The Irish standard., 1890-03-15
LANGUAGE and LITERATURE.
8Of Ireland All Interesting Article
Upon an important
Subject.
WITH HOME RULE SECURED
We May Look for Greater Exertion in Mat.
tiers Pertaining to the Preservation y
Of the National Speech.

The following address upon Irish
Language and Literature" was dellv-
cred by Martin McHaie, of this
CITY. before the Brownson Catholic
Club Thursday evening. February 20.
Mr. McHale says:
TO treat adequately subject like
the Irish language and literature would
easily require volume; only brief
history OF it can be attempted here.
Though it ii almost absurd to mention
1t. there are people who imagine that
there is no Irish language proper; that
It is without grammar or logical con-
struction. and that it possesses no liter
allure whatever; in word, that it is a
strange, outlandlsh, impossible jargon,
Sit only for barbariaDs, and not, as 1t
really is, an ancient and cultivated
speech, possessing older literary monu-
ments than is found In any of the
7ernacular languages Of Europe.
Nor is it to be much wondered at that
such an idea now and again should be
entertained; for, after all, is not English
spoken in not few instances with
what may be called an Irish accent,
the prevailing speech Of the great ma
icritv of the Irish race todays Indeed,
venture to affirm that at the present
time Irish to very large number of
freshmen is as completely foreign as so
much Chinese. and some Of these, l
almost feel, entertain towards it about
as much respect.
I have met instances where persons
seemed incredulous when informed that
there was such thing as real Irish
language, and that there were still up
wards of couple of million people
throughout the world able to under
stand and speak 1t with more or less
readiness. They seemed to be unde--
the impression that English, when
spoken with what may be described as
a rich county Mayo accent, or in other
words, the bgogue, was about the near
est approach to what might be consid-
cred Irish, and tl,at was all there was
20 the question. irish, or more proper.
", GAELIC, belongs to the Aryan or Indo
European family of languages, where 1t
occupies a 20 jtion alongside Greek and
Latin. It is also regarded as the prin'
cipal member Of che Celtic group,
which includes the Gaelic or Scotland.
Welch, .Armoric, Of Brittany, Manx, of
the Isle OF Man, and Cornish, lately ex-
tinct. 1t is the general opinion Of his
torians that the greater portion of the
present inhabitants IF Europe and Hin
dostan are the descendants Of COM
mon stock which had its early home in
Central Asia. west Of the Hlmalaya
mountains. OF the various migrations
from this primitive abode, linguists
are also agreed that the Telts were the
first TO arrive ia Europe. This, IN one
wav. IS partly indicated bv the topo-
graphy of the different regions and
countries through which they reached
the farthest Western Isles of Europe,
ireland more particularly. The iden
tity and early history of a race can be
more safely traced through language
than anything else. From this it is In
disputable that the Irish from the time
of their settlement in Ireland were a
civilized intellectual people, aud pos
sessed a knowledge OF the arts. The
Islsh language is OF immense antiquity
anu is therefore OF VAST utility to the
philo|ogist. It has been said that d
knowledge Of its complete and beauti-
tuLsystem Of Aspiration and Eclipsis
would alone repay the study OF thr
language, IN which everything is regu~
lated on principles Of Euphony. This
language IS considered by linguists a
better medium by which to acquire a
Knowledge Of the Science of Philology
than Sanscript, upon the study Of
which the basis of this comparatively
new Science is made. The large mum
Der of primitive forms and roots. their
clearness and well preserved condition,
makes Irish Of tue highest Importance
in the field Of language, and serves to
throw light upon many otherwise OBJ
scure and inexpllcable features OF
Latin, Greek, Sanscript and other allied
tongues. as they are sclentihc'y
treated.
Irish, as branch of philology, is
studied in ell the leading universities
Of Europe, especially in those Of Ger
many. Indeed, nowhere else has the
study of the Irish language and Celtic
studies in general been carried on with
so much zeal and success as in Gar
MANY.
Zeuss, a German published in 1858
his famous Celtic grammar. It cree
ated an epoch in Celtic research aud
history, and is now regarded AS the
foundation for Celtic philology for the
future. Ernest Wlndisch. present pro-
lessor Of Sanscript in the University of
1 Leipsic, has compiled in German con-
else Irish grammar with pieces for
reading from ancient Irish CLOSES.