Re: [Enigma-devel] Scottish Gaelic translation

[Fòram na Gàidhlig]

> 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 felt I was being hit by a massive wall of rejection, because there 
were two pretty long e-mails on this list explaining why my translation 
shouldn't be accepted. So I got quite emotional, but replied in a matter 
of fact way. Then I got another e-mail back explaining why my 
translation wouldn't be accepted, so that was a bit much for me. I am 
sorry if I went over the top with this.



> 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.

Newer evidence suggest ther might actually have been a common Gaelic 
area between the west of Scotland and Ireland, because people travelled 
by boats a lot. You can see Ireland from Scotland, it's pretty close. 
Anyway, all ancient history now :)


> 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.

This kind of thing has happened everywhere across the world and nobody 
is innocent. After being driven fro their land, a lot of Gaels became 
part of the British military machine and suppressed Native Americans in 
turn.



> 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.

Well, Latin did not die, it evolved into the Romance languages. Just 
Like English has chaged a lot after the Norman invasion and is now 
splitting into a multitude of dialects and derived languages across the 
world.



> 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.

Thank you very much for your encouragement.


> 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.

Exactly my thoughts. We need software in our language if it is to 
survive. We also need a lot of other things, but software and computer 
games is a part for this, and translations need to be of hight quality.


> Viel Erfolg dabei,

Danke! Bin schon bei 35%. :)