§ 493. Donegal intonation does not differ very widely from that of English and German. The most strongly stressed syllables frequently have the highest pitch and the tone falls towards the end of a statement. Whilst fully aware of the impossibility of accurately representing intervals in speech by the ordinary musical notation I give the following examples for what they are worth. The examples represent some of the most ordinary forms of statement and question, to which I have had to limit myself, as I do not speak the dialect as a native. I have to thank Dr Charles Wood for kindly assisting me with my examples.
| i.
|
tα꞉ |
mʹɛ |
gə |
mαiç.
|
|
g |
g |
g |
e.
|
| ii.
|
əs |
bʹrʹɛ꞉ |
N |
Lα꞉ ə.
|
|
f |
g |
g |
d⁀c♯.
|
| iii.
|
Lα꞉ |
bʹrʹɛə |
(the ordinary salutation on the road).
|
|
f♯ |
e⁀d. |
|
| iv.
|
Nʹïlʹ |
mʹə |
gə |
mαiç. |
|
| (a) |
f |
f |
f |
d |
(sadly).
|
| (b) |
a⁀f |
f |
f |
d |
(emphatic).
|
| vi.
|
mæʃə |
Lʹo꞉gə |
heinʹ |
ətα꞉.
|
|
g e |
f e |
f |
fe⁀d.
|
| i.
|
gə |
dʹe꞉ |
mər |
tα꞉ |
tuw?
|
|
e |
g |
g |
f |
c.
|
| ii.
|
wïL |
tuw |
gɔL |
Nə |
welʹə?
|
|
f |
f |
f |
f |
d c.
|
| iii.
|
wïL |
tuw |
tʹiNʹ? |
|
| (a) |
d♭ |
d♭ |
B♭ |
(expressing sympathy).
|
| (b) |
d♭ |
d♭ |
d♮⁀e♭. |
|
| iv.
|
Nə |
Nαχ |
wïL |
tuw |
gə |
mαiç? |
|
|
d♭ |
d♭ |
d♭ |
c |
B♭ |
a |
(surprise).
|
| v.
|
gədʹe꞉ N |
ʃɔrt |
Le꞉ |
tα꞉ əN |
əNʹUw̥?
|
|
e f |
d |
g♭ |
c |
c B.
|
