[9] The effect of the vowels in qualifying the sound of the adjoining consonants will be explained in treating of the Palatals and Linguals.
[10] This propensity is seen in the aspirating of consonants in Gaelic words, which have an evident affinity to words in other languages, where the same consonants are not so aspirated. The following list will sufficiently illustrate and confirm the truth of this remark:—
| Greek. | Latin. | Gælic. | |
| Διαβολος | Diabolus | Diabhol. | |
| Scribo* | Scriobh, write. | ||
| Febris* | Fiabhrus, a fever. | ||
| Baculum | Bacholl, a staff. | ||
| Δεκα | Decem | Deich, ten. | |
| Lorica | Lùireach, a coat of mail. | ||
| Clericus | Cleireach, a clerk. | ||
| Modus | Modh, manner. | ||
| Gladius | Claidheamh, a sword. | ||
| Καρδια Κραδια |
| Cord-is | Cridhe, the heart. |
| Medium | Meadhon, middle. | ||
| Laudo | Luadh, mention. | ||
| Lego | Leugh, read. | ||
| Greg-is | Greigh, a herd. | ||
| Reg-is | Righ, a king. | ||
| Plaga | Plaigh, a plague. | ||
| Sagitta | Saighead, an arrow. | ||
| Magister | Maighistir, master. | ||
| Imago | Iomhaigh, an image. | ||
| Primus | Priomh, chief. | ||
| Remus | Ràmh, an oar. | ||
| Similis | Samhuil, like. | ||
| Humilis | Umhal, humble. | ||
| Capra | Gabhar, a goat. | ||
| Μητηρ | Mater | Mathair, mother. | |
| Rota | Roth, Rath, a wheel. | ||
| Muto | Mùth, change. | ||
It is probable that the consonants, thus aspirated, were pronounced without aspiration in the older dialects of the Celtic tongue; for we are told that in the Irish manuscripts of the first class for antiquity, the consonants are for the most part written without any mark of aspiration. See "Lhuyd's Archæol. Brit.," p. 301, col. 1.
The tendency to attenuate the articulations shows itself in a progressive state, in a few vocables which are pronounced with an aspiration in some districts, but not universally. Such are deatach or deathach smoke, cuntart or cunthart danger, ta or tha am, art, tu or thu thou, troimh or throimh through, tar or thar over, am beil or am bheil is there? dom or domh to me, &c. Has not this remission or suppression of the articulations the effect of enfeebling the speech, by mollifying its bones and relaxing its nerves? Ought not therefore the progress of this corruption to be opposed, by retaining unaspirated articulations in those instances where universal practice has not entirely superseded them, and even by restoring them in some instances, where the loss of them has been attended with manifest inconvenience? It is shameful to see how many monosyllables, once distinguished by their articulations, have in process of time, by dropping these articulations, come to be represented by the solitary vowel a, to the no small confusion of the language and embarrassment of the reader. The place of the absent consonant is often supplied, indeed, in writing, by an apostrophe. This, however, is at best but an imperfect and precarious expedient.
* So in French, from Aprilis, Avrilis; habere, avoir; Febris, Fièvre: επισκοπος, evéque.
[11] Ph is found in no Gaelic word which is not inflected, except a few words transplanted from the Greek or the Hebrew, in which ph represents the Greek φ, or the Hebrew
פ
. It might perhaps be more proper to represent
פ