Talk:Differences between Scottish Gaelic and Irish

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[edit] Formality

An Irish Gaelic learner recently told me that Irish has never had informal vs. formal forms, and that it is one of the only indo-european languages to never have had this (apparently English used to have it, but doesn't any more). As a Scottish Gaelic learner, I was surprised to hear this, as I'm quite used to the different forms.

Any comments? - calum 19:45, 29 May 2006 (UTC)

I've heard that this is almost true, but that there was a time in Ireland when the parish priest would be addressed as sibh rather than tú. I can't verify this, though. Traditionally in Ireland, of course, if you were speaking to someone upper-class whom it would be appropriate to vouvoyer, you were speaking to them in English anyway. Angr (talk) 20:24, 29 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Changes

I have made a number of changes to the text as well as some corrections. Firstly, while northern Scottish and southern Irish might differ greatly in terms of vocabulary, they share some features absent in the other dialects (Connacht and Ulster) most notably, the lengthening of short vowels before long sonants.

Secondly, there is no such thing as "Standard Irish" when it comes to vocabulary or phraseology. The book "Gramadach na Gaeilge agus Litriú na Gaeilge: An Caighdeán Oifigiúil" does not lay down any rules as to what is a "standard Irish" word or phrase. It merely fixed a standard spelling and morphology. Therefore I have deleted the entry "Standard Irish: Conas tá tu?".

Also, in terms of spelling differences, it should be noted that many of what are commonly called spelling "differences" or which appear to the unitiated to be "Scotticisms" are normally nothing more than archaic spellings which have survived in the absence of wholesale standardisation in Scotland. "Sg" and "chd" being two examples of this.

"Foscailte" occurs in Donegal and if Kenneth Jackson is to be trusted (Scéalta ón mBlascaod), Peig Sayers herself used "foscail" instead of "oscail". This is on the same lines as the "faill/aill" contrast.

An Muimhneach Machnamhach 18:15, 8 January 2007 (UTC)