Language and Nationalism in Europe, chapter 2 Britain & Ireland: The varying significance of language for nationalism

Language and Nationalism in Europe, chapter 2

• Britain & Ireland: The varying significance of language for nationalism

Political Structure vs. National Identity

• UK (England, Scotland, & Wales) provides political structure

• Britain provides national identity

• But many citizens of UK (N. Ireland) consider their nationality to be Irish, not British

Territorial vs. non-territorial languages

• Territorial languages -- were once majority languages in a given territory; these are the languages that lay claim to nationhood, and they include Germanic, Celtic, and Romance (French)

• Non-territorial languages -- have never dominated any territory, and all except Romani arrived since 1800; include Indian languages, Cypriot Greek & Turkish, Cantonese, Caribbean Creoles, etc.

Celtic languages in Ireland & UK

• Gaelic languages in Ireland and northwest Britain (Scotland) include: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx (last native speaker died in 1970s)

• Brythonic languages in Wales and Cornwall include: Welsh, Breton (exported to Brittany), Cornish (dead since 18th c, but being revived)

Germanic languages in Ireland & UK

• English not widely spoken until 19th c

• Derives from lang of Anglo-Saxon invaders from Netherlands, N. Germany, Denmark in 5th c

• Norse invasions reduced non-Germanic languages, thus favoring English, and Old Norse had strong influence on English

Germanic languages in Ireland & UK, cont’d.

• 1066 Norman Conquest -- French replaced English for the aristocracy for 250 years, resulting in strong French influence on English

• Unification of English has resulted due to political unification; there has been some linguistic leveling of English, but class and regional differences persist

• Only 3% of population uses standardized Received Pronunciation

Two tiers of national identity:

• State level -- British national identity

• Local level -- Welsh, Scottish, English identities

Lallans

• Lallans (Lowland language) is spoken by the Lowland Scots, aka Scots English (see sample on our webpage)

• Generally not comprehensible to other English speakers

• EU gives Lallans status of a minority language, recent renewed nationalist interest in Lallans

Gaelic of Highland Scots

• Poverty and out-migration caused population reduction in 18th & 19th centuries

• Strong sense of Highland identity persists, legacy of clan/feudalist system

• Gaelic undergoing recent revival, used in schools, TV and radio

• No move for independence

Irish

• Historically there was an Irish-speaking underprivileged majority vs. English-speaking elite

• Plantation system was designed to weaken dominance of Irish-speaking Catholic majority

• Irish desire for independence for entire island

Irish, cont’d.

• Britain granted independence to Republic of Ireland in 1922, but retained N. Ireland

• Irish nationalists are often indifferent to the fate of the language

• Famine, emigration, and English education have depleted the number of speakers

• Ulster Protestants are Irish but identify themselves as British (due to Protestantism)

Welsh

• Welsh is the only living continuation of a Celtic language in Great Britain

• Welsh speakers are in the majority in most of the area

• Welsh was associated with poverty and banned in schools

• Welsh suffered a decline in 19th & 20th centuries but is undergoing revival

Conclusions

• Nationalism is linked to many things (especially religion), not just language

• Nationalism/regionalism is now often linked to local varieties of English

Quote to discuss

• “sometimes the memory that ancestors spoke a distinct language may suffice, given the marginal position in many regions of the traditional languages in everyday life”