History of the Irish language 15-HJIRL-CE-11

The course aims to provide an overview of the history of the Irish language, from its beginnings until the present day. The course begins with the discussion of different hypotheses concerning the origin of the Celtic languages and the coming of the Celts to the British Isles. Then, Ogham – the archaic Irish alphabet is discussed. The course continues with the analysis of Irish grammar in different historical periods. Students get acquainted with specific historical grammatical forms of Old and Middle Irish orthography, verbs, nouns and other parts of speech as well as the origin and development of consonantal mutations. Students will also learn about the development and decline of Gaelic civilisation and the development of Gaelic in Scotland and Isle of Man. In addition to the grammatical analyses, students will also learn about socio-historical processes that led to Irish Gaelic becoming a minority language. Finally, present-day Irish Gaelic dialects and the official standard language are discussed. The course lasts for one semester and is particularly supportive to those interested in comparative linguistics. Students are assessed on the basis of regular tests and quizzes. The course ends with an exam.