About
Words and language are my passion. I’ve studied several foreign languages: German, Italian, Norwegian, French, Mandarin, and a smattering of Irish. I’ve been a great reader since I was a young child, and a wannabe writer nearly as long. I am an inveterate proofreader, and catch all kinds of errors in major news sources that just drive me nuts. I’ve had my own resume writing business, and nowadays work as an administrative assistant in a major corporation.
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How interesting! I have done my share of editing and proofreading, though you would never guess it as I am becoming a bit rusty now.
I am no linguist, however, as I have enough trouble with English! My wife (http://grannysramblings.wordpress.com/)
could cope with Norwegian. I would be interested to know the reason for your interest in Irish.
Ah well, that’s easily explained. My dad’s dad’s side of the family is Irish
We hail from the Cork area, although they came to the US in the early 1850s. I never met my great-grandmother (or g-grandfather), but I understand she was fluent in Irish, I’m not sure she spoke English. It’s just another connection to my ancestors. I think we here in the States feel the distance more acutely since we are geographically so far removed from the lands of our ancestors, so we try to experience some of what their lives were like. Cripes, this is turning into a blog post in itself! haha For those still on that side of the Atlantic you probably already feel more connected to your own past?
OK, this is something I’ve long been curious about: when your people refer to the Irish language, is that what the rest of us call Celtic, Gaelic, or are those two different dialects of a common language?
“Celtic” is kind of an umbrella term for the six Celtic languages. There’s Irish, Scots Gaelic, Welsh, Manx, Cornish, and Breton (spoken in Brittany). I think (I could be wrong here) Manx and Cornish are pretty much extinct, I don’t know if there’s anyone left who speaks them. It’s fairly complicated how they evolved and probably more information than you want to know
Ahh, another language buff! I am a firm believer in using dialects and languages in writing – including languages I’ve made up myself. Keep the language lamp bright, my friend and don’t listen to people who tell you it doesn’t work in writing. Too many excellent authors use language and dialects for that to be true.
Hi Yarnspnr,
^5! I just finished reading Toni Morrison’s “A Mercy,” and each character speaks in such a different voice you don’t need to be told who is talking. My latest obsessions are Czech and Finnish, both of which are light-years away from any language I’ve previously studied but they’re fascinating.
I love writers who use dialect – besides Morrison, Tom Wolfe, Alice Walker and Junot Diaz come to mind. Considering those guys plus James Joyce, what kind of clown would think it doesn’t work in writing?! Maybe they just mean it’s hard to do, but what kind of effective writing is easy?
Heck, even Yoda had a dialect
Most of the people I know in Cork all have a little story in them. They just love to tell stories…it’s inbuilt into their genetic makeup. Even the way we speak is different to the rest of the country…as they say “the come all ye” comes out in all Cork people. Maybe your people brought it with them all those years ago.
Hi Paudie,
LOL I love it. I wish I could have known my great-grandparents, it seems with each successive generation we lose more and more of our heritage and any connection to the lands of our ancestors over here. Figures we’d come from a quirky part of the country
That’s even more fun! I’m so proud :::sniffle:::