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The Daltaí Boards » Archive: 2005- » 2005 (November-December) » Archive through November 21, 2005 » Two off topic questions... « Previous Next »

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Chris_c
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Username: Chris_c

Post Number: 11
Registered: 08-2004
Posted on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - 01:04 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

I know that some of you speak or are intimately familiar with several languages, so I thought I'd ask here:

1) What is the status of Scottish Gaelic? Is the general consensus that it's in as "bad of shape" as Irish is sometimes believed to be? Or worse? Also, how close is it to Irish? I met a woman in my area (in the US) who is from an island off the coast of Scotland. Her native language is Scottish Gaelic. She has friends who hold "language" meetings weekly. I've been working on Irish for a while now, but the temptation of having a native speaker and a group of dedicated speakers/learners in my area is pretty tempting. Would such a group help my Irish at all... or would I just pretty much be switching to an entirely new language?

2) (less related to Irish) Do any of you speak "Scots" (not Scot Gaelic, but Scots). I wasn't even aware that there was such a thing. I looked at some text written in Scots and could pretty much read and understand it. It looked very close to English. So, for any of you living in that area... is Scots a very regional form of English or is it "it's own language." It looks like it would be very easy to learn for an English speaker.

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James
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Username: James

Post Number: 287
Registered: 08-2004
Posted on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - 03:11 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

I work with a lady from Scotland and she tosses around some "Scots" every once in a while. To me, it sounds more like a dialectal english that is heavily influnced by odd idiomatic expressions.

But...I'm no expert. So...

Regarding the Scots Gaelic...I would think that you would find it helpful in learning Irish. While the two languages are separate languages, to be sure...they still bear a striking resemblance to one another in the written word. Can't really see where it would hurt you to try and pick it up.

Is minic a bhris beál duine a shrón.

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Lughaidh
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Username: Lughaidh

Post Number: 1012
Registered: 01-2005
Posted on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 - 04:06 am:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

Also, how close is it to Irish?

Scottish Gaelic is close to Ulster Irish for grammar, a bit different for pronounciation and vocabulary. I know an old Donegal woman who said she was able to understand Scottish Gaelic quite well. Scottish Gaelic is dead easy if you speak Irish: most grammar is the same, pronounciation and vocabulary change a bit.

2) (less related to Irish) Do any of you speak "Scots" (not Scot Gaelic, but Scots). I wasn't even aware that there was such a thing. I looked at some text written in Scots and could pretty much read and understand it. It looked very close to English. So, for any of you living in that area... is Scots a very regional form of English or is it "it's own language." It looks like it would be very easy to learn for an English speaker.

I think that Braid Scots is a separate language. Many words come from Norse or Gaelic, pronounciation is a bit different. It looks close to English, but it doesn't mean that it is English: Danish and Norwegian look almost alike and they are separate languages though...
And there are old texts and poems in Braid Scots, it isn't a modern local form of English.

Tír Chonaill abú!

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Aonghus
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Username: Aonghus

Post Number: 2495
Registered: 08-2004


Posted on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 - 04:06 am:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

Scots is a parallel development to english, from similar roots - Anglo Saxon, Norse etc.

Obviously, it has become influenced by English since the ruling classes in Scotland came more and more under English influence.

What is a langauge or a dialect can be a very emotive and political issue.

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Domhnall
Member
Username: Domhnall

Post Number: 321
Registered: 06-2005


Posted on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 - 05:45 am:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

Im not sure if it has Offical status.
I know that it's not compulsory in schools, it's scattered like na Gaeltachtaí in Eirinn, it's in worse shape than Gaeilge na hEireann - less facilites/people with high standard and any standard! The language itself is like Ulster Gaeilge

I'd say stick with Gaeilge.. There's more facilities, resources and Cainteoirí!

A people without a language of its own is only half a nation.A nation should guard its language more than its territories, 'tis a surer barrier and a more important frontier than mountain or river



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