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Highlander · I Love 'Our Scotland' Joined: 09 Apr 2006 Posts: 298

Why are we not teaching old Norse, old English, the Northumbrian dialect of middle English, old Irish?

All these languages were once spoken in Scotland but yet people are fixating on Gaelic. Seems very discriminating to me. Scotland in not mono-ethnic and never has been. So why are we getting Gaelic forced down us left, right and centre? It is as though todays politicians are trying to change our culture and tell us that we are all Gaels. This is just wrong! We are not and never have been. We have a gaelic heritage, yes, but there are so many other cultures from here that contributed to modern day Scotland over centuries and the gaelic heritage is only a small part of our total heritage.

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British to the end

elidir · Nationalist Joined: 18 Jun 2006 Posts: 140

Presumably because these are languages that have no speakers. Gaidhlig is a living language is it not? So the question is misplaced although I'm sure that all the languages that you mention are taught and learnt in relevant university departments with faculties of ancient or mediaeval languages. So how can one discriminate against an individual or community on linguistic grounds if there are no individuals or communities that speak these languages? Surely learning these languages as living ones would constitute an artificial language policy!

How do you have Gaidhlig forced upon you? Are you required to learn it and use it? This was used as a complaint of linguistic supremacists in Wales during a time when Welsh spekers were actually on the decline and was a strategy designed to obscure the domination,normalisation and enforcement of the use of english. So english has in many countries been forced upon people whether they wanted to speak it or not. Can the same be true of Gaidhlig in Scotland?

Surely some of you are Gaels and does this not constitute a diversity within Scottish nationality which deserves recognition? How does a population of, is it 80000 Gaidhlig speakers, dominate a population of 5 million?

I don't think I beleive you.

Bigchap · Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2006 8:01 pm Post subject:

Babygael · Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2006 8:23 pm Post subject:

Erm, Highlander

Abieuan · Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 8:25 pm Post subject:

"highlander" said:

jimtrot · No Longer a Wean Joined: 16 May 2007 Posts: 60

I think highlander is a good example of cultural self-loathing.
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Not Brit - 'S Albannach a tha mise.

The cause of Labour is the cause of Scotland and the cause of Scotland is the cause of Labour - apologies to James Connolly

Rinty · Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 4:17 pm Post subject:

There is a certain amount of shoving it down our throats and it certainly isnt our national language!

It is one of our national languages, I have no problem with making it available as much as possible and/or promoting it, but it is wrong to say that it is our national language.

If I go back thorugh my family tree for centuries I doubt whether any of my ancestors ever spoke a word of it.

When my son was very young we had to watch his favourite programme, Postman Pat, in gaelic unless you bought videos. That part is forcing it on people. Kids in england could see it in the language that they speak every day, my son could see it in english once a week and in galeic most of the time.

The only result was that we watched videos instead and that he learned two gaelic phrases - he knew how to say Postman Pat and Fireman Sam in Gaelic. I am sure he would have preffered to enjoy the programmes by understanding the dialogue though.

SLG · Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 10:00 pm Post subject:

Come on Rinty. There are an endless number of English language children's programs and very few in Gaelic. If anyone is having a language shoved down their throat it is the Gaelic speaker.

kevin04 · I Love 'Our Scotland' Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 329

Interesting topic, I think now with the 24hour news coverage media that is 2007, I believe the Gaelic speakers should be able to press a red button at 6.30Reporting Scotland time and get their news in Gaelic.

What is the future for Gaelic? I'd love to see people learning it and it should be avaliable for people to learn but I live in Angus and my local part-time college evening class for basic gaelic is in Cowdenbeath which is about 40miles away, I hope it's not promoted just in area's like the highlands and islands, I'm sure many people all around Scotland would like to learn a few phrases or at least understand bits of it,

SLG · Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2007 10:42 am Post subject:

I'm really surprised about that, I would have though there would be a number of courses on offer in Angus. Try writing to the council, local colleges or any local schools with a Gaelic dept. If there is enough interest, they might do something about it.

darkside · Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2007 10:35 pm Post subject:

kevin04 · I Love 'Our Scotland' Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 329

When did they start doing it? Haha I did an online search with Learn Direct who fired me onto Cowdenbeath,

I'm in Carnoustie bigman

RadgeJougal · Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 4:45 pm Post subject:

"but it is wrong to say that it is our national language."

It is our national language or one of them. And it has as much claim to be so as Lallans.

"the gaelic heritage is only a small part of our total heritage."

The Gaelic heritage, as you put it, is the reason that there is a country called Scotland to begin with.

Anyway, England is more fragmented in terms of its past and present, but they don't make this kind of song and dance about their chalk and cheese.

Rinty · Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 7:09 pm Post subject:

"It is our national language or one of them. And it has as much claim to be so as Lallans."

Which is what I said.

You took part of my post and tried to associate with the sentiments of another post. I believe we should promote and support gaelic, I clearly said so.

"The Gaelic heritage, as you put it, is the reason that there is a country called Scotland to begin with"

Can you clarify this? I always thought that the name came from the Roman word for a certain tribe living in South West Scotland and Northern Ireland.

RadgeJougal · Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2007 5:55 pm Post subject:

Rinty · Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2007 6:51 pm Post subject:

Yes but the name came from Romans, you said it came from the gaels.

RadgeJougal · Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2007 7:07 pm Post subject:

It does come from the Gaels, because it is named after the Gaels. The Latin word itself is arguably an Old Irish loanword.