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Re: Celtica (was: Maggel)

From:Stephen Mulraney <ataltanie@...>
Date:Tuesday, June 15, 2004, 3:55
Doug Dee wrote:

>In a message dated 6/14/2004 8:48:49 AM Eastern Daylight Time, >barbarabarrett@ORCHIDSERVE.COM writes: > > > >>What baffles me is how come when one uses the word "Gaelic" ouside of >>Ireland folk assume you mean the Scots dialect >>
I've noticed that too, but it doesn't baffle me at all. I'm not sure what (Scots) Gaelic could be called if not "(Scots) Gaelic", while Irish can be called Irish. I think "Erse" is a bit out of favour (for either language) in these politically correct days.... Really, I'd prefer if they were called Gaeilge and Gaidhlig (and not forgetting Gaelg!), though :).
>> rather than the parent >>language, >>
Parent language? Sibling, surely. The parent was Old Irish. I don't think Irish gains seniority just because it's spoken on the same landmass as the parent.
>>even if you use the Irish rather than the Scots pronounciation of >>"Gaelic"? It seems that in English; Irish=Gaelic but Gaelic=Scots Gaelic: >>Wierd. >> >> > >Usage seems to be different in (my part of) the USA. I think "Gaelic" is >likely to be taken to mean "Irish Gaelic." If you say "Irish" with reference to >the language, people may respond "You mean 'Gaelic'?" > >
I've noticed that (as Barbara suggests) "Gaelic" when referring to Scots Gaelic is pronounced [gal1k], or when referring to Irish, [gEjl1k]. However, In Ireland, "gaelic" is really only used to refer to gaelic culture, most often gaelic sports. Using "Gaelic" meaning "the Irish language" has a rather contemptuous ring to it, I think, though I'm not sure why (similar to "Erse", in fact). I suppose it might be because either it's a typical name used by people who are ignorant about the languages (or their distinctness), or because it was the standard term in the bad old days when most Irish people knew as much Irish as they did Dyiribal.. However, there are certainly people in Ireland who, rather old-fashionedly to my ears, use the name "Gaelic" without malice. But generally it's not done. As for it's use by Forringers, well, there's no accounting for that... but Irish people call "Gaeilge" "Irish", and that's about as authoritive as you can get, I think. s. -- Stephen Mulraney ataltane@ataltane.net Klein bottle for rent ... inquire within.

Replies

Tristan Mc Leay <kesuari@...>
Steg Belsky <draqonfayir@...>