Irish Gaelic Alphabet

The traditional Irish Gaelic alphabet has 18 letters: 5 vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and 13 consonants (b, c, d, f, g, h, l, m, n, p, r, s, t). Unlike English, the traditional Irish alphabet does not include the letters j, k, q, v, w, x, y, or z, though these may appear in modern loanwords and borrowed terms.

The fada is an acute accent mark (´) placed over vowels in Irish:

• It makes vowels longer in duration: á, é, í, ó, ú

• The word "fada" means "long" in Irish

• It's essential for meaning: "fear" (man) vs "féar" (grass)

• Missing a fada can completely change the word's meaning

• It's like having a different letter entirely!

Irish has two types of consonant mutations that change how words sound and are spelled:

• Lenition (séimhiú): adds "h" after certain consonants - "cat" becomes "chat" after "mo" (my)

• Eclipsis (urú): adds a letter before the consonant - "cat" becomes "gcat" after "ár" (our)

• These mutations show grammatical relationships between words

• They occur after specific words like possessives, articles, and prepositions

• Not spelling errors - they're essential grammar rules!

Irish Gaelic is spoken in several places:

• Ireland - where it's spoken by approximately 1.87 million people (40% of population aged 3+) ^[1]

• Gaeltacht regions - designated Irish-speaking areas in counties Donegal, Mayo, Galway, Kerry, Cork, Waterford, and Meath

• Northern Ireland - where it's recognized under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages

• Irish diaspora communities worldwide in countries like USA, UK, Canada, and Australia

• It's the first official language of Ireland ^[1] and an official EU language!

The traditional Irish alphabet developed independently of English:

• Irish has its own sound system that doesn't need these letters

• The 18 letters are sufficient for all native Irish sounds

• Historically, Irish used its own script called Gaelic type or cló Gaelach

• Modern Irish uses Roman letters but maintains the traditional 18-letter alphabet

• Borrowed words from other languages may use these letters: "jab", "vodka"

Irish has unique features that differ from English:

• Verb-Subject-Object word order - different from English (e.g., "Tá mé" = "Am I")

• Initial mutations - consonants change based on grammar

• Prepositional pronouns - prepositions combine with pronouns uniquely

• No words for "yes" or "no" - answers echo the verb from the question

• Pronunciation can be challenging - spelling doesn't always match English patterns

• However, many resources available including apps, courses, and immersion programs!

Irish has three major regional dialects:

• Munster Irish (An Mhumhain) - spoken in counties Cork, Kerry, and Waterford

• Connacht Irish (Connachta) - spoken in County Galway and parts of Mayo

• Ulster Irish (Ulaidh) - spoken in County Donegal

• Each dialect has distinct pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar features

• The Official Standard (An Caighdeán Oifigiúil) provides a standardized written form

• All three dialects are mutually intelligible with some practice!