Tree is the magic number . . .

LordSutch · 23-04-2017 05:44PM #1

I prefer 'three' myself, but for strange reason some Irish people can't say three, why is that?

Is it a class thing? or . . .

Curious.

Temptamperu · 23-04-2017 05:45PM

Just pure laziness.

nullzero · 23-04-2017 05:45PM

And some English people can only seem to pronounce it as "free".
Don't get me started on their abuse of Irish surnames.

23-04-2017 05:49PM

LordSutch wrote: »

I prefer 'three' myself, but for strange reason some Irish people can't say three, why is that?

Is it a class thing? or . . .

Curious.

I'm not being deliberately condescending, so sorry if it comes across that way, but words are pronounced differently in different accents. I think they can physically say the word 'three', but in some accents it's pronounced 'tree', and has been for centuries.

I've never been in a situation whether I was confused as to whether a person was referring to a tree, or the number three, because of the context in how they used the word. Similarly, I've never been confused about the word dare or there, even if the person using the word pronounced it the same.

A lot of people, and I'm guilty of this myself to an extent, adapt their accent and de-regionalize it, which I think is a great shame. I hope I never live in an Ireland where we all sound like RTE Continuity announcers.

Temptamperu wrote: »

Just pure laziness.

It's not laziness. It's no more lazy to drop the 'h' in 'three' than to drop the 'h' in hotel, or when British people drop the hard 'r' in 'car'.

degsie · 23-04-2017 05:55PM

Some Scottish people pronounce 'j' as 'joy' and 'three' as 'kree', so yea a regional thing.

nullzero · 23-04-2017 05:55PM

Didn't some Australian TV presenter make an issue out of this very issue before?
People in gloss flamin' 'ouses.

Insect Overlord · 23-04-2017 05:56PM

Probably a legacy of speaking Irish. There's no "th" sound in that language, so it'll probably take another couple of generations for it to disappear fully.

23-04-2017 05:57PM

LordSutch wrote: »

I prefer 'three' myself, but for strange reason some Irish people can't say three, why is that?

Is it a class thing? or . . .

Curious.

Why do Brits say 'sikth' instead of sixth?

23-04-2017 05:59PM

If you say 'space ghettos' in an American voice it sounds like you're saying Spice Girls in a Scottish accent. Phenomenal.

Arne_Saknussem · 23-04-2017 05:59PM

An File wrote: »

Probably a legacy of speaking Irish. There's no "th" sound in that language, so it'll probably take another couple of generations for it to disappear fully.

You'll actually hear some D4 types reporting on TV pronounce Taoiseach as Th-aoiseach.

23-04-2017 06:03PM

Arne_Saknussem wrote: »

You'll actually hear some D4 types reporting on TV pronounce Taoiseach as Th-aoiseach.

Do you ever hear them saying 'charidee' instead of 'charity'? Shudder.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k · 23-04-2017 06:05PM

Omackeral wrote: »

If you say 'space ghettos' in an American it sounds like you're saying Spice Girls in a Scottish accent. Phenomenal.

That has actually made my day

hungry hypno toad · 23-04-2017 06:06PM

Am I the only one who pronounces both d's in Wednesday?

23-04-2017 06:06PM

LexieOnRale wrote: »

That has actually made my day

I'm imagining you in your gaff saying this out loud and someone in the next room going ''Sorry, what was that Lexie?'' and you just being all embarrassed and saying ''Nothing, never mind.''

qo2cj1dsne8y4k · 23-04-2017 06:08PM

Omackeral wrote: »

I'm imagining you in your gaff saying this out loud and someone in the next room going ''Sorry, what was that Lexie?'' and you just being all embarrassed and saying ''Nothing, never mind.''

Feck That! I've an extra awesome gland where my shame gland should be. I'll be saying it to everyone. Multiple times.

LordSutch · 23-04-2017 06:11PM

Arne_Saknussem wrote: »

An File wrote: »

Probably a legacy of speaking Irish. There's no "th" sound in that language, so it'll probably take another couple of generations for it to disappear fully.

You'll actually hear some D4 types reporting on TV pronounce Taoiseach as Th-aoiseach.

Re Taoiseach; Surely there is it bit of a th sound?

Academic · 23-04-2017 06:15PM

An File wrote: »

Probably a legacy of speaking Irish. There's no "th" sound in that language, so it'll probably take another couple of generations for it to disappear fully.

This has always been my assumption.

Relatedly but distinctly, most Irish can't pronounce the 'th' in 'that'.

People pronounce it 'tat' or 'dat', mostly depending on where on the island they grew up.

antodeco · 23-04-2017 06:18PM

Say "beer can". Now you're a Jamaican saying bacon

Vojera · 23-04-2017 06:19PM

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Feck That! I've an extra awesome gland where my shame gland should be. I'll be saying it to everyone. Multiple times.

You can switch it up with this one: saying 'beer can' in a posh English accent sounds like 'bacon' with a Jamaican accent.

LordSutch · 23-04-2017 06:25PM

Academic wrote: »

An File wrote: »

Probably a legacy of speaking Irish. There's no "th" sound in that language, so it'll probably take another couple of generations for it to disappear fully.

This has always been my assumption.

Relatedly but distinctly, most Irish can't pronounce the 'th' in 'that'.

People pronounce it 'tat' or 'dat', mostly depending on where on the island they grew up.

Some (not most) Irish people.

Allah snackbar · 23-04-2017 06:35PM

It's a funny thing having an accent , I have a West of Ireland accent because I'm from a rural area in the West and pronounce words differently to other people born in different places to me , but when I travel to places like Dublin they sound completely different to me , I can't understand it and thank you op for highlighting it , without your pointless thread about it I'd have remained ignorant of the differences in the pronunciation of our language

waterfaerie · 23-04-2017 06:36PM

LordSutch wrote: »

Re Taoiseach; Surely there is it bit of a th sound?

In Irish there are two t sounds, broad or slender, depending on the vowels that come before and/or after the t. It's the same for many other consonants as well but t is one of the consonants with the most noticeable difference between the broad and slender sound.

People who pronounce it "thaoiseach" with a th are trying to make the broad t sound but aren't doing it right. My guess is they either think they are pronouncing it properly, hence why you hear it so much on RTE, or they try but are actually incapable of pronouncing it properly due to lack of exposure to the Irish language being spoken by native speakers.

It's like how, no matter how fluent you become in another language that's not native to you, you will always sound like a foreigner to native speakers because it's difficult to pronounce certain phonemes exactly right unless you have grown up hearing them.

Pac1Man · 23-04-2017 06:38PM

If you are from Dublin, it's a class thing. The th-ers would have certain notions about themselves and mention how 'one should speak proper'.

degsie · 23-04-2017 06:38PM

Dare must be at least turty posts about dis already.

lazybones32 · 23-04-2017 07:44PM

LordSutch wrote: »

I prefer 'three' myself, but for strange reason some Irish people can't say three, why is that?

Is it a class thing? or . . .

Curious.

What's the Irish word for 'three'?

Irish accents are suited to the Irish language

The_Valeyard · 23-04-2017 07:47PM

degsie wrote: »

Some Scottish people pronounce 'j' as 'joy' and 'three' as 'kree', so yea a regional thing.

JAFFA KREE!!

jojofizzio · 23-04-2017 07:49PM

nullzero wrote: »

And some English people can only seem to pronounce it as "free".
Don't get me started on their abuse of Irish surnames.

And what about their pronunciation of "Thames" and "Thailand "....and they say we don't pronounce our "th"s......

Beyondgone · 23-04-2017 07:50PM

degsie wrote: »

Dare must be at least turty posts about dis already.

Dats wha I taught two.:(

hungry hypno toad · 23-04-2017 07:51PM

Pac1Man wrote: »

If you are from Dublin, it's a class thing. The th-ers would have certain notions about themselves and mention how 'one should speak proper'.

And the rest are painful to listen to along with the chip on the shoulder.

endacl · 23-04-2017 07:54PM

LexieOnRale wrote: »

That has actually made my day

Now try 'rise up lights' in your own accent.

What does it sound like?

23-04-2017 07:59PM

endacl wrote: »

Now try 'rise up lights' in your own accent.

What does it sound like?

Sounds very english

What about the old Whale Oil Beef Hooked

Tree is the magic number . . .

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