as a gaelic learner... -- FCS Discussion Forum

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Subject: as a gaelic learner...

Author:
maren girvilas

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Date Posted: 17:11:52 01/07/05 Fri
In reply to: Dave (UK) 's message, "Because I live in Scotland..." on 16:11:10 01/06/05 Thu

... living in germany, i find it quite sad and weird to see such contempt against the gaelic language, expressed by scottish people, popping up now and again in such discussions.
i'm involved with several european minority languages, and nowhere else do i hear such stupid attacks against a language than in scotland or maybe also ireland. other countries have obviously learned from the flaws of history and have developed a more positive attitude towards their multilingual culture. gaelic is a language the whole country could be proud of. instead, some people treat it as if it were a sickness.
maren

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Replies:

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: well said, Maren
Author: Ian (Australia) [ Edit \| View ]	Date Posted: 20:05:21 01/07/05 Fri I studied Gaelic at university in Australia (along with German and Murrinh-Patha), and I certainly don't feel it was time wasted. [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Hi Maren...
Author: Dave (UK) [ Edit \| View ]	Date Posted: 19:30:56 01/08/05 Sat Welcome to the forum... The Scots are a practical people, so please do not confuse pragmatism with contempt. We have often placed praticality before nostalgia... [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Linguistic Terrorists

Author:
Nick (UK)
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Date Posted: 17:06:43 01/12/05 Wed

Unfortunately I certainly feel that Scots and Irish Gaelic are commonly presented as a manifestation of Nationalism in Scotland and Ireland, and I imagine that they earn contempt from many English speakers and unionists more for that reason than pure ignorance.

Remember that the majority of the ancestors of the modern day populations of Scotland and Northern Ireland (particularly Scotland which has been mostly English speaking since English was invented) never spoke Gaelic, yet many 'Gaels' try to present their languages as central to those places history, nationhood and 'otherness' in relation to the 'English'. Personally I find this a provocation and an irritation, and it makes me less positively disposed to the languages than I would be otherwise.

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