From Michael Ansell – 26 July 2020
Yes I see what you mean Alan. I certainly hear ‘oo’ as the main element in native Gaels pronouncing craobh today and they understand me (without quizzical looks) when I pronounce craobh as something like crooeve. But they might (probably are!) be being indulgent!
Another interesting point was a G teacher I had, Màiread NicLeoid was from Lewis and always pronounced the terminal ‘a’ in words like sionnach as ‘o’, ie shinnoch. I remember discussing the word glasach, a green field or fallow field, with her and she pronounced that exactly like a local would pronounce the place-name Glassoch in the middle of the Wigtownshire moors.
I had thought the ‘o’ vowel sound in place-names here was a product of Scotticisation but it might have reflected the GG accent?
Kind Regards
Michael