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Opinion of Gaelic in Scotland? | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages |  | |
| Cainntear Pentaglot Senior Member Scotland linguafrankly.blogsp Joined 6011 days ago 4399 posts - 7687 votes  Speaks: Lowland Scots, English*, French, Spanish, Scottish Gaelic Studies: Catalan, Italian, German, Irish, Welsh | Message 33 of 38 04 October 2011 at 1:27pm | IP Logged | ||
In the final analysis, it is the similarities that count, not the origin of the similarities. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| William Camden Hexaglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 6272 days ago 1936 posts - 2333 votes Speaks: English*, German, Spanish, Russian, Turkish, French | Message 34 of 38 10 October 2011 at 6:43pm | IP Logged | ||
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Lowland Scots probably see it as part of their heritage, but few speak it, and you have to travel pretty far into the remote north of Scotland to encounter native speakers. Gaelic is not "forced" on anyone, as far as I know - at my school, I knew one or two people who took it as a subject, but far more were taking French, German, Spanish or Latin.
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| Alexander86 Tetraglot Senior Member United Kingdom alanguagediary.blogs Joined 4981 days ago 224 posts - 323 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, German, Catalan Studies: Swedish | Message 35 of 38 11 October 2011 at 4:53pm | IP Logged | ||
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Gaelic in Scotland seems to be part of their "heritage", as in the past, and not part of their "culture" in terms of the
present. It doesn't help that the language heartland is far removed from the centres of economic and political power that are Glasgow and Edinburgh. Although if you do travel to Skye or the outer Hebrides then you will hear it, see it and ultimately, enjoy it =) 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| montmorency Diglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 4828 days ago 2371 posts - 3676 votes Speaks: English*, German Studies: Danish, Welsh | Message 36 of 38 11 October 2011 at 6:29pm | IP Logged | ||
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As this thread appears to have been resuscitated, is it a good place to discuss
differences between Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic (or Irish, if you prefer)? It was briefly touched upon, but would anyone like to expand? Has anyone studied both? I've studied Welsh to some extent, and after doing so, looking briefly at Gaelic, didn't have too many "aha!" moments. However, someone who really knows Welsh would probably spot more similarities than differences, although I know they are from a different Celtic language group. Going back to Scotland and Scottish Gaelic, one thing that I don't think has been touched upon, and that is the political situation in Scotland, which I think has changed a bit since this thread started. I don't know what the SNP's position on Gaelic is, but I suspect they would not want to be seen to be unsupportive of it, whatever their private view(s), and given their relative success in recent years, have to be taken notice of. There will probably be a referendum on Scottish Independence (or partial Independence) and if it receives a "yes" vote, who knows what that will lead to? Mind you, language initiatives done for political reasons are probably not likely to have real success. It is true that Welsh has made some progress, but the story in Ireland doesn't sound all that positive. There has to be a real will from within, and I'm not convinced sufficient Scots are interested. I think Lowland Scots has more grass-roots support. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Cainntear Pentaglot Senior Member Scotland linguafrankly.blogsp Joined 6011 days ago 4399 posts - 7687 votes Speaks: Lowland Scots, English*, French, Spanish, Scottish Gaelic Studies: Catalan, Italian, German, Irish, Welsh | Message 37 of 38 11 October 2011 at 7:25pm | IP Logged | ||
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I don't know enough about Irish to compare.
The political situation has never really affected Gaelic. The modern Gaelic-Medium Education provisions were set up under the Tories. Labour instigated the Gaelic Language Act. The biggest thing the SNP really did was give a little bit more cash to the broadcasters (which sounds like a lot of money when the Daily Mail talk about it, but is hardly anything in real terms). The SNP certainly can't afford to be seen to be against Gaelic, but many of them are, and Gaelic is anything but a vote-winner for the SNP -- it's become a stick for everyone to beat them with: "wasting money on dead languages... shortbread tins... Brigadoon". Gaelic got where it is today not through political will, but through grass-roots support. Scots is in such a bad state because hardly anyone is willing to put any effort into it. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| sammychanforeve Triglot Groupie United States Joined 6068 days ago 43 posts - 51 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, Japanese Studies: French | Message 38 of 38 12 October 2011 at 1:33am | IP Logged | ||
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Thought this link might be of interest to those following the topic...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/oct/09/kevin-mc kenna-protect-gaelic-language?INTCMP=SRCH Edited by sammychanforeve on 12 October 2011 at 1:34am 1 person has voted this message useful |
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