HIBERNIAN CULTURE & VALUES

LANGUAGE

 

 

Ingliz is the common language of Hibernia. Ingliz is the language spoken in the halls of government and the alleys of the markets. All official documentation is written in Ingliz.

 

 The secondary language of Hibernia is Hibernian or Gaeilge. Gaeilge is an ancient language attributed to the Pretani people who occupied Hibernia before the arrival of Modern Hibernians. It is spoken by approximately 68% of all Hibernians. Gaeilge is more prevalent on the far northern side of Hibernia proper and the northern lesser isles. The Gaeilge speaking territories of Hibernia are referred to as the Gaeiltacht.

 

Cad é mar atá tú?

                                   -"How are you?" written in Gaeilge

 

The Gaeilge alphabet contians 18 letters, though "h," being a mere breathing or aspiration is not usually regarded as a Gaeilge letter. It can only be used at the beginning of a word and then merely to separate two vowel sounds. The letters are divided, as in other languages, into vowels (short and long) and consonants (broad and slender). The vowels are a, e, i, o, u. THe other letters are consanants. Long vowels are indicated by an accent as follows:á, é, í, ó, ú.

 

 

Unions of certain vowels produce 13 dipthongs and 5 triphthings, which vary the pronunciation of words. Promunciation, however, is much more influenced by clearly defined rules regarding Aspiration and Eclipsis. Aspiration is usually marked by placing a dot over the consonant aspirated. Exlipsis is the term used to denote the suppression of the sound of certain Gaeilge consonats by prefixing others produced by the same organ of speech. Syncope, or the omission of one or more letters from the body of a word is also very common in Gaeilge.

 

Both Ingliz and Gaeilge are taught in Hibernian schools. Most Hibernians do not speak a foreign language and foreign language courses are seldom offered in Hibernian curriculums. Gaeilge is often used when speaking to a close acquaintance or relative. Hibernians do not expect tourists to speak Gaeilge.

 

 ([TECH]

 Ingliz =English

Hibernian Gaeilge is equivalent to "Irish."

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