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daibhidh macshealbhaich

Re-fighting Old Battles

I get increasingly angry when reading forums about Gaelic - not at the forums as such, or even those who post on them, but the attitude and behaviour of those in Westminster or Holyrood, and the bureaucrats that serve them, and those people "who know better" towards the language and culture of Gaelic.

If these smug, de haut en bas people don't stop being obstructive the language will die in Scotland - is that what they want? All that is required is a monetary investment that is a fraction of the sums they waste each year committed over a longish period - say, 10 years.

The arguments as to why they can't do this, etc., are exactly the same (almost in the same words) that were being trotted out 80-90 years ago in Wales about Welsh. And, although things are not yet ideal in Wales, the Welsh Language Act and some serious committment has apparently turned around the decline.

Do we have to re-fight old battles in Scotland that have been already resolved in Wales just to massage the pusillanimity (or cupidity) of the obstructors? Whose interests do they serve, and why?

Isn't it time at the next round of elections to turf out anybody at Holyrood who isn't willing to promote Gaidhlig and the Gaidhealtachd?

The much publicised bi-lingual notices at Holyrood don't extend beyond the touristy areas. Inside, where the "common herd" can't go, the notices etc are all in English. So much for a Scottish Parliament, let alone a Parlamaid na h-Alba.
Nina

Re: Re-fighting Old Battles

daibhidh macshealbhaich wrote:
Do we have to re-fight old battles in Scotland that have been already resolved in Wales just to massage the pusillanimity (or cupidity) of the obstructors?


Yes you do.
And you have to fight a battle to be free.
SLG

I agree, just a wee bit of political will could have a huge impact on the fortunes of the language. There was talk a while back about a Gaidhlig language activist standing in 2007 http://ourscotland.myfreeforum.org/ftopic195.php. Never heard anything more about it since though. I think the main problem is that although there is a lot of good will towards the language from most, it is very far down there list of priorities.
Rinty

j

Why are you lot talking in English?

Sht! Now you're going to swear at me in gaelic and I won't know Wink
SLG

Surely you know that the Gaels are such polite folk that they never even invented swear words!?

Am bruidhinn neach sam bith ris?
Nina

SLG wrote:
Am bruidhinn neach sam bith ris?


Tha e fuar an deugh!

Laughing Laughing That's one of the few sentences I know in Gaelic.
Babygael

Hai Daibhidh Macshealbhaich, Mr. Green ahm all frae' ath-bheothachadh.
Tae mony jockasses an am Parlamaid na h-Alba.
Tha mi gaidhlig a` fa`s. my grammer is nae guid ahm afraid!!

BG smurfin flower
Rinty

j

bastards Sad
Babygael

Hey Dutch, Tha mi fuar an-Diugh....I am cold today!

Tha e fuar an-diugh.........It is cold today,. agus an am BogHall, tha e blath an-diugh. And in Boghall l, it is warm today.

Hey castro! erm Rinty! Rest assured, we dinnae use bad language!

BG smurfin: :dwarf
Cymro

The silly arguments about the Welsh language are still going on.

It's sad though that the Gaelic arguments are still believed by a lot more people. The Gaelic language is a massively important part of ones heritage and everything should be done to not only allow the language to survive but to prosper!
Rinty

i

I think it would be perfectly reasonable to make gaelic the first language in Argylle and the Western Isles thus giving it more than just "support" status.

Combine that with having all of our major landmarks and sites of interest, airports and railway stations bi-lingual. Add in an option of gaelic in secondary schools for the rest of the country and I believe we would see it grow.
Abieuan

Rinty wrote:
Quote:
I think it would be perfectly reasonable to make gaelic the first language in Argylle and the Western Isles thus giving it more than just "support" status.
And in Highland region too, don't you think ?
Quote:
Combine that with having all of our major landmarks and sites of interest, airports and railway stations bi-lingual.
As for the signage at major railway stations, this has come about.
I was part of a letter writing campaign in the late nineties (envelope and stamp in those days) to the station authorities to have this introduced.

If enough people make their voices heard, whether they can speak Gaelic or not, changes can be made, little by little, encouraging others to follow suit.

An example of how far behind we were:

When there was no Gaelic signs in Glasgow stations i used one of the public phones there.
There was a list of languages the phone could display in. Gaelic was not one of them - but Welsh was !
I'd bet it's the same today.
Rinty

k

Quote:
And in Highland region too, don't you think ?


Possibly. I'm not sure that it is the natural first language in much of the Highlands though. My knowledge of the intricacies of the borders of where it is/was spoken is not great.
Abieuan

I'd guess that there is more Gaelic spoken by percentage in Highland region than on mainland Argylle, most speakers in Argylle probably live on the Isle of Mull.

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