Microsoft to the rescue of the Irish language
It is what is needed. And Microsoft is about
to deliver. The Irish language, long in decline,
is about to be revitalized thanks to Bill
Gates and his software empire, with new versions
of the Microsoft Windows XP operating system
and its Office suite of business software
being developed for use by Irish-speaking
computer users.
Anyone who has had to wrestle with translating
material into or out of Gaelic, or attempting
to use the language as a means of communication
through the World Wide Web, cannot fail to
recognize the tremendous aid this will be.
Until now, using the Irish language for
such purposes was akin to hand setting type
from case, a practice almost extinct except
for specialty printing and publishing.
Early users of html before the advent of
computer generated formatting programs, can
readily see the comparison. What required
the insertion of individual commands keyboarded
in their entirety, each and every time text
was edited, is now accomplished automatically.
So it will be in the case of users of Irish.
Microsoft and the University of Ulster are
developing software in the Irish language.
The project also involves experts at the
National University of Ireland in Maynooth,
Foras na Gaeilge, the body responsible for
the promotion of the Irish language, and
by the University of Limerick.
According to a BBC report, the University
of Ulster input is led by senior lecturer
Dr Greg Toner.
"The translation of the Windows interface
represents an extremely important advance
for the Irish language. It brings the Irish
language into the everyday sphere and will
enable users of Windows XP and Office to
carry out their work through the medium of
Irish," he said.
"Electronic media are central to 21st
century life and it is vital for lesser-used
languages to establish themselves in that
arena if they are to survive into the 22nd
century. In addition to helping Irish speaking
families and businesses, we also expect the
final product to be widely embraced by teachers
and students throughout the island.
A glossary of technical terms has been pre-translated
by Foras na Gaeilge using their new Dictionary
of Computing and Information Technology.
The full translation of the roughly 600,000
words involved will be undertaken by Irish
Departments at the University of Ulster and
NUI Maynooth and some testing will be carried
out at the University of Limerick.
Terry Landers, Head of Corporate Affairs,
Microsoft Ireland said the company was committed
to working with governments all over the
world on programs that help address specific
challenges and meet the needs of citizens.
"We are proud to be part of an integrated
approach bringing together the academic,
corporate and government sectors to produce
a truly representative product, which will
help to increase access to technology in
our native tongue," he said.
"In addition to helping Irish speaking
families and businesses, we also expect the
final product to be widely embraced by teachers
and students throughout the island."
On a lighter note, only a Donegal man can
fully appreciate the importance of the project.
To quote from one of his columns, the late,
great, and satirical Myles na gCopaleen wrote:
A lady lecturing on the Irish language
drew attention to the fact (I mentioned
it myself as long ago as 1925) that while
the average English speaker gets along
with a mere 400 words, the Irish-speaking
peasant uses 4,000. Considering what most
English speakers can achieve with their
tiny fund of noises, it is a nice speculation
to what extremity one would be reduced
if one were locked up for a day with an
Irish-speaking bore and bereft of all means
of committing murder or suicide
...
The plight of the English speaker with
his wretched box of 400 vocal beads may
be imagined when I say that a really good
Irish speaker would blurt out the whole
400 in one cosmic grunt. In Donegal there
are native speakers who know so many million
words that it is a matter of pride with
them never to use the same word twice in
a lifetime. Their life (not to say their
language) becomes very complex at the century
mark; but there you are.
Yerra, man, a truer word was never written.
--30--
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