Editing Openai/69186d20-2d14-8013-b9c6-c09000f173f6 (section)

==== These are the typical glide contexts: ====
# Between a broad vowel and a consonant, especially in stressed syllables that “want” a diphthong Example: ''labhraíonn'' - Spelling: l a b h r a í o n n - Typical modern realization: ≈ /ˈl̪ˠaʊɾʲiːn̪ˠ/ or /ˈl̪ˠəu̯ɾʲiːn̪ˠ/ - Phonetic story: - la- is the base, then bh acts as [u̯]/[w] gliding into r. - You get something like [laʊɾʲ-], not [lavɾʲ-]. - So here bh is not a “full consonant” but a semivowel; articulatorily you’re rounding/lifting as if doing a very short [u]/[w]. Same pattern in many -abh-, -obhr- clusters.
# When bh is between identical or close vowels and just lengthens/smooths them - In some dialects ''abh'' essentially functions as “lengthen this a + add a trace of rounding”: - e.g. older pronunciations of ''abhainn'' “river” ~ /ˈaunʲ/ vs /ˈaːnʲ/ depending on region. - In those cases learners often don’t perceive a consonant at all; they just hear a long/diphthongal vowel.
# Certain fast-speech reductions Even where a careful [v]-like segment is possible, connected speech may reduce it to a glide or delete it: - mo bhó “my cow”: /mˠə voː/ can shade toward [mˠoː] in rapid colloquial speech; the [v] is very weak.