Newsgroups: sci.lang
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!das-news2.harvard.edu!news2.near.net!news.mathworks.com!news.alpha.net!uwm.edu!msunews!uchinews!ellis!deb5
From: deb5@ellis.uchicago.edu (Daniel von Brighoff)
Subject: Re: We don't speak no Irish (was Re: Vanishing languages
X-Nntp-Posting-Host: midway.uchicago.edu
Message-ID: <D4qwHF.Cp9@midway.uchicago.edu>
Sender: news@midway.uchicago.edu (News Administrator)
Reply-To: deb5@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: The University of Chicago
References: <3ih9aa$itl$1@mhade.production.compuserve.com> <bmoore-2302950829210001@bmoore.qualcomm.com> <D4KK3K.DBr@midway.uchicago.edu> <Fcostllo-280295143536@fcostllo.cs.tcd.ie>
Date: Wed, 1 Mar 1995 04:58:27 GMT
Lines: 31

In article <Fcostllo-280295143536@fcostllo.cs.tcd.ie>,
Fintan Costello <Fcostllo@cs.tcd.ie> wrote:
>I really think its too late for Irish to be returned to its place
>as the first language in Ireland. All that can be hoped for is that
>it survives as a languge of songs, poetry, history etc. I know that
>the poems in Irish that I read in school really moved me, a lot
>more than the english ones. Does anybody know of cases like this?
>A language being used only in particular areas of thought, I mean?

Textbook case:  Hebrew in the pre-Zionist days.  Not only was it
a sacred language, used for services and prayers (several languges
can claim that distinction, like Coptic and Pali), but pretty much
all medieval Jewish philosophy was written either in it or Aramic,
even though it ceased to be the language of daily intercourse 
before the Diaspora.

Note that the success of the Hebrew revival doesn't give me much
hope for Irish.  Their situations are really very different; I can't
ever see the Irish finding the drive and energy necessary to restore 
Irish as Ireland's first language.  Maybe if the English were to in-
vade them again...

Thanks for pointing out the political reasons.  I knew Irish was
associated with Catholicism and nationalism, but I didn't know that
those reasons were helping to turn youg people away from it.

Dohmnall
-- 
	 Daniel "Da" von Brighoff    /\          Dilettanten
	(deb5@midway.uchicago.edu)  /__\         erhebt Euch
				   /____\      gegen die Kunst!
