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16th February, 2003

Gaelic is dying

Filed under: Topicality, — bsag @ 02:02 PM

I read a very sad article in Thursdayâs Guardian today (yes, I know itâs Sunday already â give me a break). The number of Gaelic speakers has declined 15% in the last 10 years to less than 60,000. Once it falls below 50,000, it will be officially declared dead. I love the Gaelic language. When I lived for a summer on a boat in the Isle of Mull, my only aural entertainment (apart from the sea, seals, deer, curlews and oystercatchers â which were wonderful) was Gaelic language talk radio, a tape of Billy Connolly and a recording of Faureâs Requiem. It was an odd but interesting mixture.

I only know the merest smattering of Gaelic words, but I loved just listening to the music of it. I even have some âTeach Yourself Gaelicâ tapes somewhere, but Iâm the worldâs worst linguist, so Iâve never got very far with it. Perhaps Iâll give it another go; I might be able to keep the numbers at 50,001.

Mike Russell of the Scottish National Party said:

âLanguage expresses where you live and your angle to the world; it is a way of seeing. There are things we say that you can only express in a certain language. It has huge impact. Are we saying we can preserve a building here and a bird there but we canât preserve that?â

1

my dad can speak gaelic, maybe i'll encouage him to speak it more [not to me though!].

whilst i can appreciate that 50,000 is pretty much zero relative to the number of speakers of other languages, i do think it's pretty sad to declare a language dead when there are still some people conversing in it. what's even sadder is the possibility there are more speakers of klingon (http://home.swipnet.se/~w-12689/survey.htm ) than gaelic!----- Just a few thoughts from 50,002 â¦

Those of us that speak Gaelic and live in England werenât counted in the 2001 Census. Granted there probably isnât huge amount of us, but we do exist. Likewise, I donât believe Welsh speakers residing in England were counted either.

There is a large community of Gaelic speakers in Nova Scotia, along with Gaelic learners scattered world-wide. Just late last year, the first authoritative Gaelic dictionary since Dwellyâs (circa early 1900âs) was published.

So maybe itâs not the total doom & gloom painted by the Census.

Aâ GhÃ idhlig: cleachd i neo caill i! (use it or lose it)

by Cait @ 17/02/2003 11:02 pm • Permalink •
2

I heard an interview with a Gaelic proponent who said that although the number of adult speakers has been declining the language is on the rise in schools, with more and more young people learning it. He went on to compare this with the situation when he was young when Gaelic speaking was strongly discouraged.

Maybe the situation is not as bad as you think?

by James Donkin @ 18/02/2003 6:02 pm • Permalink •
3

I'm really encouraged by these comments. If it's true that more youngsters are learning Gaelic, the future does indeed look more rosy than was depicted. As I know to my cost, learning a language when you're young is much easier than trying to do it when you're older.

Time to dig out 'Can Seo' again. Since we seem to have a mini congregation of Gaels here, can anyone reccommend an idiot proof Teach Yourself Gaelic book/course?

by bsag @ 18/02/2003 7:03 pm • Permalink •
4

Re language courses ... it depends entirely upon how you like to learn a language. Some people are language 'techies' and prefer to learn the grammar, whilst others are less concerned with the grammar and learn by rote.

For the language techies, I recommend Cothrom Ionnsachaidh by Ronald Black.

For a more fun and conversational approach and less grammar, try the Speaking Our Language book and tape series. Videos are also available.

All of these can be found at the Gaelic Book Council's website http://www.gaelicbooks.net/

by Cait @ 19/02/2003 9:02 pm • Permalink •
5

Around 10 years ago I lived in Edinburgh and there was a late night show entirely in Gaelic. It was a god idea - except that they never subtitled or explained anything. The assumption appeared to be taht only gaelic speakers would watch. My thoughht was that if they had put up subtitles then maybe more people would have watched and maybe more people would have been encouraged to elarn something. Instead it appeared to be exclusive - keep the heathen non-gaels out.

When a language is in decline and people want it to survive is not better to encourage participation than to put up barriers?

Anyway, life would be simpler if everyone spoke English and left it at that.

by dave murphy @ 20/02/2003 11:02 pm • Permalink •
6

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The International Celtic Art Exhibition previously at the Birmingham Central Library is now available, on loan, to public institutions and interested parties. Nothing is for sale. Graphics, hanging fabrics, some jewellery and some handicraft cards. This is a large exhibition which can be reduced to fit. Do you know of a venue?

Also the smaller George Thomson Exhibition (he translated ï¿½20 Years A Growingï¿½) and the slightly smaller Charles Bradlaugh Exhibition, which we compiled for the Northampton society.

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by Peadar @ 01/10/2003 6:10 pm • Permalink •
7

I think a referendum should be held and Irish Voters Should decide wheather to keep Irish as an official language that is Government funded or to get rid of Irish as an official language and stop Government funding of it. Beating around the bush as the Irish are doing now will cause if it is not already causing a rift in Irish society which will hurt it. The Irish should make up their minds now! By the way this is important to me because I am an American of 1/8th Irish ancestry and my ancestral homelands one of which is Ireland are very imporant to me!

James E. Keegan

U.S.A.

by James E. Keegan @ 11/05/2004 8:05 pm • Permalink •
8

hi dear Irish firend I am not an Irish man, I know people shuld proad and have right to speek with their langouages but history is showing us langoges has been changed lot what can make you I mine you who read this is your idea your personalty and your activity not your langoege.I dont whan to be noisi in Irish people bisineses but this is what I think thanks for you time. with love to great Irish people

by farshad @ 03/12/2006 10:24 pm • Permalink •
9

Hello everyone, i know this is an old post but i was doing a search for Can Seo and this came up. can anyone advise where i might be able to pick it up?

Stuart (Trying to learn gaelic)

by Stuart campbell @ 03/09/2007 12:05 am • Permalink •
10

Hi Stuart

Have you tried this site http://www.gaelicbooks.net/store/index.php It's run by the Gaelic Books Council. I have been trying to buy "Speaking Our Language" Tapes, which is part of a course opf the same name. unfortunately I have encountered problems with this purchase on-line. They have a shop in Glasgow if that is any help! Kathleen

by Kathleen @ 19/09/2007 12:22 pm • Permalink •
11

I think that is B.S. that gaelic is a dying language. in my opinion being almost 100% Irish we should bring gaelic back into school. and try to bring it into my generation. I swear if i could take gaelic as a language i would. We should bring gaelic back into school. Just because it is a hard language doesnt mean people wouldnt take it. Look at aribic that language is really hard to people still take that.. people take that in college. I think it is degrating to us Irishman that we dont take gaelic in America.

Joe G. Elliott

by Joe @ 09/04/2008 12:01 pm • Permalink •
12

Post 10 - Kathleen Hi Kathleen - we have a new web site up and running with a range of Gaelic books and CDs - it replaces the old site. The new site is:

www.gaelicbooks.org

Hope you enjoy ...

Thanks John The Gaelic Books Council (Comhairle nan Leabhraichean)

by John @ 19/05/2008 9:53 am • Permalink •

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16th February, 2003

Gaelic is dying

U.S.A.