Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Am bu chòir do dh’Alba a bhith na dùthaich neo-eisimileach? (Should Scotland be an independent country?)


The vote for Scottish independence has been a fascinating topic of conversation for some time now.  We gossiped about it at the Gaelic society meeting last week and chortled over some of the stories, exchanging our views and opinions.  I am not altogether certain that we have a right to strong opinions since none of us live in Scotland, but opinions we have.  While I and my daughter are cheering on the Yes! vote from our comfy view across the pond, in the end what I truly want for Scotland is whatever is best for the people that live there.

The debates and news stories have made an interesting lack of enthusiasm in discussing the role of the Scottish Gaelic language during all the hubbub.  You have to search a bit to find anything related to Gaelic and the independence vote, but it makes for some interesting reading.  Here is what I found:


Referendum 2014 FAQ - the party stance on Gaelic in an independent Scotland.

The Telegraph article - Restating the party stance above, but with some neat tidbits about the decline of spoken Gaelic over the years.

University of Edinburgh article: Lost in Translation - A controversial article regarding the fact that the ballot for the Independence vote will not have a Gaelic component.

The Scotsman article: An article in Gaelic that talks about the lack of Gaelic on the voting ballot.

While I enjoyed reading the works above, getting my hopes up with the official party quote and having them dashed in disappointment over the ballot, the true gem of it all has been finding The Caledonian Mercury.  This small, independent news website has a Gaelic section.  It's not news stories translated into Gaelic though, or even news stories written originally in Gaelic.  It's much, much better.  These are articles about specific Gaelic words, their use and some bits of cultural and historical significance attached.  

The Caledonian Mercury: Gaelic section - If you're interested in Gaelic, you need to see this!

Useful Gaelic word: Clo - Just a sample to whet your appetite.  Learn about this word and it's cultural significance.