Discrimination?

[Xipe Totec]

Well you see, being English in Scotland under that political climate, I feel that I'm entitled to tell you how it made me feel rather than be told how I should feel about it.

Are the Scottish MP cnuts as well, or just the English ones?

Who's telling you "how you should feel", exactly?

You should be able to work out that I don't care where someone was born, but I was quite saddened by the number of Starmerite Labour MPs Scotland was gaslit into voting for, it's true. Particularly the London lobbying company owner parachuted into my seat. Why do you ask?

 

[First Aspect]

Who's telling you "how you should feel", exactly?

You should be able to work out that I don't care where someone was born, but I was quite saddened by the number of Starmerite Labour MPs Scotland was gaslit into voting for, it's true. Particularly the London lobbying company owner parachuted into my seat. Why do you ask?

I guess I'm perplexed where that angst was being directed for the decade your MP and most likely your MSP and many of your local cpuncillors were SNP.

Anyhow. Back to language. I'm going to stick neck out and say that once you strip back all the shouty assertions, there's little or no evidence that Gealic is dying out other than of its own accord, despite being modestly promoted by govt funding.

Question - does it matter?

Does it make the Highlands and Islands less distinct as a region? I have always been struck by how distinct rural Scotland is from the central belt, and how the rural north is as distinct again from the rural south. More so, I would say, than you see throughout England (with the possible exception of the Cornish, who are just a bit odd).

 

[Pblakeney]

Does it make the Highlands and Islands less distinct as a region? I have always been struck by how distinct rural Scotland is from the central belt, and how the rural north is as distinct again from the rural south. More so, I would say, than you see throughout England (with the possible exception of the Cornish, who are just a bit odd).

I'm going to guess that centuries of settlers* are continuing to have an effect and ultimately will kill off any distinction.
During my visits to the H&I I'd say English accents are 40/60 with Scottish accents and Gaelic fairly non-existent, to visitors at least.

*Currently semi-retiring to run a B&B using the proceeds from SE property?

 

[First Aspect]

I'm going to guess that centuries of settlers* are continuing to have an effect and ultimately will kill off any distinction.
During my visits to the H&I I'd say English accents are 40/60 with Scottish accents and Gaelic fairly non-existent, to visitors at least.

*Currently semi-retiring to run a B&B using the proceeds from SE property?

Mmm. Well the whole nation is getting more homogeneous, that is true. But I don't have your experience of the Highlands tbh. Yes there are parts where Nigel's and Linda's are now running the B&B wedding venue out of the laird's old house - like most of Skye since it all went mental with tourism there. But where I've visited recently, e.g. Oban down to Crinnan, Mallaig, Fwillyum - seem very locally run to me.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Sounding to me increasingly that anti Gaelic sentiment isn't really a thing other than some casual whining in a pub somewhere. No offense.

No, it is a thing, I've seen and heard it many a time over the years, but because you never saw it, it doesn't exist? Oh, all right then...
You are the grand arbiter are you? No offence.

 

[First Aspect]

No, it IS a thing, but because you never saw it, it doesn't exist?
Oh yes, you are the grand arbiter are you? No offence

Can you give a single example though? I do keep asking.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Can you give a single example though? I do keep asking.

I try to avoid it whenever I see it as it's just retarded, my fault, I know.

 

[First Aspect]

I try to avoid it whenever I see it as it's just retarded, my fault, I know.

I can only speculate at even what the tenor of it might be.

Do you concede, at least, that it is at a pretty low level and that it might be overall outweighed by positive support for retaining the heritage of the Gaelic parts of Scotland - including the language?

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I only mentioned it as I assumed it was a commonly known thing in Scotland.

Obviously not.

I don't really want to trawl though the crap and bile, it all just annoys me too much. But, since it is the nature of this forum, I'll take a look later.

 

[First Aspect]

I only mentioned it as I assumed it was a commonly known thing in Scotland.

Obviously not.

I don't really want to trawl though the crap and bile, it all just annoys me too much. But, since it is the nature of this forum, I'll take a look later.

Well in fairness you brought genitalia into the conversation.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I can only speculate at even what the tenor of it might be.

Do you concede, at least, that it is at a pretty low level and that it might be overall outweighed by positive support for retaining the heritage of the Gaelic parts of Scotland - including the language?

It's things like whoever speaks it is stupid, backward, usually drunk, likes sheep (if you 'get' me), is married to their sister and likes to fiddle with kids too, etc etc.
If you have any bilingual signs, people complain bitterly about it being a waste of money, as if it's bankrupting the country 🤦‍♂️

Whenever yet another Gaelic language thing starts up, it's hailed with howls of ridicule and scorn and likewise when it fails.
People actually protest against Gaelic things.

There are Gaelic T.V. programmes for kids and I've heard parents not letting their kids watch it, as if it's dangerous.
People get suspicious about the few media outlets there are "They could be swearing at us or anything!".

Just a few of the things I've heard over years, largely ephemeral and lost in the winds of time now, but I've seen enough of it.

Living in Glasgow, I assume it is probably flavoured by the whole sectarian thing and the Rangers/Royalist element, but I have seen things about where people from all over were slagging it off, even in Inverness.
I do still think it's largely a southern thing though.

As for being positive? I'd like to think so. Maybe I have just met too many peanuts in my time, but I've seen far more negativity towards it over the last 40 or so years than positivity, sadly.

To be fair, I know it's a small and minority language, but it isn't helped by us being a country which makes a lot of people cringe (The Scottish Cringe).

It is there, maybe you were just lucky.

 

[briantrumpet]

To be fair, we make similar jokes in Devon about people from Tiverton. I think it's a fairly universal thing.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Well in fairness you brought genitalia into the conversation.

I did?

Oh, goodoh!

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

To be fair, we make similar jokes in Devon about people from Tiverton. I think it's a fairly universal thing.

🤣

 

[glasgowcyclist]

For what it’s worth, since any account of personal experience will be anecdotal and not verifiable, here’s one recent experience of mine. Of all places, it happened on a language forum, where you might expect a bit more understanding.

Anyway, the contributor began by claiming Gaelic was a dead language, useless to anyone. Contrary views were expressed, including by foreigners learning it, and the guy doubled down. He claimed those in Scot Gov who supported it were otherwise unemployable freaks, that its mere presence on road signs was a safety hazard. More people tried to reason with him, asking him to tone down his rather aggressive attitude. He tried to bluff things with the old “I was only joking” defence and when that was clearly rebuffed by other posters, he resumed his aggressive style. Now he added that the cost of Gaelic being ‘forced upon our schools’ was detrimental to time and money being spent on issues he felt were more important. Of course, the nonsense about the alleged extra cost of ambulances being liveried with Gaelic came up and he continued to ridicule the language and anyone who spoke it or wanted to learn.

This group has regular language meetings in person and a number who had expressed an interest in Gaelic, and also some learning other languages, expressed their reluctance to attend any meeting if this was the level of contempt shown.

He became so confrontational that the moderator removed him permanently.