Here is a tool that should make it a bit easier:
Abair.ie
"Abair" is Irish for "say".
Just type in a word or phrase and pick your dialect (stick with Connemara for the most part). Also note there is a tool to type in accented letters if you dont know the alt codes off hand).
This tool is really usefull when trying to read peoples names in the myths and sagas.
So, lets give it a try on the following:
Cearrbhach
Note a few subtelties here:
- "C" is always hard - a "k" sound - never an "s"
- The "e" after the initial "K" makes a slight "y" glide into the a (the "ah" sound isnt nasaly like the "a" in rat but more like the "o" in rock)
- Between the "rr" and "bh" you will here a slight schwa sound.This is typical of Irish pronunciation when certain consonental sounds are placed next to each other - you can actually hear this when Irish people (who may not even speak Irish) speak certain words in English such as the word "film" - which comes out as "FIL-im".
- Also note that the bh combination makes a sound somewhere inbetween a "w" and a "v". If you listen to the word in the different dialects - it may lean more like one sound than the other.
- The ch is pronounced hard like the German name "Bach".
"Kyair-a-woch" or "Kyair-a-voch"
Even knowing all the rules I still have trouble with dipthongs and getting things to role off the tongue. You can see how a tool like this is useful.
So what does "Cearrbhach" mean anyway?
Thats Irish for "Gamblor".
