Let's Stop Pretending that Irish is Alive and Well...

[mellors]

Huh? Please elaborate on your second sentence. Are you saying that noone is speaking latin and ancient greek today or that there has never been any use for latin and ancient greek or nothing has ever evolved from those languages?

I was made to learn Latin at school, (does come in handy with biological classification !). English is only a real melting pot of all sorts of languages, Greek, Latin, Norse etc. and your right the English, Dutch, Spanish were good at forcing their own language on the 'natives'. If I had suggested learning Mandarin when I was at school I would have been laughed at,(or worse) yet that may well be the most spoken language. I,ve hardly heard Irish spoken in the ten years I've been here. There was a programme on TG4, in which, I think it was Manchan Magan went round Ireland only speaking Irish, he met very few people who could hold a conversation with him

[corkpunter]

I am saying that Latin and Ancient Greek are still taught extensively, despite the fact they are dead languages. I doubt it would be wise to say that they never had any use, nor that the works of Herotodus et al were useless. Elaborate enough for you?

Thanks, never heard about ancient Greek being taught extensively, only as a specialist subject on certain universities, so can't comment on that, however I disagree that there is no use for learning Latin, atleast written latin, since it really is one of the better languages to be taught if you want to better learn and understand grammar rules for most European languages.

[dark-knight]

Languages die its completely natural and its not right to try to save them by pumping money into them. Its evolution, survival of the fittest so if a language is dieing let it go. The language may die but the words should not be forgotten.

[El Gordo]

Irish is the original language of Ireland.

Actually, no. But there is little trace of what people spoke before.

[wanted the best 69]

I am saying that Latin and Ancient Greek are still taught extensively, despite the fact they are dead languages. I doubt it would be wise to say that they never had any use, nor that the works of Herotodus et al were useless. Elaborate enough for you?

lucy latin, is use in medicine, and botany, both living subjects

[Buachaillbeag]

bhí mé ag féachaint ar tg4 agus bhí a lán daoine ag caint gaeilge - enda kenny alan dukes bernard dunne colm meaney joe higgins. Níl an teanga imithe

[Natasha]

I think it's the same deal with Welsh.

I think you would here a lot more Welsh people speak Welsh than you do Irish people speak Irish... I speak Irish sometimes at home and that is only to say close the door or do you want sugar, Lot of good my Irish classes done for me..

[aml]

Take another 100 years and more higher profile languages will be where irish is now.The dominant languages of the future will be spanish and english....

[ladiesman217]

Take another 100 years and more higher profile languages will be where irish is now.The dominant languages of the future will be spanish and english....

And Chinese if they keep at it like rabbits...

[corkpunter]

Take another 100 years and more higher profile languages will be where irish is now.The dominant languages of the future will be spanish and english....

Mandarin, Hindi and Arabic would be my guess. Ofcourse English and Spanish will still be very important, I just think those 3 will have a much higher profile in 100 years.