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Bilingual Signage Causes Accidents!


Guest birdog

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Meh.....Gaelic is dying on its arse...why....coz theres not enuff interest. Now....if they wanna resurect something truly scottish and worth while....i say...pump the dosh into reviving...CREAMOLA FOAM!!

totally off topic I know but you can now buy cremola foam in the sweet shop in the market hall in Inverness.

On topic the link story is really funny.l

Edited by old caley girl
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It has kind of been revived by a Scottish sweet shop called something along the lines of Kremola Fizz. My missus got me some for my birthday, by mail order online. Very pricey, but has a similar bicarb effect, sickly sweetness and horrendous colouring that I recall from my childhood, and from my teenage years when it was a great mixer for vodka.

:021:

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Shwmae to my celtic cousins - and a big llongyfarchiadau/congratulations on your promotion - hopefully i'll be able to follow my favourite Scottish team a little easier now as you'll get more coverage in the SPL.

Anyway as a proud Welshman - I can say that the roadsigns argument has long since died down in Wales - I see that some signs cost ?3000 to erect - but that is not the cost of the Gaelic - without the Gaelic it would still probably cost ?2750 I suppose - it's man hours that cost - not a tiny bit more metal and paint. And the fact that one sign had to be re-erected was probably not the fault of the Gaels who couldn't spell either ! We've had incidents of translation being written by someone who couldn't speak Welsh and thought that if they looked up each word in the dictionary and translated word for word they would be ok ?! But some people haven't got a clue when syntax and grammar are involved. These incidents are an insult to our culture and heritage - and if we lose those - we might as well be one big England !

When I visited your beautiful part of the country in February I was one of those tourists who loved to see the Gaelic on your signs - so there's proof that those tourists, who some of you say don't exist, are alive and kicking ! I also visited Cornwall recently and was pleased to see bilingual signs there too - I heard of no accidents there due to the signs - so I don't think this government guy is going to win this one in Cornwall, Wales or Scotland.

I hope to visit Inverness again soon - I always look out for it on the national weather map now ! And I wish you all the best for the coming season.

Welsh Ref

Pontypridd [The bridge by the earthen house] :P

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I hope to visit Inverness again soon - I always look out for it on the national weather map now

Its easy to find.....just look for the biggest darkest rainiest looking clouds :P

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Meh.....Gaelic is dying on its arse...why....coz theres not enuff interest. Now....if they wanna resurect something truly scottish and worth while....i say...pump the dosh into reviving...CREAMOLA FOAM!!

A lot of people say this, but to be fair if anything Gaidhlig is getting stronger as a language. As for the title, it's just ridiculous. If a road sign is capable of making you crash then I would hate to see you drive under any sort of pressure. If this is the case you really shouldn't be anywhere close to a car.

I went through Gaidhlig medium in school, it may not be any use to me in a job in the future and I don't exactly speak it on a daily basis, or at all these days but it is something which distinguishes us from other countries and weather you like it or not a big part of Scottish heritage so I'm proud to be able to speak it.

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Smee - the dark clouds are not always true.The last time I was in Inverness was for the infamous Queen of the South postponed match - which was a fantasticly sunny day in the middle of all that snow ! :021:

ps - how do you insert a quote from an earlier post?

*sent you a PM - Mantis*

Edited by The Mantis
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A lot of people say this, but to be fair if anything Gaidhlig is getting stronger as a language.

At its peak...Galeic was spoken by about 1/3 of the Scottish population. It is now spoken by just over 1% of the population that use it.

A 40% decline in speakers in the last 50 yrs, coupled with the previous figures, doesnt not seem to support your above statement, which is typical Gaelic spin!

Edited by SMEE
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"These incidents are an insult to our culture and heritage - and if we lose those - we might as well be one big England!" That is now my favourite saying, it is interesting re this debate that the pro gaelic supporters are not the ones making personal insults, nor are they the ones that pretend to speak for the nation. I dont agree with gaelic road signs anymore than I would support caithness or orkney getting nordic place names or aberdeenshire getting doric place names. I am however extremely wary of this knee jerk reaction to belittle the things that you do not like or understand. With gaelic would also go the kilt and the bagpipes as they too have no part in this modern "must be the same as everybody else" world. I enjoy wearing the kilt I can think of no better way to illustrate a highlanders individuality and the pipes when played outside can fair get your heart going, so if the gaels want to promote their heritage let them. Just because it is not your heritage doesn't meant its not important.

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Croylo-"so if the gaels want to promote their heritage let them. Just because it is not your heritage doesn't meant its not important."

There is no problem with Gaels promoting their heritage so long as it is at their expense and not at the expense of others, libraries and leisure centres are in the firing line for local government cuts all over the Highlands at the moment, which is most important, having an ancient and dying language promoted on raod signs or the future education and health of the general population?

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Interesting argument. Personally I wouldn't vote to put gaelic roadsigns ahead of childrens schools, libraries, community centres etc. But I wouldnt put the highland house expo, Eden court, Highland social work bosses, chief executives, anything HIE does, the feck up that is the town centre, inverness streetscape, the kessock bridge fire works, the outsider festival in Aviemore or councillors lunches ahead of these cuts either. Please put a reasoned argument and not an emotional one. Money is "wasted" by local goverment by the bucketload and the gaelic mafia is not the biggest feeder. I don't agree with the road signs as I said earlier but I also would like to see the "ancient and dying language" preserved because it is part of a highlanders heritage.

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Croylo, the argument put forward is reasoned given the topic which is being debated, you are correct with all the subjects you mention and they do deserve debate, the Gaelic mafia may not be the biggest benifitiaries of wasted resources but they are benifitiaries and this thread is about Gaelic signage. Health and education is not an emotional arguement, it is a very real and valid one. Gaelic has had it's time the future well being and educational advancement of the population should always be more important, Gaelic language adds to neither.

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Mantis, are libraries not a valuable educational resource? Not only for the school or university student but also, and perhaps especially, for those members of the public who have left education and wish to broaden their knowledge base. Perhaps it is not I who has a narrow view of what constitutes education if you cannot see that self education is as valuable as schooling.

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Having discussed the subject with someone involved in the signage on our roads I have learned that the production of bi-lingual signs costs no more than English only ones. There is not, and has not, been a policy of going out and replacing conventional with bi-lingual. The signs have been changed to bi-lingual as and when it has become necessary to replace them. i.e as a result of damage, corrosion / erosion or as a result of legislative changes to sign design, normally from Brussels in their attempts at harmonising Europe.

On the education subject gaelic is an available part of our education system and so long as people want to study the language and culture then it should remain within the system. Indeed only last year the UHI published its five year plan for gaelic language and cultural education provision.

To quote UHI: More and more employment opportunities are now arising for those with Gaelic skills, in areas as diverse as media and the arts, education, the civil service and community development. UHI provides students with unique opportunities to learn Gaelic, improve existing skills, or study for qualifications entirely through the medium of Gaelic, and now has a growing community of students with Gaelic skills, studying throughout the UHI network.

So, a language that some think is a waste of money is actually creating jobs.

The debate will go on and on so long as there is one gaelic speaker left in the land, and there will be fair comment on both sides of the arguement, but for the OP to suggest that bi-lingual road signs cause accidents is just nonsensical in the extreme.

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Quote - Just ponder on why Inverness and Dublin are the best English speaking places in Britain!!

End Quote

Taking pride in our heritage can be done for free. Not supporting the over the top use of bilingual signage certainly doesn't reflect a lack of national pride.

What about Doric? What about old Scots? Both take a share in our heritage and don't get a look in on our signs.

Those in the west are not the only inhabitants of Scotland, in fact in some terms they are 'Johny come latelys'.

:rolleyes:

Well you have nailed your colours to the mast!!

As you can see I have now added your views on the West Coasters to the others below.

''Gaelic is dead, an embarrassment to all the local English residents, only the thick West Coasters use it, why can't they speak English like us'' they are 'Johny come latelys' doric is spoken in nigh on every town/village in aberdeenshire & moray. I Don't think you could say the same of Gaelic. Certanly not in the same sorts of numbers. I don't want it to die out. But it gets punted as the only language used in Scotland

I see you have not addressed the following:-

Just ponder on why Inverness and Dublin are the best English speaking places in Britain!!

The result may answer your own points raised.

.

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