Gaelic or Gallic?

[woodpam]

Apparently the native Scots tongue is dying out and less than 10% of you North of the Border speak it. Since AB is mainly inhabited by intelligent Scots, how many of you can speak the language and if not - why not. Can you teach me some useful words/phrases? Slainte.

[sft42]

Woodpam according to the census 1% of scots speak it! I have to admit to not being able to speak gaelic but i don't use english. I speak Lallans the Lowland dialect used in the central belt of scotland....as to why not well gaelic has been dying out since the 16th century and was mostly only used in the western islands and highlands were it's still spoken....add that to the fact that it's nigh on impossible to actual be taught it in glasgow or edinburgh as part of childrens educashun (it's really only available to adult learners). and as for useful phrases you've got the best one already.

[Quizmonster]

Woodpam, click http://www.yourdictionary.com/languages/celtic.htm
l#goidelic and a link will take you to a web-page that lists various Irish and Scottish Gaelic dictionaries. Once there, just click on any of the blue headings to access the material. As Sft says, the use of the language in Scotland is very localised to the western highlands and islands. As an east-coaster, the opportunity - or need - to learn it never arose for me.

Sft, as you say yourself, Lallans is a dialect...of English...in the same way as Yorkshire, Dorset and all other local modes of speech in this country are. There is simply no escaping the fact that the language you - and all these other people - speak is English. (By the way, did you see yesterday's news-report on laser eye-treatment? As I kind of suggested to you before, successful treatment might be a '33 to 1 on' chance - ie a virtual certainty - but would you gamble your eyesight on it? Cheers.)

[sft42]

Okay then quizmonster.....I'll choose to speak Ulster-Scots which is recognised as a langauge (at least in NI it is) .....anything to distance myself from the forces of evil.

[darth vader]

I'm the only one i know of who can speak Jedi..... (Gallic is French btw)