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§ 46. O.Ir. ua, uai are frequently contracted to u꞉, e.g. u꞉n, ‘lamb’, plur. u꞉nʹ (cp. Molloy’s 33rd dialect-list), O.Ir. úan; u꞉hαs, ‘prodigy’, M.Ir. úathbás; ũ꞉hαχə, ũ꞉kαχə, plur. of ũi, ‘cave’, O.Ir. uam; klũ꞉nʹ, ‘aftermath, meadow, allurement’, M.Ir. clúain; ku꞉nʹ, gen. sing. of ku꞉n, ‘harbour’, M.Ir. cúan; dʹα ·Lu꞉nʹ, ‘Monday’, Wi. lúan; Nuw, ‘new’, O.Ir. núe, núa; ruwɔg, ‘cobbler’s cord’, Di. ruadhóg; sNuw, ‘complexion’, Wi. snúad. bu꞉rʹuw, ‘blood mixed with matter’, cp. Meyer búar, ‘diarrhœa’.
§ 47. O.Ir. b < Idg. u̯ after r, l gives uw, e.g. gαruw, ‘rough’, O.Ir. garb; mαruw, ‘dead’, O.Ir. marb; ʃαruw, ‘bitter’, O.Ir. serb; tαruw, ‘bull’, O.Ir. tarb. Similarly a final b or m when not originally followed by a palatal vowel gave a bilabial w and was later vocalised to uw, e.g. gʹrʹĩuw, ‘deed’, O.Ir. gním; klũw, ‘plumage’, M.Ir. clúm. Where possible a, e or o preceding the b or m became ə and the resulting combination əw also gave uw, e.g. kʹlʹiuw, ‘basket, creel’, O.Ir. clíab; Lʹαnuw, ‘infant’, M.Ir. lenab; ʃLʹiuw, ‘mountain’, O.Ir. slíab. In syllables with secondary stress—αNũw, ‘seldom’, Wi. andam; α꞉rʹuw, ‘count’, O.Ir. áram; bʹrʹehuw, ‘judge’, bʹrʹehu꞉nəs, ‘judgment’, O.Ir. brithem; dʹα꞉nuw, ‘to do’, O.Ir. dénom; fwi꞉ʃuw, ‘improvement’, Di. faoiseamh, M.Ir. foessam; kαhũw, ‘to wear, throw, spend’, O.Ir. caithem; kũ꞉nuw, ‘assistance’, O.Ir. congnam; ʃïLuw, ‘syllable’, O.Ir. sillab.
§ 48. In syllables with secondary stress O.Ir. b, m gave w which coalesced with the vowel of the syllable and produced u꞉(w). In this case w is frequently heard before r, l, n, s. The adjective termination ‑mar appears as ‑u꞉r, e.g. ɛədu꞉r, ‘jealous’, Di. éadmhar; fαsku꞉r, ‘sheltered’ < *foscad-mar; dʹiənu꞉r, ‘watertight’, Di. díonmhar; g⅄꞉lu꞉r, ‘related’, Di. gaolmhar. The infinitive termination ‑(a)main, ‑(a)maint gives ‑u꞉nʹ, ‑u꞉Nʹtʹ, e.g. Lʹαnu꞉Nʹtʹ, ‘to follow’, Wi. lenmain; elʹu꞉nʹ, ‘to rear’, Wi. ailemain s. alaim; gʹαLu꞉Nʹtʹ, ‘to promise’, Di. geallamhain; kαnũ꞉Nʹtʹ, speech, language’, Di. canamhain; gyLʹu꞉Nʹtʹ, ‘to affect, trouble sorely’, Di. goilleamhain(t). Similarly Lα꞉nũ꞉nʹ, ‘couple’, M.Ir. lánamain; mαhu꞉nəs, ‘forgiveness’, Di. maitheamhnas, Wi. mathem; bʹihu꞉Ntə, ‘rascally’, Di. bitheamhanta. The adjective termination ‑(a)mail is ‑u꞉lʹ (‑əlʹ), e.g. kɔsu꞉lʹ, ‘like’, O.Ir. cosmail; dʹlʹi꞉hu꞉lʹ, ‘lawful’, Di. dlightheamhail; grα꞉nʹũ꞉lʹ, ‘loathsome, disgusting’, Di. gráineamhail. Other examples—αku꞉Nʹ, ‘strength, endurance’, M.Ir. accmaing; αnu꞉N, ‘infirm’,
