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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.

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