105-470: The British–Irish Council ( BIC ; Irish : Comhairle na Breataine–na hÉireann ) is an intergovernmental organisation that aims to improve collaboration between its members in a number of areas including transport, the environment and energy. Its membership comprises Ireland , the United Kingdom , the devolved governments of Northern Ireland , Scotland and Wales , in addition to the governments of
210-479: A European archipelago comprising Great Britain , Ireland and the smaller, adjacent islands. The word " British " has also become an adjective and demonym referring to the United Kingdom and more historically associated with the British Empire . For this reason, the name British Isles is avoided by some, as such usage could be interpreted to imply continued territorial claims or political overlordship of
315-651: A pi : — Stephen of Byzantium , Ethnica , Β.169. In Priscian 's Latin adaptation of Dionysius Periegetes 's Greek Orbis descriptio , the British Isles are mentioned as "the twin Britannides " ( … geminae … Britannides ). The Hexaemeron of Jacob of Edessa twice mentions the British Isles ( Classical Syriac : ܓܙܪ̈ܬܐ ܒܪܐܛܐܢܝܩܐܣ , romanized: gāzartāʾ Baraṭāniqās ), and in both cases identifies Ireland and Great Britain by name: — Jacob of Edessa , Hexaemeron , III.12. At
420-540: A unique dialect of Irish developed before falling out of use in the early 20th century. With a writing system , Ogham , dating back to at least the 4th century AD, which was gradually replaced by Latin script since the 5th century AD, Irish has one of the oldest vernacular literatures in Western Europe . On the island, the language has three major dialects: Connacht , Munster and Ulster Irish . All three have distinctions in their speech and orthography . There
525-552: A "Briton" ( Bρεττανός , Brettanós ; Britannus ), with the adjective becoming "British" ( Bρεττανικός , Brettanikós ; Britannicus ). The Pseudo-Aristotelian text On the Universe (Ancient Greek: Περὶ Κόσμου , romanized: Perì Kósmou ; Latin: De Mundo ) mentions the British Isles, identifying the two largest islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and stating that they are "called British" ( Βρεττανικαὶ λεγόμεναι , Brettanikaì legómenai ) when describing
630-412: A British island' and Κεφ. γʹ Ἀλβουίωνος νήσου Βρεττανικῆς θέσις , Albouíōnos nḗsou Brettanikê̄s thésis , 'Ch. 3, position of Albion, a British island'. Ptolemy wrote around AD 150, although he used the now-lost work of Marinus of Tyre from about fifty years earlier. Ptolemy included Thule in the chapter on Albion; the coordinates he gives correlate with the location of Shetland, though
735-697: A bargaining chip during government formation in Northern Ireland, prompting protests from organisations and groups such as An Dream Dearg . Irish became an official language of the EU on 1 January 2007, meaning that MEPs with Irish fluency can now speak the language in the European Parliament and at committees, although in the case of the latter they have to give prior notice to a simultaneous interpreter in order to ensure that what they say can be interpreted into other languages. While an official language of
840-560: A better future for Ireland and all her citizens." The Strategy was produced on 21 December 2010 and will stay in action until 2030; it aims to target language vitality and revitalization of the Irish language. The 30-page document published by the Government of Ireland details the objectives it plans to work towards in an attempt to preserve and promote both the Irish language and the Gaeltacht. It
945-472: A cultural and social force. Irish speakers often insisted on using the language in law courts (even when they knew English), and Irish was also common in commercial transactions. The language was heavily implicated in the "devotional revolution" which marked the standardisation of Catholic religious practice and was also widely used in a political context. Down to the time of the Great Famine and even afterwards,
1050-541: A degree course in the NUI federal system to pass the subject of Irish in the Leaving Certificate or GCE / GCSE examinations. Exemptions are made from this requirement for students who were born or completed primary education outside of Ireland, and students diagnosed with dyslexia . NUI Galway is required to appoint people who are competent in the Irish language, as long as they are also competent in all other aspects of
1155-460: A fully recognised EU language for the first time in the state's history. Before Irish became an official language it was afforded the status of treaty language and only the highest-level documents of the EU were made available in Irish. The Irish language was carried abroad in the modern period by a vast diaspora , chiefly to Great Britain and North America, but also to Australia , New Zealand and Argentina . The first large movements began in
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#17328371687091260-574: A paper suggested that within a generation, non-Gaeltacht habitual users of Irish might typically be members of an urban, middle class, and highly educated minority. Parliamentary legislation is supposed to be available in both Irish and English but is frequently only available in English. This is notwithstanding that Article 25.4 of the Constitution of Ireland requires that an "official translation" of any law in one official language be provided immediately in
1365-554: A pass in Leaving Certificate Irish or English, and receive lessons in Irish during their two years of training. Official documents of the Irish government must be published in both Irish and English or Irish alone (in accordance with the Official Languages Act 2003, enforced by An Coimisinéir Teanga , the Irish language ombudsman). The National University of Ireland requires all students wishing to embark on
1470-611: A religious context. An Irish translation of the Old Testament by Leinsterman Muircheartach Ó Cíonga , commissioned by Bishop Bedell , was published after 1685 along with a translation of the New Testament. Otherwise, Anglicisation was seen as synonymous with 'civilising' the native Irish. Currently, modern day Irish speakers in the church are pushing for language revival. It has been estimated that there were around 800,000 monoglot Irish speakers in 1800, which dropped to 320,000 by
1575-632: A strategic review of the Council's work programmes, working methods and support arrangements." This decision included the potential for a permanent standing secretariat, which was established in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 4 January 2012. At its June 2010 summit, the Council decided to move forward on recommendations to enhance the relationship between it and the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly (BIPA). The British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly
1680-537: A wider meaning, including the Gaelic of Scotland and the Isle of Man , as well as of Ireland. When required by the context, these are distinguished as Gaeilge na hAlban , Gaeilge Mhanann and Gaeilge na hÉireann respectively. In English (including Hiberno-English ), the language is usually referred to as Irish , as well as Gaelic and Irish Gaelic . The term Irish Gaelic may be seen when English speakers discuss
1785-448: Is also An Caighdeán Oifigiúil , a standardised written form devised by a parliamentary commission in the 1950s. The traditional Irish alphabet , a variant of the Latin alphabet with 18 letters , has been succeeded by the standard Latin alphabet (albeit with 7–8 letters used primarily in loanwords ). Irish has constitutional status as the national and first official language of
1890-511: Is divided into four separate phases with the intention of improving 9 main areas of action including: The general goal for this strategy was to increase the number of daily speakers from 83,000 to 250,000 by the end of its run. By 2022, the number of such speakers had fallen to 71,968. Before the partition of Ireland in 1921, Irish was recognised as a school subject and as "Celtic" in some third level institutions. Between 1921 and 1972, Northern Ireland had devolved government. During those years
1995-576: Is made up of members from the parliaments and assemblies of the same states and regions as the members of the British–Irish Council. The Council tasked its secretariat with moving this work forward in conjunction with the BIPA's secretariat. The Council agrees to specific work areas for which individual members take responsibility. The Belfast Agreement suggested transport links, agriculture, environmental issues, culture, health, education and approaches to
2100-567: Is only in Gaeltacht areas that Irish continues to be spoken as a community vernacular to some extent. According to data compiled by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht , Sport and Media , only 1/4 of households in Gaeltacht areas are fluent in Irish. The author of a detailed analysis of the survey, Donncha Ó hÉallaithe of the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology , described
2205-412: Is still spoken daily to some extent as a first language . These regions are known individually and collectively as the Gaeltacht (plural Gaeltachtaí ). While the fluent Irish speakers of these areas, whose numbers have been estimated at 20–30,000, are a minority of the total number of fluent Irish speakers, they represent a higher concentration of Irish speakers than other parts of the country and it
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#17328371687092310-664: Is this even a Greek word. The Brygi ( Βρύγοι ) or Briges ( Βρίγες ), on the other hand, are a known people." The Divisio orbis terrarum mentioned the British Isles as the Insulae Britannicae or Insulae Britanicae . The text refers to the archipelago together with Gallia Comata : " Gallia Comata , together with the Brittanic islands, is bounded on the east by the Rhine , …" (Latin: Gallia Comata cum insulis Brittanicis finitur ab oriente flumine Rheno, … ). According to
2415-777: The Etymologiae of Isidore of Seville , in which it is stated: "Some suspect that the Britons were so named in Latin because they are brutes" ( Brittones quidam Latine nominatos suspicantur eo, quod bruti sint ). In Arabic geography and cartography in the medieval Islamic world , the British Isles are known as Jazāʾir Barṭāniya or Jazāʾir Barṭīniya . England was known as Ankarṭara , Inkiltara , or Lanqalṭara ( French : l'Angleterre ), Scotland as Sqūsiya (Latin: Scotia ), and Ireland as Īrlanda or Birlanda . According to Douglas Morton Dunlop , "Whether there
2520-553: The Cáin Adomnáin describes itself: Iss ead in so forus cāna Adomnān for Hērinn ⁊ Albain , 'This is the enactment of Adamnan 's Law in Ireland and Britain'. The extent of the Cáin Adomnáin 's jurisdiction in Britain is unclear; some scholars argue that its British domain was restricted to Dál Riata and Pictland , while others write that it is simply unknown whether it
2625-659: The Fíor-Ghaeltacht (true Gaeltacht ), a term originally officially applied to areas where over 50% of the population spoke Irish. There are Gaeltacht regions in the following counties: Gweedore ( Gaoth Dobhair ), County Donegal, is the largest Gaeltacht parish in Ireland. Irish language summer colleges in the Gaeltacht are attended by tens of thousands of teenagers annually. Students live with Gaeltacht families, attend classes, participate in sports, go to céilithe and are obliged to speak Irish. All aspects of Irish culture and tradition are encouraged. The Act
2730-401: The B spelling appears only in the first book of Strabo's Geography , so the P spelling reflects Strabo's original spelling and the changes to Book I are the result of a scribal error . In classical texts, the word Britain (Greek: Pρεττανία , romanized: Prettanía or Bρεττανία , Brettanía ; Latin: Britannia ) replaced the word Albion. An inhabitant was therefore called
2835-479: The European Union as suitable topics for early discussion. However, these work areas can be expanded or reduced as the Council decides. It is also open to the council to make agreement on common policies. These agreements are made through consensus, although individual members may opt not to participate in implementing any of these. The current list of work areas and the member responsible are: Demography
2940-677: The Pictish language was a Celtic language related to modern Welsh and to ancient Gaulish with influences from earlier non-Indo-European languages . The fourth chapter of the first book of the Bibliotheca historica of Diodorus Siculus describes Julius Caesar as having "advanced the Roman Empire as far as the British Isles" (Greek: προεβίβασε δὲ τὴν ἡγεμονίαν τῆς Ῥώμης μέχρι τῶν Βρεττανικῶν νήσων , romanized: proebíbase dè tḕn hēgemonían tês Rhṓmēs mékhri tôn Brettanikôn nḗsōn ) and in
3045-619: The Republic of Ireland , and is also an official language of Northern Ireland and among the official languages of the European Union . The public body Foras na Gaeilge is responsible for the promotion of the language throughout the island. Irish has no regulatory body but An Caighdeán Oifigiúil , the standard written form, is guided by a parliamentary service and new vocabulary by a voluntary committee with university input. In An Caighdeán Oifigiúil ("The Official [Written] Standard ")
3150-512: The Rhine delta , Pliny begins his chapter on the British Isles, which he calls "the Britains" ( Britanniae ): —Pliny the Elder, Natural History , IV.16. According to Thomas O'Loughlin in 2018, the British Isles was "a concept already present in the minds of those living in continental Europe since at least the 2nd–cent. CE". In his Orbis descriptio , Dionysius Periegetes mentions
3255-516: The Scottish Highlands , but coming under increasing attacks from Picts , Scotti and Anglo-Saxons . At this time Ireland was dominated by the Gaels or Scotti, who subsequently gave their names to Ireland and Scotland. In the grammatical treatise he dedicated to the emperor Marcus Aurelius ( r. 161–180 ), De prosodia catholica , Aelius Herodianus notes the differences in spelling of
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3360-480: The Scottish Highlands ; the northern extent of the area under their control (defined by the Antonine Wall across central Scotland ) stabilised at Hadrian's Wall across the north of England by about AD 210. Inhabitants of the province continued to refer to themselves as "Brittannus" or "Britto", and gave their patria (homeland) as "Britannia" or as their tribe. The vernacular term "Priteni" came to be used for
3465-516: The Sibylline Oracles in James H. Charlesworth 's 1983 edition of translated Old Testament pseudepigrapha follows the manuscript tradition, translating Βρύτεσσι as "the Britains": Among the Britains and wealthy Gauls the ocean will be resounding, filled with much blood, … Ken Jones, preferring Wilamowitz's emendation, wrote in 2011: "This is not, so far as I can see, a usual translation, nor
3570-606: The Synod of Birr , the Cáin Adomnáin signed by clergymen and rulers from Ireland, Gaelic Scotland, and Pictland was binding for feraib Hérenn ocus Alban , 'on the men of Ireland and Britain'. According to Kuno Meyer 's 1905 edition, "That Alba here means Britain, not Scotland, is shown by the corresponding passage in the Latin text of § 33: ' te oportet legem in Hibernia Britaniaque perficere '". The text of
3675-721: The editio princeps of this part of the Sibylline Oracles , published by Sixt Birck in 1545, the Ancient Greek: Βρύτεσσι , romanized: Brýtessi or Brútessi is printed as in the manuscripts. In the Latin translation by Sebastian Castellio published alongside Birck's Greek text in 1555, these lines are translated as: In Gallis auro locupletibus, atque Britannis, Oceanus multo resonabit sanguine plenus: Castellio translated Βρύτεσσι as Latin: Britannis , lit. 'the Britains' or 'the British Isles';. The chronicler John Stow in 1580 cited
3780-611: The 17th century, largely as a result of the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland , which saw many Irish sent to the West Indies . Irish emigration to the United States was well established by the 18th century, and was reinforced in the 1840s by thousands fleeing from the Famine . This flight also affected Britain. Up until that time most emigrants spoke Irish as their first language, though English
3885-769: The 1998 Good Friday Agreement , the language gradually received a degree of formal recognition in Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom, and then, in 2003, by the British government's ratification in respect of the language of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages . In the 2006 St Andrews Agreement the British government promised to enact legislation to promote the language and in 2022 it approved legislation to recognise Irish as an official language alongside English. The bill received royal assent on 6 December 2022. The Irish language has often been used as
3990-400: The 2021 census of Northern Ireland , 43,557 individuals stated they spoke Irish on a daily basis, 26,286 spoke it on a weekly basis, 47,153 spoke it less often than weekly, and 9,758 said they could speak Irish, but never spoke it. From 2006 to 2008, over 22,000 Irish Americans reported speaking Irish as their first language at home, with several times that number claiming "some knowledge" of
4095-468: The 38th chapter of the third book Diodorus remarks that the region "about the British Isles" ( τὸ περὶ τὰς Βρεττανικὰς νήσους , tò perì tàs Brettanikàs nḗsous ) and other distant lands of the oecumene "have by no means come to be included in the common knowledge of men". According to Philip Freeman in 2001, "it seems reasonable, especially at this early point in classical knowledge of the Irish, for Diodorus or his sources to think of all inhabitants of
4200-403: The 6th century, used the Latin alphabet and is attested primarily in marginalia to Latin manuscripts. During this time, the Irish language absorbed some Latin words, some via Old Welsh , including ecclesiastical terms : examples are easpag (bishop) from episcopus , and Domhnach (Sunday, from dominica ). By the 10th century, Old Irish had evolved into Middle Irish , which
4305-563: The Act all detailing different aspects of the use of Irish in official documentation and communication. Included in these sections are subjects such as Irish language use in official courts, official publications, and placenames. The Act was recently amended in December 2019 in order to strengthen the already preexisting legislation. All changes made took into account data collected from online surveys and written submissions. The Official Languages Scheme
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4410-616: The Brettanic Isles as Brettanoi ". According to Barry Cunliffe in 2002, "The earliest reasonably comprehensive description of the British Isles to survive from the classical authors is the account given by the Greek writer Diodorus Siculus in the first century B.C. Diodorus uses the word Pretannia , which is probably the earliest Greek form of the name". Cunliffe argued that "the original inhabitants would probably have called themselves Pretani or Preteni ", citing Jackson's argument that
4515-629: The British Crown Dependencies : Guernsey , Jersey and the Isle of Man . As England does not have a devolved administration, it is not individually represented on the council but only as a member of the United Kingdom. The British and Irish governments, and political parties in Northern Ireland, agreed to form a council under the British–Irish Agreement , part of the Good Friday Agreement reached in 1998. The council
4620-714: The British Isles and describes their position opposite the Rhine delta, specifying that there are two islands and calling them the "Bretanides" ( Βρετανίδες , Bretanídes or Βρεταννίδες , Bretannídes ). … αὐτὰρ ὑπ' ἄκρην Ἱρήν, ἣν ἐνέπουσι κάρην ἔμεν Εὐρωπείης, νήσους Ἑσπερίδας, τόθι κασσιτέροιο γενέθλη, ἀφνειοὶ ναίουσιν ἀγαυῶν παῖδες Ἰβήρων. ἄλλαι δ' Ὠκεανοῖο παραὶ βορεώτιδας ἀκτὰς δισσαὶ νῆσοι ἔασι Βρετανίδες, ἀντία Ῥήνου· κεῖθι γὰρ ὑστατίην ἀπερεύγεται εἰς ἅλα δίνην. τάων τοι μέγεθος περιώσιον οὐ κέ τις ἄλλη νήσοις ἐν πάσῃσι Βρετανίσιν ἰσοφαρίζοι. ... beneath The Sacred Cape (head, so they say, of Europe) Are
4725-505: The Britons and among the Gauls Rich in gold, Ocean shall be roaring loud Filled with much blood; … Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff , however, suggested that the manuscript reading Βρύτεσσι should be emended to Βρύγεσσι , Brúgessi , in reference to the ancient Bryges . Johannes Geffcken's [ de ] 1902 critical edition accepted Wilamowitz's emendation, printing Βρύγεσσι . John J. Collins 's English text of
4830-463: The European Union , only co-decision regulations were available until 2022, due to a five-year derogation, requested by the Irish Government when negotiating the language's new official status. The Irish government had committed itself to train the necessary number of translators and interpreters and to bear the related costs. This derogation ultimately came to an end on 1 January 2022, making Irish
4935-773: The Greeks as 'the Pretanic Islands'". According to A. L. F. Rivet and Colin Smith in 1979 "the earliest instance of the name which is textually known to us" is in The Histories of Polybius , who referred to them as: τῶν αἱ Βρεταννικαί νήσοι , romanized : tōn hai Bretannikai nēsoi , lit. 'Brettanic Islands' or 'British Isles'. According to Rivet and Smith, this name encompassed "Britain with Ireland". Polybius wrote: — Polybius , Histories , III.57.2–3. According to Christopher Snyder in 2003,
5040-548: The Greeks by the 4th century BC at least, possibly as early as the 6th century BC. The name meant "the fertile land". It was Latinised to Hiernia or Hibernia. Its people were the Iverni. Around AD 70, Pliny the Elder , in Book 4 of his Naturalis Historia , describes the islands he considers to be "Britanniae" as including Great Britain, Ireland, Orkney, smaller islands such as the Hebrides,
5145-793: The Hesperides isles, birthplace of tin, Home to the noble Iberes' sons. By the ocean's northern fringes, other isles— The twin Bretanides—face the Rhine's mouth, For its last eddies issue in that sea. Enormous is their size: of all the isles None could with the Bretanides contend. In his Almagest (147–148 AD) , Claudius Ptolemy referred to the larger island as Great Britain (Greek: Μεγάλη Βρεττανία , romanized: Megálē Brettanía ) and to Ireland as Little Britain (Greek: Μικρά Βρεττανία , romanized: Mikrá Brettanía ). According to Philip Freeman in 2001, Ptolemy "is
5250-536: The Irish language policy followed by Irish governments as a "complete and absolute disaster". The Irish Times , referring to his analysis published in the Irish language newspaper Foinse , quoted him as follows: "It is an absolute indictment of successive Irish Governments that at the foundation of the Irish State there were 250,000 fluent Irish speakers living in Irish-speaking or semi Irish-speaking areas, but
5355-616: The Isle of Man, Anglesey, possibly one of the Frisian Islands, and islands which have been identified as Ushant and Sian . He refers to Great Britain as the island called "Britannia", noting that its former name was "Albion". The list also includes the island of Thule, most often identified as Iceland—although some express the view that it may have been the Faroe Islands —the coast of Norway or Denmark , or possibly Shetland . After describing
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#17328371687095460-597: The Republic of Ireland ), new appointees to the Civil Service of the Republic of Ireland , including postal workers , tax collectors , agricultural inspectors, Garda Síochána (police), etc., were required to have some proficiency in Irish. By law, a Garda who was addressed in Irish had to respond in Irish as well. In 1974, in part through the actions of protest organisations like the Language Freedom Movement ,
5565-538: The Republic of Ireland by the United Kingdom. Alternative names that have sometimes been coined for the British Isles include "Britain and Ireland", the "Atlantic Archipelago", the " Anglo-Celtic Isles", the "British-Irish Isles", and the Islands of the North Atlantic . In documents drawn up jointly between the British and Irish governments, the archipelago is referred to simply as "these islands". To some ,
5670-505: The United Kingdom. Although Cornwall technically holds observer status on the Council due to its language , it is also represented by the UK government. The work of the council is financed by members through mutual agreement as required. At the ninth meeting of the Council in July 2007 it was decided that with devolved government returned to Northern Ireland that an opportune time existed "to undertake
5775-591: The archipelago's two sovereign states were themselves the subject of a long dispute between the Irish and British governments . The earliest known names for the islands come from Greco-Roman writings. Sources included the Massaliote Periplus (a merchants' handbook from around 500 BC describing sea routes) and the travel writings of the Greek, Pytheas , from around 320 BC. Although the earliest texts have been lost, excerpts were quoted or paraphrased by later authors. The main islands were called "Ierne", equal to
5880-420: The barbarians north of the Antonine Wall, with the Romans using the tribal name " Caledonii " more generally for these peoples who (after AD 300) they called Picts . The post-conquest Romans used Britannia or Britannia Magna (Large Britain) for Britain, and Hibernia or Britannia Parva (Small Britain) for Ireland. The post-Roman era saw Brythonic kingdoms established in all areas of Great Britain except
5985-577: The beginning of the following academic year. For a number of years there has been vigorous debate in political, academic and other circles about the failure of most students in English-medium schools to achieve competence in Irish, even after fourteen years of teaching as one of the three main subjects. The concomitant decline in the number of traditional native speakers has also been a cause of great concern. In 2007, filmmaker Manchán Magan found few Irish speakers in Dublin , and faced incredulity when trying to get by speaking only Irish in Dublin. He
6090-412: The collective name "Brittanic Isles" (Greek: αἱ Βρεττανίαι , romanized: hai Brettaníai , lit. 'the Britains') was "a geographic rather than a cultural or political designation" including Ireland. According to Snyder, "Preteni", a word related to the Latin: Britanni , lit. 'Britons' and to the Welsh : Prydein , lit. 'Britain',
6195-402: The corresponding ministers. Representatives of members operate in accordance with whatever procedures for democratic authority and accountability are in force in their respective elected legislatures. England, unlike the other countries of the United Kingdom, is not represented separately, as it does not have its own devolved administration. It is thus solely represented on the council as part of
6300-420: The council is represented in minority and lesser-used languages of the council as: [29] Irish language Irish ( Standard Irish : Gaeilge ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( / ˈ ɡ eɪ l ɪ k / GAY -lik ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family . It is a member of the Goidelic language group of the Insular Celtic sub branch of
6405-455: The editor Paul Schnabel in 1935, the manuscript traditions spelt the name variously as: brittannicis , britannicis , or britanicis . The Ethnica of Stephen of Byzantium mentions the British Isles and lists the Britons as their inhabitants' ethnonym . He comments on the name's variable spelling, noting that Dionysius Periegetes spelt the name with a single tau and that Ptolemy and Marcian of Heraclea had spelt it with
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#17328371687096510-414: The end of the famine, and under 17,000 by 1911. Irish is recognised by the Constitution of Ireland as the national and first official language of Republic of Ireland (English being the other official language). Despite this, almost all government business and legislative debate is conducted in English. In 1938, the founder of Conradh na Gaeilge (Gaelic League), Douglas Hyde , was inaugurated as
6615-465: The fact), it would most likely have been Pytheas who first transliterated the local word for the islands into the Greek Prettanikē . Pytheas may have taken his name for the inhabitants from the name Pretani when he made landfall on the peninsula of Belerion , though in Cunliffe's view, because it is unusual for a self-description (an endonym ) to describe appearance, this name may have been used by Armoricans , from whom Pytheas would have learnt what
6720-562: The family and is indigenous to the island of Ireland . It was the majority of the population's first language until the 19th century, when English gradually became dominant, particularly in the last decades of the century, in what is sometimes characterised as a result of linguistic imperialism . Today, Irish is still commonly spoken as a first language in Ireland's Gaeltacht regions, in which 2% of Ireland's population lived in 2022. The total number of people (aged 3 and over) in Ireland who declared they could speak Irish in April 2022
6825-430: The first President of Ireland . The record of his delivering his inaugural Declaration of Office in Roscommon Irish is one of only a few recordings of that dialect. In the 2016 census, 10.5% of respondents stated that they spoke Irish, either daily or weekly, while over 70,000 people (4.2%) speak it as a habitual daily means of communication. From the foundation of the Irish Free State in 1922 (see History of
6930-428: The following administrations (with current heads of administrations as of November 2024): Initial suggestions for the council included the names Council of the British Isles or Council of the Isles , and the council has sometimes been known by the latter name. However, owing to sensitivities around the term British Isles , particularly in Ireland, the name British–Irish Council was agreed. The official name of
7035-421: The form Pretani was used in the south of Britain and the form Preteni was used in the north. This form then remained in use in the Roman period to describe the Picts beyond the Antonine Wall. In Ireland, where Qu took the place of P , the form Quriteni was used. Cunliffe argued that "Since it is highly probable that Diodorus was basing his description on a text of Pytheas's (though he nowhere acknowledges
7140-419: The inhabitants of Albion were called. According to Snyder, the Greek: Πρεττανοί , romanized: Prettanoí derives from "a Gallo-Brittonic word which may have been introduced to Britain during the P-Celtic linguistic innovations of the sixth century BC". According to Cunliffe, Diodorus Siculus used the spelling Prettanía , while Strabo used both Brettanía and Prettanía . Cunliffe argues
7245-438: The islands of the Pritani or Priteni" and that "From this one may reasonably infer that the Priteni were the ruling population of Britain and Ireland at the time when these islands first became known to the Greeks". O'Rahilly identified the Preteni with the Irish : Cruthin and the Latin: Picti , whom he stated were the earliest of the "four groups of Celtic invaders of Ireland" and "after whom these islands were known to
7350-498: The language family, is derived from the Old Irish term. Endonyms of the language in the various modern Irish dialects include: Gaeilge [ˈɡeːlʲɟə] in Galway, Gaeilg / Gaeilic / Gaeilig [ˈɡeːlʲəc] in Mayo and Ulster , Gaelainn / Gaoluinn [ˈɡeːl̪ˠən̠ʲ] in West/Cork, Kerry Munster , as well as Gaedhealaing in mid and East Kerry/Cork and Waterford Munster to reflect local pronunciation. Gaeilge also has
7455-410: The language was in use by all classes, Irish being an urban as well as a rural language. This linguistic dynamism was reflected in the efforts of certain public intellectuals to counter the decline of the language. At the end of the 19th century, they launched the Gaelic revival in an attempt to encourage the learning and use of Irish, although few adult learners mastered the language. The vehicle of
7560-472: The language. For most of recorded Irish history , Irish was the dominant language of the Irish people , who took it with them to other regions , such as Scotland and the Isle of Man , where Middle Irish gave rise to Scottish Gaelic and Manx . It was also, for a period, spoken widely across Canada , with an estimated 200,000–250,000 daily Canadian speakers of Irish in 1890. On the island of Newfoundland ,
7665-561: The location given for Thule by Pytheas may have been further north, in Iceland or Norway. Geography generally reflects the situation c. 100 AD. Following the conquest of AD 43 the Roman province of Britannia was established, and Roman Britain expanded to cover much of the island of Great Britain. An invasion of Ireland was considered but never undertaken, and Ireland remained outside the Roman Empire. The Romans failed to consolidate their hold on
7770-460: The manuscript reading of Βρύτεσσι is retained. Rzach suggested that Procopius of Caesarea referred to these lines when mentioning in his De Bello Gothico that the Sibylline Oracles "foretells the misfortunes of the Britons" (Ancient Greek: προλέγει τὰ Βρεττανῶν πάθη , romanized: prolégei tà Brettanôn páthē ). Milton Terry 's 1899 English translation followed Rzach's edition, translating Βρύτεσσι as "the Britons": Among
7875-563: The mid-18th century, English was becoming a language of the Catholic middle class, the Catholic Church and public intellectuals, especially in the east of the country. Increasingly, as the value of English became apparent, parents sanctioned the prohibition of Irish in schools. Increasing interest in emigrating to the United States and Canada was also a driver, as fluency in English allowed
7980-641: The name of the British Isles, citing Ptolemy as one of the authorities who spelt the name with a pi (Ancient Greek: π , romanized: p ): " Brettanídes islands in the Ocean; and some [spell] like this with pi , Pretanídes , such as Ptolemy" ( Βρεττανίδες νῆσοι ἐν τῷ Ὠκεανῷ· καὶ ἄλλοι οὕτως διὰ τοῦ π Πρετανίδες νῆσοι, ὡς Πτολεμαῖος , Brettanídes nêsoi en tôi Ōkeanôi; kaì álloi hoútōs dià toû p Pretanídes nêsoi, hōs Ptolemaîos ). Herodianus repeated this information in De orthographia : " Brettanídes islands in
8085-771: The name of the language is Gaeilge , from the South Connacht form, spelled Gaedhilge prior the spelling reform of 1948, which was originally the genitive of Gaedhealg , the form used in Classical Gaelic . The modern spelling results from the deletion of the silent ⟨dh⟩ in Gaedhilge . Older spellings include Gaoidhealg [ˈɡeːʝəlˠəɡ] in Classical Gaelic and Goídelc [ˈɡoiðʲelɡ] in Old Irish . Goidelic , used to refer to
8190-463: The new immigrants to get jobs in areas other than farming. An estimated one quarter to one third of US immigrants during the Great Famine were Irish speakers. Irish was not marginal to Ireland's modernisation in the 19th century, as is often assumed. In the first half of the century there were still around three million people for whom Irish was the primary language, and their numbers alone made them
8295-639: The number now is between 20,000 and 30,000." In the 1920s, when the Irish Free State was founded, Irish was still a vernacular in some western coastal areas. In the 1930s, areas where more than 25% of the population spoke Irish were classified as Gaeltacht . Today, the strongest Gaeltacht areas, numerically and socially, are those of South Connemara , the west of the Dingle Peninsula , and northwest Donegal, where many residents still use Irish as their primary language. These areas are often referred to as
8400-569: The ocean beyond the Mediterranean Basin : —Pseudo-Aristotle, On the Universe , 393b. As explained by Pliny the Elder, this included the Orcades (Orkney), the Hæbudes (Hebrides), Mona (Anglesey), Monopia (Isle of Man), and a number of other islands less certainly identifiable from his names. The deduced Celtic name for Ireland – Iverio – from which its present name was derived, was known to
8505-591: The ocean. They are called with pi , Pretanídes , such as by Ptolemy" ( Βρεττανίδες νῆσοι ἐν τῷ ὠκεανῷ. λέγονται καὶ διὰ τοῦ π Πρετανίδες ὡς Πτολεμαῖος , Brettanides nēsoi en tō ōkeanōi. legontai kai dia tou p Pretanides hōs Ptolemaios ). In the manuscript tradition of the Sibylline Oracles , two lines from the fifth book may refer to the British Isles: ἔσσεται ἐν Βρύτεσσι καὶ ἐν Γάλλοις πολυχρύσοις ὠκεανὸς κελαδῶν πληρούμενος αἵματι πολλῷ· In
8610-560: The only ancient writer to use the name "Little Britain" for Ireland, though in doing so he is well within the tradition of earlier authors who pair a smaller Ireland with a larger Britain as the two Brettanic Isles". In the second book of Ptolemy's Geography ( c. 150 AD ), the second and third chapters are respectively titled in Greek: Κεφ. βʹ Ἰουερνίας νήσου Βρεττανικῆς θέσις , romanized: Iouernías nḗsou Brettanikê̄s thésis , lit. 'Ch. 2, position of Hibernia,
8715-498: The other official language, if not already passed in both official languages. In November 2016, RTÉ reported that over 2.3 million people worldwide were learning Irish through the Duolingo app. Irish president Michael D. Higgins officially honoured several volunteer translators for developing the Irish edition, and said the push for Irish language rights remains an "unfinished project". There are rural areas of Ireland where Irish
8820-539: The political party holding power in the Stormont Parliament , the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), was hostile to the language. The context of this hostility was the use of the language by nationalists. In broadcasting, there was an exclusion on the reporting of minority cultural issues, and Irish was excluded from radio and television for almost the first fifty years of the previous devolved government. After
8925-434: The reasons to use an alternate name is partly semantic , while, to others, it is a value-laden political one. The Channel Islands are normally included in the British Isles by tradition, though they are physically a separate archipelago from the rest of the isles. United Kingdom law uses the term British Islands to refer to the UK, Channel Islands, and Isle of Man as a single collective entity. An early variant of
9030-487: The relationship between the three Goidelic languages (Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Manx). Gaelic is a collective term for the Goidelic languages, and when the context is clear it may be used without qualification to refer to each language individually. When the context is specific but unclear, the term may be qualified, as Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic or Manx Gaelic. Historically the name "Erse" ( / ɜːr s / URS )
9135-432: The requirement for entrance to the public service was changed to proficiency in just one official language. Nevertheless, Irish remains a required subject of study in all schools in the Republic of Ireland that receive public money (see Education in the Republic of Ireland ). Teachers in primary schools must also pass a compulsory examination called Scrúdú Cáilíochta sa Ghaeilge . As of 2005, Garda Síochána recruits need
9240-625: The revival was the Gaelic League ( Conradh na Gaeilge ), and particular emphasis was placed on the folk tradition, which in Irish is particularly rich. Efforts were also made to develop journalism and a modern literature. Although it has been noted that the Catholic Church played a role in the decline of the Irish language before the Gaelic Revival, the Protestant Church of Ireland also made only minor efforts to encourage use of Irish in
9345-527: The spelling of Βρύτεσσι in the Sibylline Oracles as evidence that the British Isles had been named after Brutus of Troy . William Camden quoted these Greek and Latin texts in his Britannia , published in Latin in 1586 and in English in 1610, following Castelio's translation identifying Βρύτεσσι with the Britains or Britons: Twixt Brits and Gaules their neighbours rich, in gold that much abound, The roaring Ocean Sea with bloud full filled shall resound. In Aloisius Rzach's 1891 critical edition ,
9450-549: The term Ériu for Ireland, and " Albion " for present-day Great Britain. The island group had long been known collectively as the Pretanic or Britanic isles. There is considerable confusion about early use of these terms and the extent to which similar terms were used as self-description by the inhabitants. Cognates of these terms are still in use. According to T. F. O'Rahilly in 1946 "Early Greek geographers style Britain and Ireland 'the Pretanic ( or Brettanic) islands', i.e.
9555-435: The term British Isles dates back to Ancient Greek times, when they were known as the Pretanic or Britannic Islands. It was translated as the British Isles into English in the late 16th or early 17th centuries by English and Welsh writers, whose writings have been described as propaganda and politicised. The term became controversial after the breakup of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1922. The names of
9660-705: The vacancy to which they are appointed. This requirement is laid down by the University College Galway Act, 1929 (Section 3). In 2016, the university faced controversy when it announced the planned appointment of a president who did not speak Irish. Misneach staged protests against this decision. The following year the university announced that Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh , a fluent Irish speaker, would be its 13th president. He assumed office in January 2018; in June 2024, he announced he would be stepping down as president at
9765-594: The work of such writers as Geoffrey Keating , is said to date from the 17th century, and was the medium of popular literature from that time on. From the 18th century on, the language lost ground in the east of the country. The reasons behind this shift were complex but came down to a number of factors: The change was characterised by diglossia (two languages being used by the same community in different social and economic situations) and transitional bilingualism (monoglot Irish-speaking grandparents with bilingual children and monoglot English-speaking grandchildren). By
9870-460: Was 1,873,997, representing 40% of respondents, but of these, 472,887 said they never spoke it and a further 551,993 said they only spoke it within the education system. Linguistic analyses of Irish speakers are therefore based primarily on the number of daily users in Ireland outside the education system, which in 2022 was 20,261 in the Gaeltacht and 51,707 outside it, totalling 71,968. In response to
9975-523: Was adopted as a work area at the 2006 meeting of the council. It was proposed by the Scottish Executive , who also took responsibility for it. During the 2007 meeting of the council the Scottish Government further proposed that energy become a work area of the council. Past work sector areas included knowledge economy, e-health / telemedicine and tourism. Membership of the Council consists of
10080-523: Was also sometimes used in Scots and then in English to refer to Irish; as well as Scottish Gaelic. Written Irish is first attested in Ogham inscriptions from the 4th century AD, a stage of the language known as Primitive Irish . These writings have been found throughout Ireland and the west coast of Great Britain. Primitive Irish underwent a change into Old Irish through the 5th century. Old Irish, dating from
10185-440: Was any Arab contact, except perhaps with Ireland, is, however, more than doubtful". Arabic geographies mention the British Isles as twelve islands. The Kitāb az-Zīj of al-Battānī describes the British Isles as the "islands of Britain" ( Arabic : جزائر برطانية , romanized : Jazāʾir Barṭāniyah ): — Al-Battānī , Kitāb az-Zīj . The Kitāb al-Aʿlāq an-Nafīsa of Ahmad ibn Rustah describes
10290-643: Was enacted 1 July 2019 and is an 18-page document that adheres to the guidelines of the Official Languages Act 2003 . The purpose of the Scheme is to provide services through the mediums of Irish and/or English. According to the Department of the Taoiseach, it is meant to "develop a sustainable economy and a successful society, to pursue Ireland's interests abroad, to implement the Government's Programme and to build
10395-542: Was establishing itself as the primary language. Irish speakers had first arrived in Australia in the late 18th century as convicts and soldiers, and many Irish-speaking settlers followed, particularly in the 1860s. New Zealand also received some of this influx. Argentina was the only non-English-speaking country to receive large numbers of Irish emigrants, and there were few Irish speakers among them. British Isles naming dispute The toponym " British Isles " refers to
10500-649: Was formally established on 2 December 1999, when the Agreement came into effect. The council's stated aim is to "promote the harmonious and mutually beneficial development of the totality of relationships among the peoples of these islands". The BIC has a standing secretariat, located in Edinburgh , Scotland; it meets in semi-annual summits and more frequent ministerial meetings. The nine heads of government meet at summits twice per year. Additionally, there are regular meetings that deal with specific sectors which are attended by
10605-543: Was meant to apply to areas of Britain not under such strong Irish influence. In the Cosmography of Aethicus Ister , the British Isles are mentioned as having been visited by the protagonist ( Dein insolas Brittanicas et Tylen navigavit, quas ille Brutanicas appellavit, ... , 'Then to the British islands and Thule he sailed, which are called the Brutanics';). In 1993, the editor Otto Prinz connected this name with
10710-465: Was passed 14 July 2003 with the main purpose of improving the number and quality of public services delivered in Irish by the government and other public bodies. Compliance with the Act is monitored by the An Coimisinéir Teanga (Irish Language Commissioner) which was established in 2004 and any complaints or concerns pertaining to the Act are brought to them. There are 35 sections included in
10815-678: Was spoken throughout Ireland, Isle of Man and parts of Scotland . It is the language of a large corpus of literature, including the Ulster Cycle . From the 12th century, Middle Irish began to evolve into modern Irish in Ireland, into Scottish Gaelic in Scotland, and into the Manx language in the Isle of Man . Early Modern Irish , dating from the 13th century, was the basis of the literary language of both Ireland and Gaelic-speaking Scotland. Modern Irish, sometimes called Late Modern Irish, as attested in
10920-491: Was unable to accomplish some everyday tasks, as portrayed in his documentary No Béarla . There is, however, a growing body of Irish speakers in urban areas, particularly in Dublin. Many have been educated in schools in which Irish is the language of instruction. Such schools are known as Gaelscoileanna at primary level. These Irish-medium schools report some better outcomes for students than English-medium schools. In 2009,
11025-532: Was used by southern Britons to refer to the people north of the Antonine Wall , also known as the Picts (Latin: Picti , lit. 'painted ones'). According to Snyder, "Preteni" was a probably from a Celtic term meaning "people of the forms", whereas the Latin name Picti was probably derived from the Celtic practice of tattooing or painting the body before battle. According to Kenneth H. Jackson ,
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