2007-02-15 04:04:43 · 7 answers · asked by Amy C 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
It's this wee thing called colonization. The English have put a tremendous stigma on the native languages as a way of keeping people subservient. English, and only in certain accents, is seen as a sign of education, class, wealth, power, and employability. Kids are taught to speak 'proper.' The fact that Scots has a high register with a rich history of sophisticated writing has been largely forgotten; it's treated as a folk language now.
And then there's the influence of television and film. For every Trainspotting, there's got to be ninety English-language movies made.
The situation for the Gaelics is similar.
2007-02-15 04:25:49 · answer #1 · answered by The angels have the phone box. 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is used, just not by very many people
According to the 1937 Constitution, Irish (or Gaelic from the Irish word Gaelige) is still “the first official language” of Ireland, yet only 1 per cent of the population claims to speak Irish daily (although 30 per cent can speak it).
Some musicians, ie. Moira Brennan, Enya and Clannad even write and perform in Gaelic.
2007-02-15 04:13:33 · answer #2 · answered by parsonsel 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because England controlled both Ireland and Scotland at one time or another, they all had to speak English in history. Also, their economy runs in mostly English now. Gaelic is more of a historical cultural language. sadly.
2007-02-15 12:08:32 · answer #3 · answered by scarlett 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Simply put, the economies of both Ireland and Scotland run in English. Without an economic function, languages wither and eventually die. It's a sad fact, but a fact nonetheless.
2007-02-15 06:27:31 · answer #4 · answered by Taivo 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
people dont speak it anymore sometimes its considered rude to speak Gaelic in a public place but still in regions of Ireland there are road signs in English and Gaelic
2007-02-15 04:11:07 · answer #5 · answered by Plastic Man 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Scottish: patronymic from the personal name Fergus. Irish: reduced Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Fearghuis or Ó Fearghasa ‘descendant of Fearghus’, a personal name composed of the elements fear ‘man’ + gus ‘vigor’, ‘force’, or possibly ‘choice’. This was the name of an early Irish mythological figure, a valiant warrior, also of the grandfather of St. Columba. Scottish: from the Gaelic personal name Fearghus (see 1 above).
2016-05-24 03:41:58 · answer #6 · answered by Karen 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
English is the language of the UK....and Gaelic, while historic and cultural, is archaic and not the communication language of the day.
2007-02-15 04:13:02 · answer #7 · answered by ramarro smith shadow 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋