Why is spelling so wrong in Irish and Scots Gaelic?

Question

In most languages that use the Latin alphabet, the consonants correspond to roughly the same sounds, such that in any of those languages you can guess how a word is pronounced and get it almost correct.

Why is it that in Irish and Scots Gaelic consonants are pronounced completely differently to other languages. How does bh become v in Siobhan? Why is Niamh pronounced "neev"?

Answer 1

Who are you to say pronunciation is "wrong". It may be different to english pronunciation but so what. It'snot going to change just because you want it to.
By the way the fada is NOT after being taken out of the Irish language. The subject has never even been broached here, The dot you are thinking of is called a séimhiú and took the place of the letter "h". Instead of writing Bhí gadhar ann. you would write Bí gadar ann. except with a dot over the "B" and the "d".
Back to your question. I don't care why, all I know is that's the way it is and it dosn't cause any discomfort to Irish people who speak it as their first language like me. So there.
Oh and by the way there are 19 letters in our alphabet.

Answer 2

I only learned recently that 'fada' and 'boultia' have been taken out when teaching Irish Gaelic in schools. The 'fada' was a stroke over the vowel which made it 'long' whilst the 'boultia' was a dot over non vowels which also changed the sound.
I think that they now show 'oo' instead of 'o' fada and as you say 'h' instead of the 'boultia'. The Gaelic alphabet is also short of some letters, to mention 'v' 'x' and 'z'.............
I still use the old way when writing, but typing is hard: 'Slan leat agus go neirig an botar leat'.................

Answer 3

It is because Irish did not originally use the roman albhabet. But the 13 constanants and 5 vowels (I think there's 13) were adopted to the roman letters that look and sound most like them. It looked more like this: http://www.aboutbookbinding.com/images/Title_page_of_O_Kearney_s_Irish_Alphabet_and_Catechism.gif

And the fadas haven't been taken out of learning Irish in schools (well not in Dublin, Ireland anyway)

Also I thought I would include this for people who want to practise Irish skills, it's the past examination papers for state exams in Ireland. Junior Cert is easier than Leaving Cert (ignore applied and vocational leaving cert). Choose Leaving or Junior Cert and pick Irish as subject.

http://www.examinations.ie/index.php?l=en&mc=en&sc=ep&formAction=exam

Answer 4

for Scots, the 1st translation isn't incorrect in any respect, as a results of fact it somewhat is translated actually, so human beings won't comprehend. an exceedingly available thank you to translate it may be "the place the be conscious fail, song'll communicate", which sounds extra helpful. (a tactics tha facal a' diobair, bidh ceòl a' bruidhinn) truthfully i think of it is not clever to place in writing the phonetics in English, as a results of fact Gaelic phonetic is a lot extra advantageous than English, so there isn't any thank you to "examine" it actually. (it somewhat is my opinion, basically). desire this permits^^

Answer 5

They have a different alphabet that is not as Latinized as English is. The Romans never conquered these places either.

Answer 6

Interesting question? Tell me, how do you pronounce "tough," "though," "thought," "laugh?"

Wrong?

Answer 7

Maybe because they love whiskey too much? Ha ha, I'm KIDDING!