The ancient language of
Scotland, akin to
Irish Gaelic, having come from Ireland with the Scotti tribe, who eventually became the dominant people of
Scotland... until the English came in, forcing the Scottish Gaels into the Highlands while the English took the lowlands with some of the native Gaels.
Prejudice against the Gaels and their beautiful language is still found today, sadly. Largely due to the desire of the English to take over the whole of Britain, among other places, and the expulsion of highlanders from their homeland in the 1700s and 1800s, the clan system and the Gaelic language was largely
lost.
Today, only about 1% of
Scotland speaks its native tongue. In Nova Scotia (Alba Nuadh), Canada, several thousand Gaelic speakers exist, although largely older people.
Still, upsurgence of interest in the beautiful, fragile Celtic languages is happening.
Chaill sinn ar cànan bhrèagha, taing do na Sasannaich. Carson? O, pàidhidh cuideigin
air sin.
Chan urrainn dhomh a maise chur loinn
air na cluasan mo dhachaigh. A' mhaise 'gus a ceòl a fuaimean,
air falbh? Cha ghabh mi sin!
Th'ann a' Ghàidhlig gu leòr '
san dùthaich seo fhathast! B' urrainn do rudeigin (math) thachairt gum b'urrainn dhi shàbhail!
Tha i beò fhathast; th'ann dòchas maireann; tha i comasach ri tigh'
nn air ais, ged 's mathaid cha bhi ise 'n cànan as motha... ach mairidh ise beò.
(We have
lost our beautiful language, thanks to the English.
I cannot hear her
beauty gracing the ears of my home. The
beauty and music of her sound, gone? I won't accept that!
There's enough Gaelic in this country still! Something (good) could happen that could save her!
She is still alive; there is hope still; she is able to come back, although perhaps she won't be the biggest language... but she will survive.)
