Irish language(Gaeilge) is a Celtic language spoken primarily in Ireland (Éire). Irish speakers are also found in the UK (Ríocht Aontaithe), the USA (Stáit Aontaithe Mheiriceá), Canada (Ceanada) and Australia (an Astráil). According to the 1996 census, 1.43 million people in Ireland claim to know the Irish language, of which 353,000 speak the language on a regular basis. The majority of Irish speakers live in the Gaeltachtaí, areas that are located mainly along the west coast of Ireland and number 82,715 people, of whom 76.3% speak Irish.
Irish language names
The Irish language is known by the following names: Irish Gaelic or Irish Gaelic. The official standard name in Irish is Gaeilge /'geɪlɪk/. Before the spelling reform in 1948, this name in writing looked like this: Gaedhilge (in Middle Irish - Gaoidhealg, and in Old Irish - Goídelc).
Other regional variations of the name in modern Irish dialects include: Gaedhilic, Gaeilic, Gaeiligor Gaedhlag in Ulster and northern Connaught, and Gaedhealaing, Gaoluinn or Gaelainn in Munster.
Relationships with other languages
Irish belongs to the Goidelic group of Celtic languages, also known as the Q-Celtic languages. This language is closely related to Manx (Gaelg/Gailck) and Scots (Gàidhlig) which also belong to the Goidelic language group. There is a certain degree of mutual intelligibility between these languages, especially between Scots, which is characteristic of Fr. Islay and historical area Argyll, Ulster Irish, and Manx. The grammar and vocabulary of these languages are quite similar to each other, but the spelling and pronunciation differ, especially the spelling of the Manx language.
Irish is distantly related to Welsh (Cymraeg), Cornish (Kernewek), and Breton (Brezhoneg), which form the Brythonic group of Celtic languages, also known as the P-Celtic languages. All Celtic languages are similar in their own way. grammatical structure, but have only a small part of the common vocabulary.
The example of the phrase "I live in Ireland" can demonstrate some of the distinctive and similar features of the Celtic languages:
- Irish language
- Scots
- Manx - Ta mee cummal ayns Nerin
- — Dw i'n byw yn Iwerddon
- Cornish - Trigys ov yn Iwerdhon
- — E Iwerzhon emaon o chom
Dialects
There are three main dialects of the Irish language: Munster (An Mhumhain), Connacht (Connachta) and Ulster (Ulaidh). The Munster dialect is spoken primarily in County Kerry (Ciarraí) and the settlement of Muskerry (Múscraí) in the western part of County Cork (Contae Chorcaí). The Connaught dialect is used mainly in the Connemara region (Conamara), the Aran Islands (Oileáin Árann) and the village of Turmakady (Tuar Mhic Éadaigh) in County Mayo (Maigh Eo). The main region in which the Ulster dialect is used is Rosses (na Rosa). The dialect used in the Irish village of Guidor (Gaoth Dobhair) is essentially the same as the Ulster dialect.
official standard
During the 1950-1960s. A standardized form of Irish was developed, known as An Caighdeán Oifigiúil (The Official Standard). It combines elements of the three main dialects, and as a basis phonetic transcription the Connaught dialect is taken. It is in this version that the Irish language is taught in most schools.
Decline and revival
During the period of the XVII-XX centuries. Irish was gradually being replaced by English in much of Ireland. Famine and emigration of the XIX-XX centuries. led to its further decline. However, with the advent of the Republic of Ireland in 1922, the Irish language received the status official language along with English, and the government and public services became, in theory and practice, officially bilingual. Irish equivalents have also been adopted for the names of political figures and organizations, for example: Garda (police), Taoiseach (prime minister), Dail (parliament).
Recently, the revival of the Irish language has begun, which is based on the release of new print publications, radio and television programs, as well as the development of education in the Irish language. In addition, the Irish language is increasingly used on independent radio stations in Ireland.
Origin of writing in Ireland
For the first time in written form, the Irish language appeared in Ogham inscriptions in the period of the 4th-6th centuries. When Saint Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century, the Irish began to write in Latin, and at the same time literature in Irish written in the Latin alphabet began to appear. Viking raids in the 9th-10th centuries led to the destruction of many manuscripts, so most of the manuscripts that have survived to our time were created already in a later period.
The Ogham alphabet was used to write Old Irish, Old Welsh and Latin. Ogham inscriptions have been found in various parts of Ireland and the British Isles.
Irish Uncial/Gaelic Script
Irish Uncial is derived from medieval manuscripts as a variation of the Latin alphabet. Until recently, the uncial was used in Irish printing. Until now, this version of the letter can be found on road signs and signs throughout Ireland.
Modern alphabet of the Irish language
Irish is currently written in a variant of the Latin alphabet, which resembles the Scottish alphabet. However, a spelling reform in 1957 eliminated some of the unpronounceable letters that are still used in Scots.
| A a | Bb | c c | D d | e e | F f | G g | H h | I i |
| á | be | ce | de | é | eif | ge | heis | í |
| l l | M m | N n | O o | Pp | R r | S s | T t | U u |
| im | ein | ó | pe | ear | eas | te | ú |
The letters j (jé), k (ká), q (cú), v (vé), w (wae), x (ex), y (yé) and z (zae) are not used in Irish pronunciation words, but are found in some words borrowed from English, for example: jab (job) and veain (van).
The Foundation for the Development of Traditional Culture and the Nordheim School offer modern Irish language courses.
Classes include learning the standard version of Standard Irish (Caighdeán Oifigiúil), getting to know the grammatical and phonetic features of the dialect (using the example of the southern, western and northern dialects), as well as the gradual development of the southern dialect of the Irish language - the dialect that has become the language of classical Irish literature and played an important role in Irish history.
The course of study is designed for 3.5 years. During this time, course participants, depending on the number of classes attended, will be able to master modern Irish at an advanced level of independent proficiency (B1-B2) on the European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). They will be able to understand the content of texts on various topics, formulate own opinion in Irish, to communicate on various topics in most possible situations.
At the end of each part of the course, students take an exam based on the materials of the European Test of the Irish Language (TEG), receive a certificate from the Traditional Culture Development Foundation and the opportunity to complete a two-week summer internship in training center Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne in Ireland, in County Kerry.
Course participants also have the right to:
- attend additional individual and pair classes in the Irish language;
- attend additional lectures on the history and culture of Ireland;
- take part in traditional Irish singing and "old style" (sean-nós) singing classes.
Classes are held once a week in groups of 4 to 6 people on Saturdays or Sundays.
The duration of the classes is three astronomical hours with a ten-minute break.
All study aids are provided free of charge.
Group schedule:
Saturday
11:00-14:00
14:00-17:00
18:30-20:30 (continuing group)
Sunday
11:00-14:00
14:00-17:00 (continuing group)
18:30-20:30
When registering, please indicate in the comments the desired day and time of classes.
Price: 2000 r. for a full 3 hour session
Teacher
Yuri Olegovich AndreychukLinguist, translator, teacher foreign languages; until 2002 he worked in the system of Moscow State University. One of the most prominent popularizers of the Irish language and folk culture in Russia. Singer, musician, leader of the Sid Warriors (SluaSí). Trained in Ireland in traditional Irish singing and "old style" singing. Since 1998, in cooperation with the Veresk Foundation and the Foundation for the Development of Traditional Culture, he has been involved in organizing concerts, festivals and other events dedicated to Irish culture. Since 2009, he has been conducting regular classes in modern Irish in Moscow, cooperating with language centers and centers of traditional culture in Ireland in the field of joint cultural and language programs. |
Language help
Irish Gaelic belongs to the group of Celtic island languages of the western branch of the Indo-European language family. Modern Irish originates from the Old Irish language in which the Irish sagas are written. The Irish literary heritage is the third largest and oldest in Europe after the ancient Greek and ancient Roman.
During the English colonization, the language was repeatedly banned. Centuries of punitive laws, wars and famines have led to the fact that from the second half of XIX V. Irish ceased to be the main language of communication in Ireland, but continued to develop in three dialect varieties: southern, western and northern. The oppressed position of native Irish speakers led to significant problems in its socialization, many of which are still felt today.
At the same time, the literary and oral tradition of the Irish language was not interrupted. In the XIX-XX centuries. the Irish language experienced its renaissance and entered the modern history one of European languages and one of two state languages Ireland. IN currently Irish is spoken to varying degrees by 16 to 18% of the country's population; it is taught in schools and universities. Irish-language radio, television and other media.
Learning Irish in Russia will help anyone interested in the history and traditions of the Emerald Isle to go beyond the stereotypical perception of Ireland and its people, and discover new world in which a living traditional culture acquired new modern forms without abandoning their heritage.
Irregular online public edition
Websites for Irish learners
Minut University course. Preparation for the European Certificate of Irish (TEG) exams.
An online resource with the ability to practice the pronunciation of individual sounds and selected words using examples recorded by famous Irish journalists - radio and television announcers. Each of the speakers represents the pronunciation of one of the three Irish dialects.
Audio recordings of speakers of different Irish dialects, made in 1928-31 and systematized by county. Examples of live sounding speech are given along with the written text. Among other records, the archive contains examples of the speech of speakers of disappeared dialects.
The largest Irish-English and English-Irish dictionary with individual examples grammatical forms each word and examples of the pronunciation of words in all three dialects of the Irish language.
New large English-Irish dictionary.
English-Irish and Irish-English online dictionary with usage examples from texts in Irish editions.
Brief online dictionary with the possibility of translation from Russian into Celtic languages (including Irish) and vice versa.
Terminological dictionary. Many new modern terms
http://www.logainm.ie/ga/
A resource dedicated to Irish place names and other place names.
An online encyclopedia in Irish dedicated to famous Irish people.
Site dedicated to Gaelic fonts.
Official website of the Department of Germanic and Celtic Philology of Moscow State University
News and announcements about MSU Celtic studies
A collection of links describing applications, programs and games in Irish.
Site with descriptions of fonts, office applications and dictionaries in Irish.
The largest online store of Irish books of various kinds.
Big book Shop with regular product updates.
Irish Book Club Store.
Corner of Celtic lyrics. Songs in the languages of various Celtic peoples with information about the performers.
Blogs and communities
Gaeilge amháin ("Only Irish"). The largest public Irish communication group in social network Facebook.
"I'm learning Irish." Community of Irish lovers in the social network VKontakte.
Blog of students and graduate students of Moscow State University studying Irish
Daltaí na Gaeilge American Irish Course Forums.
Geltakhty
Gaeltachtai na Mumhan (Geltakhts of the South)
Gaeltacht Chorca Dhuibhne
(West Dingle, Galtakht Cork Gyne)
West Dingle Legacy - An organization that runs Irish language courses in the Gaeltacht of West Dingle, County Kerry. Here, in the cultural and language center, students from Russia have an annual practice.
West Dingle Museum. Information about the history and archeology of the region
A site for hikers on the Dingle Peninsula
Ferries to Blasket - from Dingle
Ferries to Blasket - from Dunkin
Sites of hotels and hostels of the West Dingle Gaeltacht - Here(link to the "Hostels and Hotels" sheet from the description of the West Dingle maps)
Gaeltacht Uibh Rathach
Tourist site for the Ring of Kerry
Council (Committee) of the South Kerry Geltacht
A site for lovers of hiking on the Iverakh Peninsula
Ballinskelligs village (Baile an Sceilg) and surroundings
Waterville village (An Coireán) and surroundings
Hostel in the village of Ballinskellig (Baile an Sceilg)
Hostel in Dromid village (An Dromod)
Daniel O'Connell House Museum
Skellig Islands Visitor Center (on Valentia Island)
Ferries to Skellig Island (from Portmagy)
Gaeltacht Mhuscrai
(Muskry, West Cork)
West Cork Cultural Centre, Ballywurney Village
A site for lovers of hiking in Muskry's geltaht
Ballingiri village (Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh) and surroundings
Oileán Chleire
(Cape Clear Island / Clear Island / Clear Island)
Visitor center and accommodation on Cape Clear Island
Ferries to the island (from Baltimore and from Skull)
Baltimore Village (Dún na Séad) and surroundings
Gaeltacht na nDeise (An Rinn)
(Wrynn, County Waterford)
Tourist website of the Gaeltacht Rinn
Irish courses for adults at Wrynn College
Gaeltachtai an Iarthair (Gaeltachts of the West)
Gaeltachtai na Gaillimhe
County Galway Tourist Sites
Irish language courses at St. Anne's College in the Gaeltacht Rosmook
Gaeltachts of County Galway
"Coastal" geltaht (Cois Fharraige)
Tourism website for Connemara
Connemara National Park
centuries of British rule over Ireland led to the fact that now almost all the inhabitants of the island speak English language. But there are still special areas, geltachts, the population that prefers to use their own native language
– Irish.
Irish is one of the few surviving Celtic dialects in the world. Millennia ago, they were spoken by millions of people across Europe from the Carpathians to the western coast of Spain, from the Bosporus to the British Isles. However, now only in certain regions of the continent there are people who protect the Celtic culture and languages.
We are talking about Scotland, Wales and Cornwall on the island of Great Britain, the Brittany Peninsula in France, as well as the Isle of Man and Ireland.
The Republic of Ireland has a population of four and a half million, with another one and a half million living in Ulster, the British-controlled northern part of the island. But only 1.66 million of them claimed to have at least some knowledge of the Irish language. In everyday life, ten times fewer people communicate on it.
Realizing that the Irish language is in danger of extinction, the authorities have taken a huge number of measures aimed at its preservation and resuscitation. All official information in the Republic of Ireland is published in two languages: bilingual signs, road signs. In the indigenous language of the island, programs are broadcast on television and radio. Increasingly, it can be heard in Parliament.
But there are special regions on the island where Irish is the main language. The use of English in the official sphere is prohibited there (in the private, however, it is not forbidden). We are talking about geltachts - territories with a special legislative status, located mainly on the west coast and in countryside Ireland. These are separate villages for a couple of courtyards, and entire areas with dozens of settlements.
The total population of these areas is approximately 100 thousand people, of which about 70 thousand use the Irish language in everyday life.
However, the special status plays a cruel joke on the Geltakhts. After all, tourists from other regions of the country, Great Britain and the rest of the world tend to come to these villages, expecting to plunge into the atmosphere of Celtic culture there. And this forces their residents to increasingly use English in communication.
A separate conversation about the so-called neo-Geltachts - areas of cities whose inhabitants deliberately switched to Irish as the main language of communication relatively recently, in recent decades. Such quarters exist in Dublin, and in Belfast, and in smaller settlements. Moreover, their number is constantly increasing - the process of reviving the language at the official level brings positive results.
