Please see http://www.oireachtas-debates.gov.ie/D/0602/D.0602.200505190015.html.

The minister for the Gaeltacht has suggested abolishing the last few synthetic verb forms in the CO (mainly the 1st ps plural, eg bhíomar) in a new CO! So far the 1st psn plural pronoun is the CO is "sinn", but apparently the new "standard" form will be "bhí muid".

Someone else in the same debate suggested abolishing lenition, eclipsis and h-prefixation (eg "na hÉireann) in the next CO...

Lughaidh, you have your answer! You can't get the Christian Brothers' Grammar book in Irish... because they are waiting for the new CO ;-) The good news is everything will be much simpler in the new CO. I wonder if the genitive case and the copula will survive the changes?

Níl aon ní greanta sa méid sin. Ceadaíonn an CO FÉIN na réimeanna cainte uile go léir, ní miste a rá.

A public perception of CO does not negate the CO.

Caint ar son na cainte is ea cuid mhaith den méid a chloisfeas tú faoin gCO.

Dúirt an tUasal O'Shay:

quote:

Does he agree that a major difficulty for children can be the first letter of various words, because of aspirations, eclipses and prefixes? For example, Éire become tír na hÉireann. Does the Minister agree that any obstacles confronting children using the language must be addressed and that appropriate changes, where deemed necessary in the sense of assisting children in learning the language at that early stage, should be quickly introduced?

ROTFL
Gabh mo leithscéal, d'imigh an gáire orm!

Lars

(Message edited by lars on October 11, 2007)

quote:

Accordingly it would be a much simpler form to teach a child, so that every verb would be the préamh of the verb, “bhí” nó“tá” nó“bheadh” and so on, with simply “mé”, “tú”, “sé”, “muid”, “sibh” and “siad”.

I'm ok about "bhíomar", because Ulster says bhí muid, Connaught says bhí muid, Munster says bhíomair... Who says bhíomar ???

I don’t agree with simplifying the conditional:

who in Ireland says "bheadh mé" and "bheadh tú" ? (except learners who haven't learned the conjugations properly, of course).

Anyway, I don't feel much concerned by the CO... They won’t change the way I speak and I write :-)

"Does he agree that a major difficulty for children can be the first letter of various words, because of aspirations, eclipses and prefixes? For example, Éire become tír na hÉireann."

In a similar vein, let's abolish the word "an" in English.

Because really, it would be so much easier for the poor children if they could say "a apple" instead of having to remember to say "an". Won't somebody think of the poor children, for the love of God?! The humanity! :o)

As a non-native speaker of English, I think there are too many complicated things in English grammar. Let's change it ! :-D

As an English professor I agree!

Irish seems rather straightforward to me when I compare it to my students trying to wrap their brains around English phonetics and grammar.

Lughaidh, I don't think French really needs any of those nasal vowels... time for a French CO, methinks!

And another thing! We need to outlaw the "intrusive r" that snooty people like the British and New Englanders use when they say "an idea(r) or two." Plus they'd have to say "a idea."

Language is hard! Let's go shopping!

quote:

I don't think French really needs any of those nasal vowels...

Don't complain, Breton has many more nasal vowels ;-)

There is a school of thought that advocates an IQ test for all aspiring TDs. I don't think this is compatible with the principles of parliamentary democracy but I do really feel that we have too many politicians. Some of them are struggling to get their names mentioned in Dáil records. Next thing you know they'll be making ill-advised suggestions on subjects they know absolutely nothing about, just to get a headline and show their constituents that they do attend the occasional debate.

Seanfhear

Brian O Shea, the labour party's spokesbeing on Irish is a nuisance, forever harping on about how we musn't take any concrete steps to improve things for Irish speakers because that would be "forcing irish down peoples throats".

But unfortunately (see Michael Ring) spokepersons are most often nominated for geographic/electoral tactics reasons than competence.

cuimhneamh nua:
We stage a coup and remove all the politicians from power who say that making things better for those living through Irish is just too much trouble. Then we replace them with daoine cleiste like Aonghus and Seosamh etc. who just might acomplish something.

:) :)
Beir bua agus beannacht

Riona, a little revolution now and then is always a good thing!!