AUTUMN 2006 "IONNSAICADH AR CANAN"

***** WARNING!!! *****

This dangerously illegal and immoral subversive underground resistance message is being surreptitiously monitored by the Beaming Internet Government Broadband Radio Oscillation Telecommunications Hearing Electronic Reconnaissance (i.e., B.I.G. B.R.O.T.H.E.R.) as part of a coordinated official clandestine domestic surveillance investigation, in cooperation with the National Administration of Zealous Interrogation (i.e., N.A.Z.I.) and the Commission On Message Monitoring Investigative Electronics (i.e., C.O.M.M.I.E.).

Serious felony criminal charges are pending, with extreme penalties yet to be determined!

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Greetings and Salutations to All my Kith and Kin and All the Ships in Outer Space:

Here is my most recent column of "IONNSAICADH AR CANAN", submitted for publication in the August 2006 edition of "AN CANACH" (i.e., "THE COTTON"), the official newsletter of CLAN HENDERSON SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:

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IONNSAICADH AR CANAN
(LEARNING OUR LANGUAGE)

By:
John Robert Mallernee, Clan Bard

As in previous columns on this subject, I continue to offer the caveat that I'm writing about something I know absolutely nothing about!

I recently purchased a new computer, which uses Windows XP Media Center Edition.

Unfortunately, almost all of my old software, including my Gaelic Language CD, "SPEAKING OUR LANGUAGE", was obsolete and could not be supported by the new operating system.

When I accessed the web site of BRUIDHINN AR CANAN (i.e., "SPEAKING OUR LANGUAGE"), I found that it was also obsolete and no longer functioning properly.

That web site URL is:

http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/gaidhlig/ionnsachadh/bac/

You could learn a few words and phrases, but that was it.

The links necessary for further progression no longer work.

Another resource that has disappeared are the discussion forums, with questions and answers, at the SAVE SCOTTISH GAELIC web site.

That web site URL is:

http://savegaelic.org/

The web site moderators found it necessary to close those discussion forums due to misbehavior by some of the forum participants.

However, that web site is still an excellent resource for reference materials, and from what I can find, they offer the most up to date Scottish Gaelic language course, i.e., the only one I can find with a CD, plus a text.

Since I haven't yet purchased that particular language course, I can't vouch for its quality, or possible drawbacks.

Still, if'n I had my "d'ruthers", I "d'ruther" have my old "SPEAKING OUR LANGUAGE" CD, because it had video, music, animated cartoons, and a dictionary, complete with a bonny Hielander lassie teaching the course (I dinnae ken her name, but I'm in love!).

It was all based on a BBC television series, apparently done several years ago.

Some time back, a MacDonald living on the Isle of Lewis, whom I know from the Internet, sent me a gift of a Gaelic language "NEW TESTAMENT", which is another resource for learning a few words, for instance, how to pray in Gaelic.

You can obtain a Gaelic edition of the entire "HOLY BIBLE" from the SCOTTISH BIBLE SOCIETY.

Their web site is:

http://www.scottishbibles.com/acatalog/Scottish_Gaelic.html

They also offer an edition written in both English and Gaelic, side-by-side.

If you wish to ask questions and exchange views on the language of our ancestors, I recommend THE BLOOD IS STRONG web site, as they have forums for discussing not only Gaelic language, but also Scottish language, which is the language spoken by the majority of Scots, is the language of Robert Burns, and is the official language of the Scottish Court.

The web site URL for THE BLOOD IS STRONG is:

http://thebloodisstrong.com/

You can read what is posted at the forums, but you must register before you will be permitted to contribute your own opinions or inquiries.

Registration and participation are free.

As I desperately scoured the Internet looking for some way to replace my old software, I checked at our CLAN HENDERSON SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA web site and - - - guess what?

We already have the best Gaelic language course on the World Wide Web right at our own web site!

It is the "BEAG AIR BHEAG" course (i.e., "LITTLE BY LITTLE"), which is located in the ADOLESCENT/YOUNG ADULT section of CLAN HENDERSON - KIDS in the HENDERSON MISCELLANY category at the CLAN HENDERSON SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA web site.

That web site URL is:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/alba/foghlam/beag_air_bheag/index.shtml

Similarly, our clan's web site also features "BASIC GAELIC FOR PARENTS", which is located in the CLAN HENDERSON - KIDS section of the HENDERSON MISCELLANY category at the CLAN HENDERSON SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA web site.

That web site URL is:

http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/gaidhlig/ionnsachadh/bgfp/

We can thank David Henderson, our clan's web master, and Ann Hicks, the clan's youth activities co-ordinator, for having led us to these invaluable learning resources.

The home page for the complete listing of Internet courses on Gaelic language is at:

http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/gaidhlig/ionnsachadh/

As you can see, personal home computers are no longer an optional luxury item, but have become an essential resource for rapidly obtaining information which used to be extremely slow and tedious, or even impossible to gain access to, and the price of personal home computers has become increasingly affordable, responding to the economics of supply and demand.

For those of you without personal home computers - - ?

Hmmmmm - - - , let's see if I can find you a "snail" mail address (i.e. the more and more obsolete, expensive, and inefficient United States Postal System) you can write to with the old fashioned pen and paper.

Here is where you can write or telephone THE SCOTTISH BIBLE SOCIETY:

Scottish Bible Society
7 Hampton Terrace
Edinburgh
EH12 5XU
United Kingdom

Phone: 0131 337 9701
Fax: 0131 337 0641

In fact, the Internet has proven to be so vitally essential, that you can now go to any public library and use the free computers, with free high speed access to the Internet.

With the advent of wireless fidelity (i.e., "wi-fi"), it's now possible to use the Internet without paying any fee, depending on your location (and I'm one of those lucky enough to have a wi-fi connection).

Indeed, some communities are now making the Internet available to everyone, because it improves the intellect and quality of life for all of society.

The officially stated goal of the United States of America is to make the World Wide Web available to all citizens, without cost.

Would you like to be able to compose e-mails or documents with traditional Celtic letters?

To tell the truth, I've had my own Celtic fonts for so long, I can't remember where I got them.

But, using the GOOGLE search engine, I typed in "CELTIC FONTS" and - - - voila!

Here is one web site URL (there are also others) where you can download Celtic fonts into your computer:

http://www.moorstation.org/fontennium/celtic/fscelt1.htm

After downloading and unzipping the file, just "COPY" and "PASTE" the Celtic font icon(s) into the "FONTS" folder located in your computer's "CONTROL PANEL".

That's how I did it.

But the down side is, when you write with Celtic fonts, unless the recipient also has Celtic fonts on their computer, they won't see anything but plain ordinary letters.

Still, it's something to mess around with and see what happens.

There's something else I have on my computer that I wish I could share.

It is a "MACFARLANE - MACBAIN GAELIC - ENGLISH DICTIONARY", which I downloaded free from the Internet several years ago.

Unfortunately, I can not remember where I got that free dictionary from, nor can I find it using any computer search engine.

There are several versions of Gaelic-English dictionaries, but you have to use them on line.

The advantage of my dictionary is, I can use it even when I'm not connected to the Internet, which is very handy.

But, let us remember that the Highlanders were always the minority in Scotland, and Gaelic is therefore a minority language, which sad to say, fewer and fewer Scots speak.

The future doesn't look bright, for I've been told that Scottish children, when attending Gaelic classes in school, continue to speak English, for they don't think it's "cool" to speak Gaelic.

On the other hand, let's not forget that there is yet another language in Scotland, known as "Lallans", or the language of Lowlanders, and it is Scotland's official language, spoken by the majority of the population.

But, not to worry - - - , for everybody in Scotland speaks English.

So, have yourself a wee bit o' fun and "ionnsaicadh ar canan"!

Thirty

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Years ago, when attending a journalism class at Westminster College, I learned that all news reports have the word "Thirty" to indicate to the editor where the report ends.

The published edition never shows it, as it is solely for the use of the reporter, editor, composer, and printer.

I have no idea of the origin of that archaic newspaper tradition, but it's an interesting bit of trivia, hey?

This is a special edition of "AN CANACH", in honor of our clan chief, Alistair D. Henderson of Fordell, who is visiting America in October 2006.

Thank you.

John Robert "SAIGON" Mallernee, KB3KWS
Official Bard of Clan Henderson
Armed Forces Retirement Home
Washington, D.C. 20011-8400

NOTE: "My unpopular and controversial personal opinions are independent of my Scottish clan."