I'm not sure if this discussion board is the place to debate this. If I have strayed into "political territory" gabh mo leithsceal

There's a bit of a debate going on regarding the use of this "geographic term" to describe the islands comprising the UK, Ireland, Isle of Man etc.

It appears that a school book publisher has deleted the term from school geography texts.

Would any of you have a view on an appropriate term for "these islands" ? - the Anglo-Celtic Isles has been suggested

Na hOileáin Normainneacha?

The irony being that British derives from a Celtic word anyway.

Chuala mé "CFE" a mholadh - the Celtic Federation and England.

Is cuma sa tsioc liomsa. Faoi lucht tíreolais atá sé.

Más buan mo chuimhne chonaic mé leagan ar leabhar/fhoclóir tíreolais ag tabhairt: Oileáin an Atlantaigh Thoir orthu.

quote:

- the Anglo-Celtic Isles has been suggested

"The Celtic-Anglo Isles" has a better ring to it.

how about Éire and East Éire?

I don't think this is a discussion for Daltaí. The subject has been exhausted on many different Irish forums. Boards.ie for example.

Out of 500 voters, 60% do not recognise the British Isles and 12% "don't care". The rest do recognise the term.

http:///vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054985596

Personally, I'm not too bothered about the term but I would never use it myself. It holds political connotations that confuses foreigners and offends many Irish people.

People of the Iberian peninsula are Iberian.
People from Scandinavia are Scandinavian.
Not everyone in the British Isles are British.

Also note that the term holds no official status according the the government of Ireland. Irish media rarely used it. Even Sky News has abolished the term so as not to offend Irish viewers.

I think "the Anglo-Celtic Isles" would be a welcome alternative, but our Polish friends might object!

(Message edited by ceolmhar on October 09, 2006)

I don't really feel too bothered by the name either, but I don't live there so I havn't too much say in the matter. That being said, some of the above ideas are awfully tempting and very clever. :)

Beir bua agus beannacht

Anytime I hear this discussion I wonder that nobody seems to take exception to the name Irish Sea. After all is it not shared also with Wales , England , Isle of Man, Scotland and that Celtic peninsula Cornwall ! Using the name does not imply that it in some way belongs to the Irish. I wonder do any of our neighbours on the other side of the Irish Sea have views on the subject ?

Roinnt blianta ó shoin, nuair a mheasadh go raibh ola ann faoin ghrinneall, d'athbhaist na Briotainigh an Celtic Sea air, ar eagla go ndéanfadh an tÉireannach éileamh air, is dócha. Ach nuair nár fíoradh an aisling, shleamhnaigh an t-ainm ar ais.

Dar ndóigh, Muir Mheann is ainm dó i nGaeilge. Mare Hibernicum a bhí i Laidin

A book I have just started reading (Reformation - Europe's House Divided) by Diarmuid MacCulloch, refers to this question of nomenclature in its Introduction,on page xxiv. I quote:

"Separate from the short treatment of the Thirty Years War is the section on the Atlantic Isles - England, Ireland Scotland, Wales."

Could this new term be gaining a certain momentum?

Given the sad history of relations between the two islands, it is understandable that some/many Irish people do not feel happy to be bundled into the term "British".

Cad faoi Irish Isles?

When Irish Isles are smiling? Sure the world is bright and homosexual? ;)

"It holds political connotations that confuses foreigners and offends many Irish people.

People of the Iberian peninsula are Iberian.
People from Scandinavia are Scandinavian.
Not everyone in the British Isles are British. "

Could I point out that the way English speakers use Scandinavia and Scandinavian is both wrong and offensive in 9 out of 10 cases, so it's very much comparable to using the British Isles.

Some more examples while I'm at it :-)

My Portuguese friends would start shouting if called Iberian and my friends in Croatia go mad if Croatia is suggested to be in the Balkans, the Slovenians even more so. Poles and even some Ukrainians take offense at being called Eastern European.

In other words, few areas are unproblematic and the British Isles are no exception, somewhat problematic but probably less so than many other European regions and definitely less likely to cause the emotions some other names do.

Ah, but all those other countries are not English speaking, and may therefore be safely ignored (irony warning).

Even Korea has taken issue with the Sea of Japan. Apparently, other nations in the area have called it The Eastern Sea from time immemorial, and one of the oldest european maps to depict the body of water call it the "Corea Sea"

A Jonais a chara,

I think its neat to get a wider perspective on the matter. Its great to hear from you again a chara, I hope you stay around here with us, we miss your insight when you're not here.

:)

Beir bua agus beannacht

seconded

You may have to rename the whole world.. English channel..Irish Sea...
"Éire and East Éire?" More like Britain and West Britain..

British isles is used by Brits not by Muintir na hEireann.. And i find it a kick in the face to the memory of those who achieved, and continue to work towards, our Freedom.
But ye politics ain't for here...

Ye fearn i agree the world is indeed smiling and homosexual! (",)

Dar ndóigh, mhol duine éigin cúpla de bhliainta ó shoin Iona .i. Í Cholm cille; ach fós IONA Islands Of North Atlantic

The Home Nations

Éire agus a scúirse!

Look what the Terminology Committee thinks on the subject:

http://www.focal.ie/Search.aspx?term=the%20British%20Isles

An Bhreatain Mhór? An é sin ceartainm an scúirse? ;)

Britain refers to the land of the britons. The britons were romano celtic tribes. Most of these tribes were subjucted by the anglo saxon tribes from the 4-7th century or driven west of the severn. Hence wales is the proper land of the british. So although i wouldnt be technically against the term british isles i find it extremly difficult to speak this term aloud particularly in company. Perhaps we could say we live in the welsh isles.

Is dóigh i ndáirire nach bhfuil aon ghá leis mar théarma tíreolais. Is téarma polaitiúil é, nó iarsma de, a chuireann ceangal éigin in iúl a bhfuil col ag gach Gaeil air.

Fágaimis inár ndiaidh é mar théarma mar a bhfágaimid an ceangal polaitiúil úd

A Bhric Bháin,

ciallaíonn "Welsh" coimhthíoch; ainm na nGall do phobal Cymru atá ann, agus níl sé foirstineach dúinne.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/welsh

D'inis se dom on bfhear as Cymru gurb iad fein na duine duthasach bhreathnach. De bharr sin ainmhig na gael "Breatain Bige" as tir seo agus breathnach no "welsh" don chlann áirithe as tir seo.

Níl fhios agam an ceart cead raide a thabhairt don Bhreatnach. Nach dtagann an focal Gael óna dteanga siúd? Gael = Duine fiáin

quote:

Nach dtagann an focal Gael óna dteanga siúd? Gael = Duine fiáin

Is fíor san.

---

Ní bheidh aon cur i gcoinne CÉAS mar ainm agam!

(Cymru, Éire, Alba, Sasain)

Is maith liom CÉAS, ach d'fhág thú Oileán Manannáin as, agus é i lár baill.

Cad faoi na hOileáin Mhanannánacha?

Nó Oileáin Mhaca Lir!

Cad faoin iníon? Claonghnéasachas?

Maith go leor
Oileáin Clainne Lir!

The Irish Echo mentions the following acronym:


IONA = Islands Of the North Atlantic

Féach Teachtaireacht Fhirn Deireadh Fomhair 12, 2006 - 05:11 am:thuas.

An bhfuil an t-irish echo ag aithris orainn?