| Chabhródh . . . An oral examination in the Junior Certificate would helpteachers and pupils to keep the emphasis (béim) on the speaking of Irish.
Chabhródh - - would help is the modh coinníollach of the verb cabhraigh in the third person. The subject is scrúdú - - an examination. (Chapter 20 Page 273 of TYI explains the Modh Coinníollach. NIG gives the forms of the verbs but not much explanation. I intend to include a page on this later.)
The word béal - - mouth appears in the tuiseal ginideach: scrúdú béil - - an oral exam. Another tuiseal ginideach appears in labhairt na Gaeilge - - the speaking of Irish. Please note carefully the use of a, an, and the in the English translations and how these words are dealt with in Irish. You will find a discussion of this topic under an t-alt - - the article elsewhere in these notes.
Note the repetition of the preposition le - - with: le múinteoirí - - (with) teachers; le daltaí - - (with) pupils.
an bhéim a choimeád -- Literally the emphasis to keep. This is an example of ordú sa chlaoninsint - - a command in reported speech. Coimeád an bhéim ar labhairt na Gaeilge - - Keep the emphasis on the speaking of Irish is the underlying command.
Why is there a h - - séimhiú - - aspiration or lenition on b in béim? An bhéim - - the emphasis?
Because béim is feminine - - baininscneach.
See ainmfhocail - - nouns for a discussion of inscne - - gender. (My apologies! This page has not yet been written. I'll get around to it. New Irish Grammar discusses gender on Page 10. Teach Yourself Irish has this on Pages 17/18)
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