Imagine, if you will, what would occur if one took a time machine and brought someone from the past -a pure native with no English and no ability to learn it and let them loose in Dublin.

What would occur to them?

My guess:

No job
No friends
No house
No partner
Homeless
Mental home
Suicide/Death?

Have you seen tha TG4 program "No Béarla"? It's possible to find some Irish speakers in Dublin.

Now, the difficulty will depend on the time your speaker comes from. Maybe someone from the XIXth or before would have difficulty to get himself understood because Irish had many words and expressions that wouldn't be understood by most modern speakers (especially in towns like Dublin). Even today, the seanchaithe use many words and idioms that wouldn't be understood by younger speakers.

I'd say: no job (I'm afraid), some friends, maybe a house (if his Irish-speaking friends help him to find one etc), maybe a partner (the girls who love the Irish language would like to have a native Irish partner, wouldn't they? :-) )...

I was gonna say... Manchán Magan has covered this in excruciatingly uncomfortable detail.

This is the URL with his really horrible song... not safe for work or small kids (assuming they speak Irish and can understand it, of course) ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK-4DoUZdnk

(Message edited by domhnall_Ó_h_aireachtaigh on September 03, 2007)

quote:

if one took a time machine and brought someone from the past

All the things you've mentioned would happen to time-travelling English speakers from the past as well because things have changed a lot since, e.g., 19th century.

Lars

quote:

no ability to learn it

There is no such person, nor was there ever.
After a few months, that person would adapt, unless they had dementia of some form. (Some people with Alzheimers forget English and can only speak Irish).

Dirty little secret time:

I'm currently writing a novel about something like this though not entirely similar. I've been writing it since Jan. and Seosamh is actually in it since he didn't object when I posed the idea to him. Its about a smarter (very much smarter) version of myself who learns perfect Irish and then ...

She falls and hits her head, thus developing complete language loss (aphasia) in English and she can only speak Irish. Seosamh comes from Ireland to help her and stays with her. She has no ability, as it sometimes happens in aphasia though not often, to regain any English. Eventually she goes into a stress induced shock and must be sent to live in Ireland with the charactor Seosamh's second cousins where she recovers from the shock but is left with semi fragile wits and still can't relearn English. She meets a very hot Irish speaking man named Seamas who marries her and they live in An Cheathru Rua.

A bit abstract perhaps but I sure like it.

So a Bhearn a chara, you are not the only person who thinks of these things. I love to imagine such things so I decided to turn it into something of use and write on it.

Beir bua agus beannacht

Have you seen the short film Fluent Dysphasia?

Imagine, if you will, what would occur if one took a time machine and brought someone from the past - a pure native with no English and no ability to learn it and let them loose in Dublin.

Bheadh am ar dóigh acu! Cairde go leor, teach faighte ag Gaeilgeoir eile a bhfuil Béarla aige/aici, post éigin, gnéas go leor srl. Agus thiocfadh leis/léi méar a shíneadh ar mhír ar an bhiachlár dá mba ghá!

Is beag Béarla a labhraím féin agus mé ar ais i mBÁC na laethanta seo nó is leis na Gaeil a bhím i dteagmháil den chuid is mó.

quote:

Is beag Béarla a labhraím féin agus mé ar ais i mBÁC na laethanta seo nó is leis na Gaeil a bhím i dteagmháil den chuid is mó.

Ba bheag Béarla a labhair mé féin nuair a bhí mé i gCúil Raithin, ach giota beag Béarla ar aon nós. Ní dóigh liom go mb’fhéidir jab agus lóistín a dh’fháilt gan focal Béarla a bheith agat.

A Aonghuis,

Of course I've seen that movie, it helped me come up with this idea but the movie circumstances are impossible so I had to change them around so it would be a real, if not common, possibility.

And if anyone has heard any tell lately of anyone who has perfect Irish but limited English (foreign nationals who might fit this description don't count) they should tell me so I can add them to my chart of situations that I've made. I'm always on the look out for such things.

Beir bua agus beannacht

At the time Wagner made his linguistic atlas, there were plenty of people who had perfect Irish but limited English.

If there are some today, I think you'll find them in the Bluestack Mountains and in Tory Island, I'd say. Maybe in some places in Connaught as well, but I dunno since I've never been there.

Back to Bearn's original time traveler, I don't think he/she would be friendless because Bearn would have to be friends with them since he brought them here and it is the least he could do. :)

Beir bua agus beannacht