na fuinneoga = Sin an fear a dhúnas na fuinneoga

My first thought was whether this would cause a problem of miscommunication? In the spoken language, I suppose the listener would spot the accent and know what's meant... or even without the accent they might be listening out for the subject and object of the verb. Out of curiosity though, does this one ever cause a problem?

I'd draw a comparison with an example of this in English... but I suppose being a native speaker of English I don't really analyse it that much and so I'd probably be missing an example which is staring me right in the face!

Another one which I thought might be a little arkward is the usage of the genitive case after "ag + verbal noun". I mean I would have thought that "ag lorg fear" was "looking for men", but it could possibly mean "looking for a man" if the speaker doesn't genitise.

Anyone got any thoughts on this, or have any experience with dialect conflict in any language?

But I realised that there's another dialect, Connacht I think, which uses a "as" prefix on verbs for a different reason:

Sin an fear a dhúnann na fuinneoga = Sin an fear a dhúnas na fuinneoga

Ulster adds -as in the present tense, while Connemara adds -anns:

Sin an fear a dhruideas na fuinneogaí (Ulster)
Sin an fear a dhúnanns na fuinneogaí (Connemara) (or do they use "druid" as well in Connemara?)

Nach bhfuil 'druid' an focal le 'Approach' i gConnachta?

Tá an dá chiall ann

druidim [ainm briathartha][ainmfhocal baininscneach den dara díochlaonadh]
dúnadh (doras, leabhar, a dhruidim); teannadh (druid isteach leis an tine; druid aníos anseo; druid amach uaim).

Maidir le ceist FnaB, ní thagann an dá foirm salach ar a chéile, toisc go bhfuil an comhthéacs soiléir.

Tá contúirtí ann, ach is minic a bhaineann siad le "cairde bréagacha", i. focail a bhfuil brí éagsúil acu i gcanúint eile. "Craic" mhaith in Éirinn agus i Nua Eabhrac, abair....

"Anyone got any thoughts on this, or have any experience with dialect conflict in any language?"


Well my husband has a great laugh at my Munsterisms, as he calls them, and I find that his Conamara canúint is strange at times. But we have a good laugh about it.

For example and there are many more than this:
Just my two cents

Tar éis - in Conamara pronounced 'thar éis'. They seem to like the 'h' a lot.

In Conamara they like to stick in the urrú in strange places, dar liom ar aon nós.
Sin é an fear a ndúnann na fuinneoga.

Sa gciseán he says,I'd say 'sa chiseán' for in the basket


Two phrases that I had never heard before in Munster
go i leith - (pronounced gull/eh)- Come here

Togh uilig - (pronounced thow (as in cow) a lig)- Great all together

He always says 'Bhí mé' and I say 'bhíos', he thinks bhíos is old fashioned.

He says 'Bhí mé fhéin' and I say 'Bhíos féin (though I confess to saying bhíos fhéin)

And there's chuile and gach uile

I suppose it shows that the dialects were separated from each other for a period of time. I wonder what Irish was spoken in Kilkenny, Longford, Wexford when Irish was spoken in those counties?

Ach níor bhain sé mí-bhrí riamh as an méid a dúirt tú? Nó ar dhein?

Ceann eile ón áit thiar "ag goilín (canadh)" i. ag gabháil fhoinn

(goile - Gabh i leith)

Thanks Aonghus
Gabh i leith
Tá an ceart agat, ní raibh an litriú ar eolas agam, tá brón orm.

Sin é an fear a ndúnann na fuinneoga.
That is not Connemara Irish. You're more likely to hear "a dhúineanns na fuinneoga." The rest of your observations are accurate, however.

quote:

ní raibh an litriú ar eolas agam, tá brón orm

Ní cúis bróin é sin! (Pe scéal é, "Tá sorry orm a deirtear thiar )

Feictear scríofa mar "goile" é, agus níl faic cearr leis sin, ach tá sé níos sothuigthe agus é litithe amach i gceart de réir an CO.