LL-L "Language politics" 2005.04.26 (10) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 26.APR.2005 (10) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West) Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: Ingmar Roerdinkholder <ingmar.roerdinkholder at WORLDONLINE.NL>
Subject: LL-L "Language politics" 2005.04.26 (02) [E]

Hi Criostóir, I think you're right that Irish should be the first and
maybe only public language in language reservations like the Gaeltacht.

By the way, when do we get an Irish (or Scottish) Gaelic version of the
Wren from you? Now, under Celtic, we only find the P-Celtic/Brittonic
Welsh, Breton and Cornish. I really miss Irish, Scottish and Manx..!

Ingmar

>Your statement raises two responses. Firstly, Irish is, under the
>Constitution, the "national and first official language". Consequently,
the
>Government is legally beholden to give precedence to Irish. I say
>"precedence" because the wording is "first" official language (English is
>the "second"). Of course, the Irish Government does not follow its own
rules
>(and in fact finds inventive ways to circumnavigate those rules) so that
>Irish is rarely used officially, and then only as an afterthought.
Secondly,
>I think prohibition of English on signage or other official uses in the
>Gaeltacht, where the majority of the population is supposed to have Irish
as
>its daily language, is not only desirable but absolutely necessary. What,
>otherwise, is the point in having a Gaeltacht than to uphold the usage -
>both publicly and privately - of Irish as the main or only language of
daily
>communication?
>
>It would be an easy and wonderful thing if Ireland became truly bilingual
a
>la Finland, Canada or Wales, but there's too many anti-Irish Irish [sic] -
>especially in Government - for that to ever happen in my pessimistic
>assessment. Irish is considered a useless family heirloom - pretty to look
>at and remind us where we came from, but best left in the attic and not
>shown to too many visitors.

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