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Irish</title></head><body>
<div>Subject: Dictionaries and EU Irish</div>
<div>From: "Obroin, Brian" <ObroinB@wpunj.edu></div>
<div>To: "The Celtic Linguistics
List...snip...CELTLING@LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG></div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>I'm partially in agreement with George Dillon on the decision to
make Irish an official EU language; I've developed a strong cynicism
towards anything the Irish government does on the language. On the
other hand, it is a positive step and (here's a thought, now) much of
that EU funding for translation will actually go towards *developing*
dictionaries, thus further internationalizing Irish. I know a number
of well-educated people who are fluent in Irish and other European
languages, and who would be happy to work as translators and word-list
compilers.</div>
<div><br>
Regarding dictionaries, I'm aware very of good ones that are
French/Irish (de Hae), Spanish/Irish (David Barnwell), and
German/Irish (Caldas and Schleicher). That's not bad at all.<br>
<br>
There are also a few other smaller dictionaries, like Panu Höglund's
Finnish/Irish dictionary.<br>
<br>
I'd also draw the readers' attention to the EU's TIS (terminology
bank) (<a
href="http://tis.consilium.eu.int/utfwebtis/frames/introfsEN.htm"
>http://tis.consilium.eu.int/utfwebtis/frames/introfsEN.htm</a>).<br>
<br>
In balance, this is a very important decision for Irish, taking the
language out of the simple Irish/English situation that pertains in
Ireland and placing it in the truly multilingual world of the EU.<br>
<br>
This decision will make our lives as Irish-speaking EU citizens a lot
easier. More rights are always a good thing.<br>
<br>
And credit where credit is due. In the last 9 years we've got TG4, the
Bille Teangan, and the Coimisinéir Teangan. And the British
government is moving, if glacially. Fair play to the Irish government,
who really didn't have to do any of this, and to the selfless
activists in Ireland who made it all happen (Daithí Mac Cárthaigh
springs to mind). Éamon Ó Cuív, by the way, must also be singled
out - he's the best thing that happened to Irish since arán
slisthe.<br>
<br>
=====</div>
<div>Brian Ó Broin, Ph.D.<br>
Dept. of English, William Paterson University, New Jersey, USA<br>
<br>
Linguistics - Medieval Studies - Irish Studies</div>
<div>Teangeolaíocht-Léann na Meánaoise-Léann na
hÉireann</div>
<x-sigsep><pre>--
</pre></x-sigsep>
<div>o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o<br>
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