Yes, Breton, Cornish, Manx (practically lost), Welsh,  irish gaelic and
Scottish gaelic are all in the same family. The infuriating thing about
gaelic is the difficult orthography, meaning it annot be sight read without
a lot of preparation, and equally people who can speak it often cannot read
and write it. Welsh has such a simple phoonetic spelling system by
comparison, and that makes all the differencei in the ease of learning.
I think   "I am" phrases do come out in a chant form, much as Spanish and
Italian phrases suit street demo chants.


on 4/5/04 6:37 pm, Arthur Seeley at [log in to unmask] wrote:

> Its fun isn't it? Strange how the first thing you want to do with a new
> languge is write poetry.
> I am a little intrigued by a pattern where you use' I am....". You may have
> read Graves' "The White Goddess" where he refers to some ancient Celtic
> verse which uses the same form, it is a magical incantation among other
> things, also a riddle form, if I recall. I found it interesting because, (
> and correct me if I am wrong) but Gaelic is a form of Celtic, just as Welsh
> and Cornish are, are they not?
> As I say interesting, somehow I think I would like to hear it rather than
> read it, it makes my throat ache. LOL Arthur.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Sally Evans" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 2004 5:28 PM
> Subject: New: biligual poem
> 
> 
> I'm just going to try this out on an English audience, since it's quiet!
> I'll be working on stuff like this at my Gaelic writing course, as well as
> the haibun!
> 
> I need to tell you what the Gaelic means, and how to say it. it's all very
> easy Gaelic. it hasnt got a title yet, and may be revised on the course!
> 
> 
> Tha mi ag ionnsaichaidh        /haa mi kyonsakee  I am a learner
> I have a lot of fun
> Leasannan gach Lunasdail       /lessanan gak Lunasdal   lesons every Monday
> from twelve o'clock till one.
> 
> Tha mi ag ionnsaichaidh,
> This would seem the rub:
> Gaelic in the lessons,
> but English in the pub.
> 
> Chaidh mi aig Mon Ithiac       / khai mi ak Moniack  I went to Moniack
> Chaidh mi aig Sabhal Mòr,   / Khai mi a Sal Mor  I went to Sabhal Mòr
> I hie'd me to the regions
> I had never seen before
> 
> Chunnaic mi na starsannan,  /Khunnic mi na starshanan  I saw the stars
> Chunnaic mi nan làtha,   / Khunnic mi nan laa   I saw the days
> Chunnaic mi na beanntainn  / Khunnic mi na bentyan  I saw the mountains
> as I propped up the bar,
> 
> Dh'ith mi na coilltean     /Gith mi na coylchin   I ate the forests
> is dh'ol mi na cuan      /is gol mi na coon    and I drank the seas
> is sgriobhaidh mi bardachd  / ees screevy mi bardock  and I'll write poetry
> to sing on the moon.
> 
> S'toileam na bardachd,       /stollem na bardock  I like poetry
> S'toleam faclan is ceòl.  / stollem faclan ees cyol  &Ilike words & music
> Is a little bit of Gaelic
> worse than none at all?
> 
> Tha mi ag ionnsaichaidh,           /I am a learner
> tha mi cat-an-taighe,            / haa mi cat an tee  I am a house cat*
> fearsome woodland wildcats
> should be terrified of me.
> 
> Tha mi ag ionnsaichaidh,
> Tha mi seallaig/bee,          / Haa mi shellag  I am a bee
> brushing through the pollen
> till some brushes off on me,
> 
> Tha mi ag' iarriadh, tha mi searreadh,/Ha mi geary ha mi sheary Iwant I seek
> tha mi duloch, that mi sgi, / ha mi doolock ha mi ski I'm sorry I'm tired
> till a little bit of Gaelic glitter
> brushes off on me.
> 
> Sàilidh Eibheans
> 
> *wildcats are said to be threatened by interbreeding with house cats.