| Archive for Our Scotland - www.our-scotland.org Scottish Politics Discussion Forum / Messageboard - Dedicated to online discussion about Scottish Politics and an Independent Scotland, as well as Scottish Society today. We also have a section dedicated to Banter, Sport and Recommended Sites. |
| elidir |
CyfarchionCyfarchion,I should have said hello first before posting, but I didn't see the invite. Anyway, I'm a Welsh and Celtic nationalist and republican from Cymru and support all Celtic nations in solidarity. Also a Marxist (yes! at least one left!), trad. musician and singer and almost a psychologist with a great interest in other Celtic (and english) musical traditions esp. songs. I have to say lads and ladies you have an excellent site I'm already more informed about Scotland than ever before: glad I found it. |
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| Wolf of Badenoch |
Hi elidir,welcome tae ye. 
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| Theresa |
Croeso, Elidir!
Good to see you here, and I look forward to your insightful remarks on this site. I'd like to hear more about your music and your psychology studies. 
Theresa |
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| kathyv |
Hi there! Where in Wales are you?
I've been to your country a couple of times, I enjoyed it very much! |
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| Babygael |
A'Cur failte air daoione le elider.
BG  
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| elidir |
Cyfarchion Babygael, Kathyv, Theresa, Wolf of Badenoch; thanks for the welcome from all.
Forgive my ignorance Babygael but can you tell me what that means. I'm assuming that it's Gallic or Gaidhlig? It's nice to see another Celtic language being used and having a profile (incidentally cyfarchion is: greetings or salutation). |
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| Babygael |
Hai Elidir, Its A'Ghaidlig,scots Gaelic, and its like, putting on a welcome!
Dinnae worry,it wasnae onything rude!! As ah hev been known tae get a wee bit saucy at times!  lol!!
Thanks for your cyfarchion also.Do you speak Welsh fluently? I am a Gaidlig student myself.Having just passed my first year exams here lately,now I'm going around grinning like a silly ejit !! Och waes like BabyGael!!! BG  
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| elidir |
No Babygael, I didn't think it was rude I just thought it was nice to see! Yes I'm first lang. Welsh as is my community (still - despite the efforts of others!). Are you taking a degree in Ghaidlig or through the medium of Ghaidlig? The only time I heard Ghaidlig spoken in my company (or rather sung) was by Mary Smith from the Isle of Lewis some years ago in a folk festival where we were both singing; and, man, she is an exquisite singer.
Is Ghaedlig speaking on the increase in Scotland? be nice to hear it is. |
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| Babygael |
Hai Elidir, Ahha! so you sing? In a group or solo? Tell me your'e not Tom Jones! Yes it must be nice being able to speak in your home language. As you say "In spite of the effort of others!" Am afraid ah wisnae so lucky!!
I'm starting from scratch so not at degree level,still building the foundations,I'm not living it and I take it easy. But as I'm from a "Highland" back ground,I reckon a bit of Gaelic culture would'nt go amiss!Plus I deeply resent the interference of foreigners and the damage they've caused.Of course,helped along by certain scots.So I thought rather than sit and smoulder,I should learn some Gaelic and its not just a language to learn,but also the facanating world view of the Gaels/celts. I think it will be some years before a reasonable increase in Gaelic speakers is seen.There are certainly lots of courses around but from what I gather,teachers are not! There's a Gaelic proverb which says"Theid dulchas an aghaidh nan creag" meaning "Heredity will go against the rocks" Lets hope so! BG
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| SLG |
Elider, I think the situation at the moment is that there is still a decline. Although the rate of that decline is being slowed. I'd expect that to turn into a steady increase in speakers over the next few years though. | ||
| elidir |
No! I can categorically confirm that I am not Tom Jones (how often have I said that!); although, then again I might be! Good on you Babygael for learning the lang. the problem of teachers is a common one but it'll improve as happened in Wales the change is slow at first-imperceptibly slow - but it'll soon gather momentum. As you say language contains a whole different world view much of which is better than the view that dominates at present.
Cyfarchion to you SLG: the same thing happened here in Wales first a slowdown in the decline then a small increase; the next census will be interesting so expect the same sort of profile in Scotland I would suggest? I met an Israeli once who told me that the Hebrew he spoke was actually a dead language by the begginings of the 20th century, spoken by the priesthood but is now an official language. Welsh and Ghaidlig are living languages so with the political will and integrity of community they can flourish despite the detractors. As to my singing well I'm a traditional singer (in the real sense of the word) of Welsh folk songs but I also play the guitar and arrange folk songs from other tradidtions as many do. I'm an admirer of the Bothy ballads from Scotland and have had the pleasure of hearing them sung over the years by some very fine singers. Now I'm off to Las Vegas for a million dollar gig, where's my medallion and my tightest pair of trousers? |
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| Antoni |
Hi elidir, Languages "without an army" are gaining ground day by day everywhere. Sardinian, for instance, older than Italian and most similar to latin than all the romance languages, full of pre-latin words, suffered in the past, but now seems to be save. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sardinian_language (Not everything is clear and true in the wiki article) Tsuchiya and Sugeta (from Japan) speak sardinian fluently. 
and American and German University have it in their courses.
So, all the best for languages of celtic family as well. |
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| elidir |
Cyfarchion Antoni,
"languages without an army" nice term and of course once those armies are gone their languages usually go witjh them - ours remain. I was aware that Sardina was a different culture, nation and Sardinian a language but it'll be great to hear some news about it. My only knowledge apart from that (forgive me) is that Antonio Gramsci the Marxist intellectual came from Sardinia. Is Sardinian in any way close to Corsican? Or are they totally different? Am I right in thinking that Sardinia has devolved gov. within Italy? |
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| Babygael |
Madainn mhath Eildir ciamar a tha sibh? Tha mi an dochas gu bheil tha gu math. How's L.A kickin' these days? 
In Barbados where I live, they have a celtic festival and many folk artists come here from all the celtic Nations.This year they had Scottish Pipers playing in Bridgetown,the capital,it sure was a sight to see! BG 
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| Cymro |
Croeso i'r negesfwrdd Elidir!
Dwi yma o dy flaen di yn cynrychioli'r Cymry!
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| cymrofawr |
Hi Elidir, welcome, I'm originally from Cymru but live across the border in Lloegr 
I dream of the days when our Celtic lands will be free! |
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| Antoni |
After a very long time, here I am, asking You to consider my long absence Not a lack of interest in you and your goal. And above all, I didn't think I had something to reply. (Sorry for all this, Elidir  )
(1) I'll try to fill the gap in the near future. (2) That's right. Marxist intellectual when marxist meant something ideal. Solidarity and comprehension for bad social conditions and spent all his life fighting with political instruments organising people and founding Newspapers. The Fascism jailed him and was released just because of his bad health conditions, to die after a short time. There are evidences he could have been released much before but Soviets didn't move a finger to save him. He was unfit both sides. (3) Corsica and Sardinia have been always divided. In Corsica, Corsican and French are spoken. Corsican is similar To Tuscan from which comes Italian language. In North-East Sardinia is spoken Gallurese (similar to Corsican). If you want to learn more about this subject, listen BBC-Radio3. The Italian TV/Radio cannot broadcast a similar programme. )
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/worldmusic/onlocation/corsica.shtml (4) It Sounds like a joke. )
Every law must first be approved from Central Gov. Bye- from now .... see you soon friends. |
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