Imagine yourself looking at the view above. It's 800 AD and the winter has just ended. Your family lives upon this cliff looking over the edge of the world. The constant crashing of ocean waves in the soundtrack of your life, the cold winds of the North Atlantic are the lullabies that send your family and your cattle to sleep in the dark, fairy-haunted night. The hard stone cliffs, verdant green grass, near-constant rainy weather, and above all the difficulty of making a life in such a gorgeous but unforgiving place are the thoughts and emotions that have shaped the formation of the Irish Language. For me, simply being there was enough to make me want to learn more about the language. Just like the Island itself, once you get past the harshness of the landscape; you find mirth, warmth, friendliness, and a fine-tuned sense of humor. Irish is a language that has, like the Irish people themselves, survived against all odds and oppressors to remain independent and proud. It is an ancient language, having been spoken in Ireland for some 5000 years that we know of. It has evolved and changed over time, as all languages do; and has emerged from the ashes of near suffocation to become the official language of the Republic of Ireland. Despite this reemergence, The Irish Language is still a minority language by percentage of people in Ireland who speak it daily. So, why learn it?
In the United States we have an interesting attitude about learning other languages. Many times when I talk to others about language learning I hear the idea that we should only learn languages that are "useful", meaning a language we can use to further a career or other "real-life" goal. Even French and German are not seen as useful languages for Americans to learn. Spanish is the big one here that is strongly encouraged, especially when you live in a state that has a strong hispanic influence. Other languages people say are useful are Arabic, Korean, and Chinese. These languages have more strategic importance to our country and stories are told of lucrative government jobs being given simply because one knows one of those strategically important languages.
So again, Why learn it?
For me, it is a matter of preserving a language and culture that is in danger of being lost. Irish is a beautiful language, and I would be very sad to see it die forever. I mean, Look at this.
That man spoke only Irish. Think about that for a moment. He spoke no English at all. That was not very long ago. It only takes one or two generations for a language to go from a vibrant living language to a dead one that linguists lament over. Already within Irish there are certain dialects which no longer exist. So for me learning Irish is important in that if I learn it it will survive at least my lifetime; and Irish is not the only language that needs people to learn it! Manx, Welsh, Breton, Frisian, Catalan... And that is just in Western Europe. Think of all the small languages in Africa which are in danger of being lost. So no, Irish is not the most "useful" language to learn from an American point of view; but that does not mean it is not worth learning. The Irish government works hard to keep the language alive, but if actual people do not take interest, it's a task doomed to fail. Social Media has helped Irish stay alive and there are individuals who are doing great things.
@popupgael
@theirish4
These are efforts to make the language more than just a subject in school everyone in Ireland hates to have to go through. Duolingo has been massive for Irish, with millions of people learning the language at various levels of dedication. For me, I need to learn it. Western Ireland captured my heart and it calls to me. Learning Irish is one way to answer that call.
So whether you are of Irish heritage or not, consider learning some Irish; for in learning Irish you learn something of the soul of the Emerald Isle.
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