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<h1 class="gmail-article__title">Ian Cowley: Language is a cultural treasure we must covet</h1>
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<h3 class="gmail-article__lead"><p>The level at which the languages of
Scotland – with the exception of English – have been ignored and often
despised in recent years is something that has always surprised and
saddened me.</p></h3>
<p>The reaction by some to MSP Christina McKelvie’s use of the word
‘thae’ in Holyrood during the recent Article 50 debate shows that
prejudice and ignorance still surround the use of Scots in daily life.</p><p>Language
is a cultural treasure and some might say the maximum expression of who
we are and where we’re from. The negativity surrounding the usage of
Scots in our country has been rife for so long that it seems ingrained
in the consciousness of many people to see it somehow as a lesser
language and its usage something to be frowned upon. In linguistic
terms, all languages are equal as a method of human interaction. </p><div class="gmail-p402_hide">
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</div><p>Languages are not merely a tool for communication
however, they also express a ‘localised’ way of life which has no
equivalent in other tongues. It’s often mentioned that the Inuit
languages have over 50 words for ‘snow’. In Scotland we have fantastic
words such as ‘ceilidh’ or ‘clan’ which have no equivalent in other
languages, yet we all know what they mean. </p><div class="gmail-p402_hide">
</div><p>Words like these carry a richness and evoke a way of life which are immediately identifiable with Scotland and its people.</p><p>While
the older generation still talk of being punished and beaten for
speaking Scots when they were younger, it’s heartening to see new
initiatives taking off as a result of the 2015 Scots Language Policy.
It’s also heartening to see that Gaelic, such a fantastic expression of
our cultural heritage, still clings on through initiatives such as Bòrd
na Gàidhlig or BBC Alba.</p><p>I live in a country where Basque, Catalan
and Galician co-exist as official languages alongside Spanish. I have
two young daughters who are being schooled entirely in Basque, as is the
policy of the Basque autonomous region of Spain. Nobody looks down on
you here for speaking Basque, indeed it’s encouraged to such an extent
that for the first time in years, active speakers are in the ascendency.</p><p>That’s
not to say that Spanish is excluded. Basque speakers also speak Spanish
and bilingualism is the norm rather than the exception. The Basque
language permeates society here and Basque people see themselves as
custodians of their language - they feel the duty to pass over the
language to future generations.</p><div class="gmail-p402_hide">
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</div><p>As a language isolate, Basque doesn’t resemble
Spanish at all. However, the Romance language of Catalan does have many
similarities to Spanish, as is the case with Scots and English. What
differs over here is that you would never hear Catalan being referred to
as an inferior version of Spanish.</p><p>It’s high time we stopped
relegating Scots to Burns Night and encouraged the use of Scotland’s
languages at all levels of society.</p><p>Ian Cowley is a communications manager who currently works for a start-up based in San Sebastian, Spain</p><p><a href="http://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/ian-cowley-language-is-a-cultural-treasure-we-must-covet-1-4375827">http://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/ian-cowley-language-is-a-cultural-treasure-we-must-covet-1-4375827</a><br></p><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature">**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/" target="_blank">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
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