Language and Nationalism in Europe, chapter 2

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

2. 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

3. 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.

4. 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)

5. 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

6. 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

7. Two tiers of national identity: • State level -- British national identity • Local level -- Welsh, Scottish, English identities

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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)

12. 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

13. Conclusions • Nationalism is linked to many things (especially religion), not just language • Nationalism/regionalism is now often linked to local varieties of English

14. 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”