Re: Alba, Scotch

> From everson@indigo.ie Fri Jan 24 13:23:22 1997
> To: ietf-languages@uninett.no
> From: Michael Everson <everson@indigo.ie>
> Subject: Re: Alba
> Cc: iso10646@listproc.hcf.jhu.edu, www-international@www10.w3.org,
>         ietf-types@uninett.no
> 
> At 18:10 +0100 1997-01-24, Chris Lilley wrote:
> >> Marion is right, Chris. In general people call "Gàidhlig" 'Gaelic'. But the
> >> fullest form of the language's name is "Gàidhlig na h-Alba" 'Gaelic of
> >> Scotland'
> >
> >With you so far. Gaelic of <country>.
> >
> >> or 'Scottish Gaelic'.
> >
> >Ah. Now you paraphrase G. of <country> to <countries> G.
> >The inhabitants refer to themselves as the Scots, although
> >other people refer to them as Scottish or Scotch.
> 
> To my certain knowledge "Scotch" refers in 1997 only to kinds of blended
> whisk(e)ys. A Scot lives in Scotland.  Many Scots live in Scotland. They
> are Scottish (adj.). They drink Scotch (n.). Many of them speak a Germanic
> language called Scots. Some of them speak Gaelic (pronounced Gallic). That
> could be called Scottish Gaelic, or The Gaelic of Scotland.

Well, Michael, I have heard English people in England recently
referring to Scottish people as Scotch.  Admittedly, they are older
people, but they are still alive and are still speaking.
Linguistically, this means that Scotch can refer to people of Scottish
descent (or Scots descent, or descending from the indigenous peoples of
the country of Alba, or ...)

Much as many folks would like to control language, it tends to have a
life of its own.

Please note, this is not a suggestion for using "Scotch Gaelic" or
"Scots Gaelic" or even "Luxury Yacht" to represent "Gàidhlig Albannach"
in any standard.  All I ask is that one spelling is picked and adhered
to.  ;-)

Andrea

Received on Friday, 24 January 1997 16:31:23 UTC