Opinion: Irish language speakers play a vital role in ensuring new terms and phrases become part of the language's normal lexicon (tá leagan Gaeilge den alt seo thíos)
By Ciarán Mac Murchaidh and Jamie Murphy, DCU
As English-speakers, we encounter and deal with new words and phrases almost every day. Many of these terms arise out of developments in areas such as technology and science or simply through public discourse. The arrival of Covid-19 in our midst is a good example of this.
The adoption of new terminology in any language is generally referred to as 'domain gain'. The opposite of this is 'domain loss', which basically refers to the fear that a language cannot adequately keep up with certain terminological developments without an over-reliance on borrowings from other languages – usually English.
Within minority languages, terminology production does not happen in a vacuum or grow through the good will of its speakers. Thus, languages like Irish will only maintain and develop their status within the wider language pool if significant investment is devoted to creating the terminology and language tools that allow them to adapt to advancing fields like medicine, science and technology.
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From RTÉ Radio 1's Ray D'Arcy Show, Chief Terminologist, Donncha Ó Cróinín on how new words are accepted into the Irish language
As both English and Irish exist side by side across the island, especially in Gaeltacht areas, the use of words and phrases that are borrowed from English is nothing new. Linguists call this 'code switching' and it has become fairly common practice to use borrowings from English when speaking Irish. However, while this might be acceptable in ordinary daily conversation, the language needs to develop proper terminology for such borrowings because formal equivalents are needed for drafting and translating legislation and other documentation.
Let's look at the development of new Irish terms within the LGBTQ+ sphere and how Irish is coping with newly-coined terms that constantly emerge in English. Some might argue that creating equivalents for LGBTQ+ terminology is not a high priority but Irish is one of the two official languages of Ireland and is spoken by thousands of people daily.
A significant number of the Irish-speaking population define themselves as part of the LGBTQ+ community – a minority within a minority, as it were. They are keen to use the proper terminology for aspects of their daily lives. There is also a growing body of legislation and government policy that relates to LGBTQ+ issues and so the need exists for the correct terminology in Irish for speakers, journalists, translators, and legislators alike.
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From RTÉ Radio 1's Ray D'Arcy Show, Ola Majekodunmi and Donla Uí Bhraonáin talk about recent changes to phrases in the Irish language
Who provides this terminology, then? Ireland has a Terminology Committee (An Coiste Téarmaíochta) which is tasked with overseeing the development and dissemination of terminology across all domains. However, the production of new terms has occurred in less coordinated ways over the years. A recent example of this is the first edition of An Foclóir Aiteach (The Queer Dictionary) which was compiled as an attempt ‘from the ground up’ to address the lack of Irish terminology in the LGBTQ+ domain.
As the Terminology Committee comprises experts who give of their time voluntarily, they cannot keep pace with new terminology in all domains despite their best efforts. Thus, projects like An Foclóir Aiteach are helpful because they open up dialogue around terms in English and how to arrive at the most accurate versions of them in Irish, so that all users of the language can implement them where required.
While the first edition of the dictionary was not without its limitations, it created discussion within the language community and demonstrated that the lack of terminology in this domain needed to be addressed. The second edition was compiled through input from speakers of Irish in the queer community as well as guidance from the Terminology Committee and the weaknesses identified in the first edition were eliminated.
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From RTÉ Radio 1's History Show, Cathy Scuffil on the words and place names all around us that are derived from the Irish language
One advantage of this approach is that it brought together interested parties among a particular group of language-users and terminologists in a mutually beneficial project: an amalgam of ‘ground-up’ and ‘top-down’ collaboration. The benefit was the combining of two pools of expertise in the quest for terms in Irish that are accurate and acceptable.
Public engagement between the Terminology Committee and Irish-speakers is nothing new. The public can engage with the Committee via email, query forms and other social media platforms (X, Facebook, Instagram). New terms depend on the public’s willingness to use them. For example, while the word ‘pride’ is a hallmark term within the LQBTQ+ community, most also know that the Irish term used for ‘pride’ is ‘bród’. Historically, ‘mórtas’ (also meaning ‘pride’) was used to refer to ‘[gay] pride’ but modern speakers of the language have adopted ‘bród’ and use it widely. This further underpins the idea of the vital role language-users play in ensuring that a particular term becomes part of their normal lexicon.
This example of the two-way, collaborative approach illustrates how such partnerships help advance terminology in the language
We live in an ever-evolving linguistic environment and the impact of instant access to all kinds of information creates challenges in developing new terminology for many languages – not just those deemed to be minority tongues. Irish is no different and the community of speakers plays a very active role in helping the Terminology Committee keep up with an ever-changing world.
The example of the two-way, collaborative approach outlined here in respect of LGBTQ+ terminology development is illustrative of how such partnerships help advance terminology in the language and improve the lives of people who use Irish in everyday communication. Is ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine. (No individual or group is an island.)
Prof Ciarán Mac Murchaidh teaches in Fiontar & Scoil na Gaeilge at DCU. Dr Jamie Murphy is a postdoctoral researcher with the Gaois research group, Fiontar & Scoil na Gaeilge, DCU.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
An pobal LADTA+ agus téarmaíocht na Gaeilge
Le Ciarán Mac Murchaidh agus Jamie Murphy, DCU
Mar chainteoirí Béarla, castar focail agus frásaí nua orainn beagnach gach aon lá. As forbairtí i réimsí amhail an teicneolaíocht, an eolaíocht nó an dioscúrsa poiblí féin a eascraíonn cuid mhór acu. Sampla maith de sin is ea an téarmaíocht a bhain le teacht Covd-19.
'Méadú réimsí' an téarma a thugtar ar théarmaíocht nua a thabhairt isteach i dteanga ar bith. 'Cailliúint réimsí' an téarma a úsáidtear sa chás nach féidir le teanga leaganacha de théarmaí nua a chur ar fáil tapa go leor agus go mbíonn uirthi bheith i dtuilleamaí leaganacha ó theanga eile – an Béarla, go hiondúil.
Maidir le mionteanga, ní i bhfolús ná le dea-thoil a cuid cainteoirí a tharlaíonn ceapadh téarmaí nua. Dá thoisc sin, ní mhairfidh stádas teangacha ar nós na Gaeilge taobh istigh de ghréasán na dteangacha i gcoitinne mura gcruthaítear na huirlisí téarmaíochta agus teanga a chuirfidh ar a gcumas téarmaí nua as réimsí amhail an leigheas, an eolaíocht agus an teicneolaíocht a cheapadh.
Toisc go maireann an Béarla agus an Ghaeilge chomh gar sin dá chéile ar fud an oileáin – sa Ghaeltacht, go háirithe – ní rud nua in aon chor é go gcloistear focail iasachta ón mBéarla sa Ghaeilge. Tugann teangeolaithe 'códmhalartú' air sin agus nós fairsing go leor é téarmaí iasachta ón mBéarla a úsáid agus an Ghaeilge á labhairt ag duine. Cé go nglactar lena leithéid sa ghnáthchomhrá, ní mór don teanga leaganacha cearta Gaeilge a cheapadh d’iasachtaí toisc gur gá na leaganacha sin agus cáipéisí oifigiúla nó reachtaíocht á n-aistriú go Gaeilge.
Ag féachaint ar cheapadh téarmaí nua Gaeilge sa réimse LADTA+ atáthar san alt seo agus ar an gcaoi a mbíonn an Ghaeilge i ngleic leis na téarmaí nua a thagann chun cinn go rialta sa Bhéarla sa réimse sin. Déarfadh daoine áirithe nach tosaíocht sa teanga leaganacha a cheapadh do théarmaí LADTA+ nua ach ceann den dá theanga oifigiúla in Éirinn í an Ghaeilge agus labhraíonn na mílte gach lá í.
Anuas air sin, baineann sciar suntasach de phobal na Gaeilge leis an bpobal LADTA+. Bíonn an-suim acu an téarmaíocht chuí a úsáid do ghnéithe a baineann lena saol laethúil féin. Tá borradh faoi bheartas rialtais agus faoin reachtaíocht a bhaineann leis an réimse LADTA+, freisin, agus is gá an téarmaíocht cheart a bheith ar fáil i nGaeilge ag cainteoirí, iriseoirí, aistritheoirí agus lucht reachtaíochta araon, dá bhrí sin.
Cé a chuireann an téarmaíocht nua ar fáil sa tír seo? An Coiste Téarmaíochta atá freagrach as forbairt agus scaipeadh na téarmaíochta i réimsí uile na teanga. Ag tráthanna éagsúla i rith na mblianta, áfach, forbraíodh téarmaí nua ar bhealaí eile. Sampla de sin is ea an chéad eagrán den saothar, An Foclóir Aiteach, a tiomsaíodh mar iarracht ón mbonn aníos tabhairt faoin easpa téarmaíochta Gaeilge sa réimse LADTA+.
De bharr gur go deonach a thugann saineolaithe an Choiste Téarmaíochta a gcuid ama don obair, ní féidir leo coinneáil le freastal ar théarmaí nua a cheapadh sna réimsí uile in ainneoin a gcuid dúthrachta. Bíonn luach le tionscnaimh amhail An Foclóir Aiteach toisc go n-osclaíonn siad comhrá faoi nuathéarmaí Béarla agus an tslí is fearr teacht ar na leaganacha is cruinne agus is feiliúnaí chun gur féidir le lucht na Gaeilge iad a úsáid de réir mar is gá.
Cé nach raibh an chéad eagrán den fhoclóir gan cháim, spreag sé plé sa phobal Gaeilge agus léirigh go raibh bearna sa téarmaíocht ba ghá a líonadh. Tiomsaíodh an dara heagrán trí chomhpháirtíocht cainteoirí Gaeilge sa phobal aiteach chomh maith le comhairle ón gCoiste Téarmaíochta agus glanadh na laigí a bhain le chéad eagrán an fhoclóra. Is é bua an chur chuige sin gur thug sé grúpa cainteoirí agus lucht téarmaíochta le chéile i dtionscadal ar bhain an dá thaobh buntáiste as: meitheal daoine ‘ón mbonn aníos’ agus ‘ón mbarr anuas’, d’fhéadfaí a rá.
Ní rud nua é caidreamh idir an pobal Gaeilge agus an Coiste Téarmaíochta. Is féidir le daoine dul i dteagmháil leis an gCoiste trí rphost, foirmeacha fiosrúcháin agus meáin shóisialta éagsúla (X, Facebook, Instagram). Mairfidh téarmaí nua má úsáideann an pobal Gaeilge iad. Mar shampla, téarma aitheanta i measc lucht LADTA+ is ea ‘pride’ agus tuigeann an chuid is mó acu gurb é ‘bród’ an leagan Gaeilge air sin. Bhíodh an téarma ‘mórtas’ (a chiallaíonn ‘pride’ freisin) á úsáid tráth ar ‘[gay] pride’ ach is fearr le cainteoirí nua-aimseartha ‘bród’ agus úsáidtear go forleathan é. Léiríonn an sampla sin an ról lárnach a bhíonn ag lucht labhartha na teanga maidir le seasamh a thabhairt do théarma nua ina bhfoclóir laethúil féin.
Mairimid i dtimpeallacht theangeolaíoch a bhíonn ag síorathrú agus ghinfeadh an rochtain láithreach againn ar gach cineál eolais dúshláin d’fhorbairt téarmaí nua in aon teanga – gan trácht ar mhionteangacha. Ní haon eisceacht í an Ghaeilge agus cabhraíonn pobal na teanga go mór leis an gCoiste Téarmaíochta cos a choinneáil le saol síorchlaochlaitheach.
Léiríonn an cur chuige déthreoch maidir le forbairt na téarmaíochta LADTA+ ar cuireadh síos air san alt seo a thábhachtaí atá comhghuaillíochtaí den saghas seo agus aon chineál téarmaíochta á chur chun cinn sa Ghaeilge nó, ar deireadh thiar, feabhsaíonn siad saol na ndaoine ar mór acu an teanga a úsáid ina gcumarsáid laethúil. Is ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine.
Ag teagasc le Fiontar & Scoil na Gaeilge in Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath atá An tOllamh Ciarán Mac Murchaidh. Is taighdeoir iardhochtúireachta é Dr Jamie Murphy leis an bhfoireann taighde Gaois, Fiontar & Scoil na Gaeilge, DCU.
Is leis an údar na tuairimí a léirítear anseo agus ní léiríonn siad tuairimí RTÉ
