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From: csrdi@its63b.ed.ac.uk (ECTU68 R Innis CS)
Newsgroups: sci.lang,soc.culture.celtic
Subject: Re: Celtic Languages
Message-ID: <113@its63b.ed.ac.uk>
Date: Mon, 3-Nov-86 07:14:35 EST
Article-I.D.: its63b.113
Posted: Mon Nov  3 07:14:35 1986
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Xref: watmath sci.lang:75 soc.culture.celtic:79

Michael Ellis wanted to know about Celtic languages in everyday use....I can
tell you for certain that the number of Gaelic speakers is *not* 'vanishingly
small', in fact in Scotland the number is actually growing as non-native 
speakers acquire the language. F'rinstance, there are more Gaelic-speaking 
14/15 year olds now that there were Gaelic-speaking 4/5 year olds ten years 
ago. A growing number of younger people (myself included) are becoming aware 
of the fact that Scotland has its own language and cultural heritage. A lot of
the resurgence (probably too strong a word for it, but anyway...) of Gaelic is
probably due to politics as much as anything else, but it is still very much a
living language, particularly in the Western Isles (Lewis, Harris, the Uists 
etc) - a lot of the people there have Gaelic as a first language, roadsigns 
are bilingual (if you're lucky - I've seen many on Uist in Gaelic only) and 
many the people use it as their normal language, switching to English only for
the benefit of ignorant tourists like myself. There's also some (not nearly 
enough!) Gaelic programming on radio and television, generally current affairs
and newsmagazines, although the BBC is now also doing some childrens' 
programming in Gaelic. There are also quite a few folk groups  who sing a lot 
of Gaelic songs - Capercallie are one example, sticking to fairly traditional
tunes, while RunRig do both traditional songs and their own, all with a fairly
good rock feeling - traditional pipe tunes played on electric guitar, for 
example. (purists may freak, but Malcolm Jones is as good a piper as he is a
guitarist - for proof check out the 'Recovery' album, which along with the 
latest ('Heartland') probably represents RunRig's best output to date). And
of course the Mod is usually the high point of the year for the 
traditionalists...

As for other Celtic languages, I think the Irish have always held onto their
culture better than we have - then again, the English didn't ban their culture
they way they did ours. Welsh has always been stronger and will probably stay
as long as there are Welsh people to speak it. Breton I think has about the 
same status as Welsh, though I can't say for certain.

	Siol Na Alba,
		--Rick