Re: [Enigma-devel] Scottish Gaelic translation

[Andreas Lochmann]

Dear GunChleoc,

we (the inner circle of developers) spoke about
whether we could and would want to support
a Scottish Gaelic translation. But before I get
to the good news, there is one thing left ...

Am 20.02.2014 12:59, schrieb Fòram na Gàidhlig:
> Frankly, this is the first time I have run into this kind of rejection
> from a FOSS project. Or should I use a stronger word, be somewhat
> dramatic and say discrimination?
>

Packing out the big words now, are we?

I thought I'd be old enough to not become
unsettled upon such rant. Well, I'm not.
And from time to time, I like to be dramatic,
too.

> I apologize for my sarcasm, but I didn't expect to have to tilt at
> windmills for this - minority languages have to tilt at too many of
> them as it is. I also know that you meant no offense, but with issues
> like this it is hard for me to keep my cool. I guess most majority
> language speakers have no idea what it feels like, and why should they ;)
>

You said it, send it, meant it.
Let me answer.

You might not remember, but there was a
time when Scottish-Gaelic was actually the
majority language of your country. You surely
know about the High- and Lowland's past,
but for the other listeners here let me recall
that, about fifteen hundred years ago, yet
another language dominated old Caledonia
... the middle and Eastern part, to be more
precise ... Pictish.

The Pictish tribes and their culture survived
the rise and fall of the Romans and the
assaults of the Vikings, only to be slowly
absorbed by some West-coast invaders,
the Gaels. The Gaels hailed from an isle the
Romans once called Scotia, and what we
nowadays call Éire, or Ireland. Just five
hundred years later, the Pictish language
and culture was forgotten. Pushed into
oblivion. Forever, with the exemption of
some fairy tales and myths.
And the Gaels from Scotia ruled.

It would be totally wrong to say that the
Picts were in any way innocent. Without
having proofs at hand, I'm deeply convinced
that in some part of their history, they or
their ancestors were the onces to displace
or absorb some other culture, may it be
on the British Isles or elsewhere in Europe,
wherever their origin might have been.
Our memory does not go back that far.
Which is a pity. And maybe a blessing.

Today, Scottish-Gaelic is the minority,
and at the edge of extinction. Take a look
at the numbers ... 60.000 ... not more
than inhabitants of Inbhir Nis. Maybe this
is the cycle of life for languages? Having
to struggle and grow, dominate, absorb
others; then to stagger, to freeze and
to go into decline, leaving only some
marks in aspiring new languages, before
dying and being forgot. Even the mighty
Latin was not immune to this fate. Maybe
things are more complicated than this.
Maybe things someday just have to die.

But it's not ours to decide when Scottish-
Gaelic's time has passed.

It's yours to decide.

And as long as an aspiring young man or
determined woman wants to keep this
language alive, it will live.

We are only too happy to give you some
shelter for this. Enigma's base, our home,
is small, but there should be some place
for you. And not in some expansion pack,
but in the very core aside the others.

Just do me a favor.

Languages don't live by being conserved.
A language has to grow, and to develop.
To absorb other influences and create new
expressions by itself. By rediscovering its
past and redefining its future. With the
small number of speakers Scottish-Gaelic
calls its own, your impact on Scottish-Gaelic
is the impact a thousand me's could ever
have on German. So please be considerate
about how you translate. It might become
a puzzle piece in your language's future.

Viel Erfolg dabei,
Andreas