Originally Posted by
OC Richard
They're two different languages, though with an underlying shared core vocabulary, much like Spanish and Portuguese, or German and English.
Years ago there were parties here which Irish and Gaelic speakers would attend. I am told that they were able to communicate well enough to not need to resort to English.
I'd confirm this my brother is fluent in Gaidhlig (Uist dialect) when he went to Ireland he had no real problem conversing to Gaeilge speakers.
From what I have read and speaking (in English) to my brother each Island had it's own dialect as did different areas of Ireland. Only in recent times, are the Irish and Scots Gaelic being standardized into their own National formats.
This is no different to English in that years ago different areas of England could converse with each other but with some difficulty due to differences in Dialects and word usage.
I occasionally meet a real "Norfolk Bor" who is in his eighties and have problems understanding him sometimes, whereas modern children in the area, who've been watching a more standardized language on TV and spend longer with a mixed English descent crowd at school have little accent now.
(Bor means male friend in Old Norfolk, sometimes incorrectly corrupted to Boy, from the old English meaning peasant)
"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give"
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill
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