Is "Irish" a language?

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UVMan

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I was wondering for the people that live in Ireland, is "Irish" a language? Or do people from Ireland just speak something of a dialect of English? Always wondered that. If "Irish" is a language, please leave a little sample of how to say something. Sorry for my ignorance too either way the answer turns out.
 
There is an Irish language. It is sometimes called "Irish" but is commonly known around the world as "Irish Gaelic" or just plain "Gaelic". It isn't really spoken much in Ireland because most people speak English. I do know that there are some areas where it is spoken more, and I believe that you have to take some kind of language test on it to go to college. (That's what I've heard.) The street signs in many cities are also in English and Irish.

I know some Irish because my grandfather was from Cork and could speak it. Although, I am not very fluent. I would leave you a saying or something, but I don't know how to write it. I just know how to speak it. Sorry! :(

Here is a website I found for you look at. I don't know how accurate it is because, like I said, I don't write it. The prununciation is good though.
http://www.maths.tcd.ie/gaeilge/gaelic.html

Hope this helps! :wink:
 
I can't resist mentioning that there's a song on the Boy album called "An Cat Dubh". The title is Irish for "The Black Cat". Lyrics are in English though!

Also I read somewhere that Bono couldn't get into college because he failed Irish in the Leaving Certificate (the school leaving exam in Ireland).

That aside what Quiggs has said above is totally correct.
 
Like others have said, yes there is an Irish language. Quiggs, only non-Irish people call it "Gaelic". We call it Irish... just plain simple Irish ;)

Also, by law, every road sign is in both Irish and English. There a lot of other bilingual things in culture too. Every student takes Irish as a subject and you cannot get into college without at least passing it. Finally, there are some small areas called the Gaeltacht where Irish is still spoken as the only language. There's only about 60,000 native Irish speakers left though.

Hoped that's been informative :)
 
and Yes, of course it's a languace -- the problem is that it's spoken by a few people!
It's like latin -- a few ones still know it but rarely they use it to communicate!
 
I've seen the word "slainte" used on this forum a few times, and Larry had it in his apology letter from U2.com.

That is Gaelic isn't it?
 
Gaelic is also spoken in Scotland, in the highlands and islands. On some of the islands off the west coast Gaelic is the first language. You will see street signs in both Gaelic and English in Inverness and many places in the highlands. We have TV shows in Gaelic with english subtitles, seeing as most people don´t speak it. But there are efforts being made to keep the labguage alive now Its the first language of my grandmother and an uncle.
By the way, while the Irish pronounce it gaylic, in scotland we say gaalic...
 
not long a ago i heard on the news here that Gaelic is now acknowledged as an official european language, which means that when all the euro ministers are meeting in Brussels, they need to have an additional translator for that little minority.
I'm not sure but I believe they said it would cost us taxpayers over 1 million euros each year :|
 
greety said:
I'm not sure but I believe they said it would cost us taxpayers over 1 million euros each year :|

Ok, so per EU citizen that works out at one third of one cent. Guess it won't break the bank.

:eyebrow:
 
irish is what irish people call "irish gaelic"(gaeilge) but it isnt spoken on many areas maybe if u go to the west is more likely to find someone speaking Gaeilge but Irish people in general speak English. The road signs it is in both languages due to something that happened in the 60's as i was told.:wink:
 
Road signs are getting converted to just Irish in some places:wink: No English whatsoever:p
 
greety said:
not long a ago i heard on the news here that Gaelic is now acknowledged as an official european language, which means that when all the euro ministers are meeting in Brussels, they need to have an additional translator for that little minority.
I'm not sure but I believe they said it would cost us taxpayers over 1 million euros each year :|

What makes a language an official European language? Surely if some people in Europe speak it then it should be a recognised language? I'd assume that as fair's fair there are also translators for Welsh, Scots Gaelic and the Cornish language?
 
Yes yes is a language, and I suck at speaking it, I failed it on my junoir cert, but I done honours level, even when i ahev barely any knowledge of it. Here's some Irish

Conas ata tu? How are you
_____ is ainm dom. My anme is
Ta me i mo chonai a baile na gael. I live in Irishtown

and of course

An Madra Dubh - The Black Dog

also the language has no word for "a"
 
Actually I really suck at irish, i learned one word today though, but nowing how to say homesexual in Irish has very few uses.
 
Irishteen said:
Actually I really suck at irish, i learned one word today though, but nowing how to say homesexual in Irish has very few uses.

:laugh:

Somebody once told me I was "good craic" :ohmy: - I said :huh: I'm not on crack!! :scratch:
 
honeychild said:
Gaelic is also spoken in Scotland, in the highlands and islands. On some of the islands off the west coast Gaelic is the first language. You will see street signs in both Gaelic and English in Inverness and many places in the highlands. We have TV shows in Gaelic with english subtitles, seeing as most people don´t speak it. But there are efforts being made to keep the labguage alive now Its the first language of my grandmother and an uncle.
By the way, while the Irish pronounce it gaylic, in scotland we say gaalic...

Though the Scottish Gaelic is different to the Irish Gaelic.
 
My Irish teacher was pissed in class yesterday, and told us to make a sentence with the word "pissing" in it. Somebody said this in Irish "I saw Bono pissing in the Liffey"
 
pepokiss said:
En, To, Tre, Fjàorten!!! :rockon:

... and that, my friend, looks more like a try at "Scandinavian" than Irish Gaelic! :wink:


With a little help from Google, I found these Irish Gaelic numers:

One = a haon
Two = a dó
Three = a trí
Fourteen = a ceathair déag

1,2 and 3 might sound a bit alike for people that don't speak either "Scandinavian" nor Irish Gaelic, but thats about the only similarity! :D



btw, 14 is spelled "fjorten" in Danish and Norwegian and "fjorton" in Swedish! :)
 
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