Seanad debates

Wednesday, 3 December 2003

Order of Business. - Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Powers and Functions) Bill 2003: Second Stage.

 

I must make a short reference to the issue of the use of Irish which is always being raised with me. People ask why I use Irish rather than English words. We tend to use Latin words quite a bit. I sometimes have to ask myself what the Latin derivation of de minimis is. A great deal of European jargon is constantly entering the English language. New words enter languages and we adapt to them very quickly when people begin to use them. One of the great things Raidió na Gaeltachta has done over the years has been to bring many new words into the Irish language. When a new word enters English, it simultaneously enters Irish. I am sure words which were strange to me or to the people of the Gaeltacht five or 50 years ago were strange in English. The first time I heard talk of capacity building and animation I had to ask what it was all about. Those words are now in common use in English and Irish. There are very few people in the Gaeltacht who do not understand the meanings of the words "boilsciú", "rothar", "bogearraí", "fón phóca", "Idirlíon", "ríomhaire" and others which also refer to great things. They also understand "inmharthanach" and "chomh-tháthú" when they need to know their meanings.

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