Re: Celtica (was: Maggel)

John Cowan wrote:

>Stephen Mulraney scripsit:
>
>
>
>>Fair enough. To be honest, I've only ever heard [gEjlIk], meaning of
>>course Gaeilge (Irish), but I came across the pronunciation [galIk] to
>>mean "Scots Gaelic" on an instructional tape. I don't know if the
>>distinction is actually made anywhere :).
>>
>>
>
>It's made everywhere that Scots Gaelic needs to be spoken of, at least
>among the informed.
>
>
Yes. I meant that there aren't many regions where both languages are
topical among the local community, and in addition where the name
"Gaelic" for Irish is used in English (though perhaps people are more
likely to use that name in Northern Ireland, since Irish isn't
ubiquitous there like it is in the Republic).

>>Well, it could be worse... at least you don't say [s&ltIk].
>>
>>
>
>No, that's a basketball team in Boston.
>
>
Really? A football team in Glasgow, too.

>>To be sure                              Stephen Mulraney
>> to be sure                            ataltane@ataltane.net
>>
>>
>I can get two readings from that.  With falling intonation on both
>halves, it's plain repetition for emphasis, like "Yes, yes", with
>similar connotations of condescension and/or weariness.
>
>
Well, I was thinking of this interpretation, originally with
connotations of weariness. However, there's a triteness about it, and
it's not necessarily a genuine expression of weariness. In all its
full-blown Oirishry, it might be encountered falling from the lips of a
pipe-sucking old man in a cap, and might be accompanied by a knowing
twitch of the the head, and, among the most depraved, a twinkle in the
eye. It's an exaggerated way of saying "I agree", or even "yes".

>But with rising intonation on the first half, and low level intonation
>on the second, it would serve as the answer to "Why do you wear both
>[trouser-]suspenders and a belt?"
>
:)

>  (To Americans, "suspenders" always refers
>to the gadget that holds up trousers, which we of course call "pants".)
>
>
>
Which is what I would understand by "suspenders", too. What is the
specifically non-American meaning? (Probably something obvious I'm
overlooking.)

s.

--
To be sure                              Stephen Mulraney
 to be sure                            ataltane@ataltane.net

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