Direction beats time?

Is direction more important in the Irish way of thinking than time and if so what does this say about us?

Listening to students from different countries study Irish I note that many students from other countries seem more concerned about precise time. Where I would be more likely to say it’s about five to ten or just after ten to ten when it’s seven minutes to ten, ( 9:53), this idea of ‘about’ of ‘around’ and desire to be a little vague or not too precise when talking about time can frustrate students from other countries. My tendency to arrive late is one I’ve corrected in other countries where it’s considered rude but I sometimes surprise people at home if I turn up exactly on time.

On the other hand, students are often very surprised to see how we deal with direction in Irish. When I went to the Gaeltacht first and people told me to go ‘siar a’ bóthar’ I had no idea which direction was siar. The detail we go into on direction and the importance of where we’re coming from or where we’re going to makes us more detailed in our daily use of communicating direction.

Chuaigh sé suas. Bhí sé thuas. Tháinig sé anuas.
Chuaigh sé síos. Bhí sé thíos. Tháinig sé aníos.
Chuaigh sí siar. Bhí sí thiar. Tháinig sé aniar. etc.

Are there any studies done as to why we are so detailed about where we’re coming from and where we’re going to?
Anyone any ideas?

Tá sé "i dtrátha" a dó a chlog. It's about/around two o'clock.

I think that may be right.

Very good question, altho the area of methaphor grounded into language and selection pressures of history, contingency and culture on the idiom of a tongue, is a) arcane, b) difficult, c) not done on major tongue, alone Irish.

It would be interesting though.

I've heard that it has something to do with the ancient Irish being a warrior culture (as well as a sun-worshipping culture, hence the deference to East instead of North).

for use on the battlefield, directions are given in relation to the speaker, rather than in absolutes

Antaine gave further here. Quite useful, a chara.

http://www.daltai.com/discus/messages/12465/13184.html

Go raibh maith agaibh. Fíor spéisiúil.Tá mé díreach tar éis teacht isteach ó scrúdú san ollscoil agus mé traochta anois. Tá ceann eile agam ar an Déardaoin is 'show' le déanamh amárach le mo dhaltaí atá ag foghlaim rincí gaelacha liom. Tiocfaidh mé ar ais ar seo ar an Aoine le cúnamh Dé. Ach bhí mé an-tógtha led' obair Antaine. Fair play dhuit. Ar críochnaigh tú an méid a bhí i gceist 'at a dhéanamh sa naisc thuas?
C