www.focal.ie - A New Resource for Irish

This article gives a short overview of the www.focal.ie terminology project, including the contents of the database, the use of the resource since it became available online, some of the editorial work which has been done, and some of the challenges encountered

www.focal.ie terminology project

This paper presents an EU-funded project for Irish and Welsh which will be accessible from 2007 at www.focal.ie. This is a major initiative in two Celtic languages. The context and content of the Irish implementation strand are discussed here. An overview is presented of the development of terminology in Irish, and the project presented demonstrates the potential for innovation and renewal through the development of sophisticated linguistic tools for users of all levels. This paper explores some of the linguistic and editorial challenges faced by the project team. It demonstrates the need for transnational cooperation in sustaining European linguistic diversity, and a potentially pioneering role for lesser-used languages through modern communications technologies

Building on a terminology resource – the Irish experience

www.focal.ie is the national database of Irish language terminology. In this paper, we examine: (i) the impact achieved by this resource in the five year period since work commenced; (ii) the possibilities which have arisen from one project over a short time span, to develop sub-projects and related initiatives; and (iii) the advantages and opportunities arising from the creation of one high-quality electronic language resource. The Irish case shows that the development of high-quality resources for a lesser-used language can have interesting and unexpected knock-on effects. We present eight stages and aspects of term planning: preparation/planning; research; standardisation; dissemination; implantation; evaluation; modernisation/maintenance; and training. Fiontar, in its work,has moved from its initial involvement in the dissemination of terminology, to take an active part in other aspects of term planning for Irish: research, standardisation, evaluation, modernisation and training. This has been achieved through editorial and technological development, in partnership with key stakeholders and always from a socioterminological point of view – that is, with an emphasis on terminology as an aspect of language planning and from the point of view of users in particular. Particular projects described include Focal as a term management system and as a user resource; tools for translators; user links to a corpus; the development of a new sports dictionary; and research into subject field headings. Two related projects are the LEX legal terms project for term extraction and standardisation, and the development of terminology for the European Union

A best-practice model for term planning

This thesis presents a best-practice model for term planning for a language, based on the literature and on three qualitative case studies: TERMCAT (the term planning organisation for Catalan), Terminologicentrum TNC (the term planning organisation for Swedish) and the Irish-language term planning organisations, principally the Terminology Committee (Foras na Gaeilge) and Fiontar, DCU. Although the literature on the subject is underdeveloped, and a complete model cannot be derived from it, a basic structure for term planning is constructed, consisting of eight stages: preparation/planning, research, standardisation, dissemination, implantation, evaluation, modernisation/maintenance and training. This structure forms the basis of the case study research. A new, comprehensive model for term planning is then developed and described, combining elements from each of the three cases and from the literature. The model developed is not limited to any one particular situation of term planning for a language, and is therefore both general and adaptable. Because it is the first of its kind, this study is of an exploratory nature; it suggests success factors for term planning and explores the limits of the literature-based model. Gaps in the literature and limits to the socioterminological approach to term planning are identified and recommendations for further research made

Is doiligh olann a bhaint as gabhar: tráchtaireacht an mhúinteora ar imleabhair Bhailiúchán na Scol

Like any historical source, the Schools’ Collection is a product of its era (the late 1930s), one shaped by contemporary ideologies; it shows the views and the prejudices of those who participated. The schoolteachers, in particular, decided which of the many available stories and themes were appropriate, valuable and interesting, and they directed their pupils as they saw fit - or, sometimes, took over the task themselves. The amount and quality of material collected is largely due to their input and influence. This additional editorial voice - and the consequent distance between informants and archivists - makes the Schools’ Collection different from other collections in the National Folklore Collection. Ar nós foinse stairiúil ar bith ní mór a chur san áireamh nach léargas barántúil ar a ré féin é Bailiúchán na Scol ach táirge a cruthaíodh agus a múnlaíodh de réir idé-eolaíocht a linne agus a léiríonn dearcadh agus claonadh na ndaoine a raibh páirt acu ann. An cnuasach ollmhór seo a bhailigh páistí scoile sna 1930idí agus a bhfuil digitiú déanta air le gairid, is toradh é ar roghanna a rinneadh ag an am. Ba iad na múinteoirí, go háirithe, a roghnaigh céard a bhí oiriúnach, luachmhar agus fiúntach i measc an iliomad scéalta agus téamaí a bhféadfaí díriú orthu. Ar an dóigh sin tá Bailiúchán na Scol éagsúil ó bhailiúcháin eile Choimisiún Béaloideasa Éireann (CBÉ) sa mhéid is go raibh fórsaí breise ag imirt tionchair ar chuntais na bhfaisnéiseoirí. D’fheidhmigh na múinteoirí seo mar idirghabhálaithe idir foireann an Choimisiúin agus a gcuid faisnéiseoirí agus tá gnéithe sainiúla ag baint le hábhar Bhailiúchán na Scol de thoradh ar an achar seo idir na béaloideasaithe lánaimseartha agus a n-ábhar staidéir. San alt seo, féachtar ar na múinteoirí úd le fáil amach cérbh iad féin agus cén tionchar a bhí acu ar ábhar Bhailiúchán na Scol. Baintear feidhm go háirithe as na nótaí a d’fhág siad féin sna himleabhair agus as sonraí eile atá sna leabhair chéanna le tulleadh tuisceana a fháil orthu. Léiríonn an fhianaise sin an ról lárnach a bhí ag na múinteoirí i roghnú agus i gcur i láthair an ábhair. In this article we look at those teachers to see who they were and what influence they may have had on the Schools’ Collection. Introductory and explanatory notes left by some teachers in the volumes of folklore they submitted from their schools provide the main source of evidence. Reviving the Irish language was regarded as a task for schools, and there is evidence of this, and of the perceived link between the language and ‘true Irishness’, in the teachers’ writings. There is evidence that some teachers enjoyed working on the Schools’ Collection enormously and were immensely proud of their pupils. Others were dismissive or apologetic about their submissions and wary of the cigire (inspector), citing poverty, misplaced local pride, the urban location or pro-British influence as reasons for inadequate submissions

Téarmaíocht don Aontas Eorpach. Taithí na hÉireann: Tionscadal GA IATE/ Terminology for the European Union. The Irish Experience: The GA IATE Project

Tugann an staidéar seo cur síos cuimsitheach ar théarmeolaíocht na Gaeilge i gcomhthéacs fheidhmeanna aistriúcháin an Aontais Eorpaigh. Tháinig riachtanais phráinneacha téarmaíochta Gaeilge chun cinn in 2007 nuair a tugadh stádas teanga oifigiúil de chuid an AE don Ghaeilge. Tráchtann an staidéar seo ar an bhfreagairt a tugadh ar na riachtanais sin, agus cuireann sé an obair i gcomhthéacs na hoibre téarmeolaíochta a rinneadh i gcás theangacha ‘nua’ eile an AE, teangacha a bhain amach stádas oifigiúil in 2004 agus in 2007. Tugtar mioneolas ar IATE, comhbhunachar sonraí ilteangach fhorais agus chomhlachtaí an AE agus leagtar béim ar leith ar ról thrí mhórinstitiúid an AE, an Coimisiún, an Chomhairle agus an Pharlaimint. Is é Fiontar, Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath, i gcomhairle le rannpháirtithe an tionscadail in institiúidí an AE agus i seirbhís phoiblí na hÉireann, a thiomsaigh an staidéar. ***English*** This study provides a comprehensive description of Irish-language terminology for the purposes of European Union translation work. An urgent need for Irish-language terminology arose in 2007 when Irish became an official EU language. This study documents the response to that need, and places it in the context of terminology work in other ‘new’ EU languages which gained official status in 2004 and 2007. IATE, the shared multilingual terminology database of the EU institutions and bodies, is described in detail, with particular emphasis on the role of the three major EU institutions, Commission, Council and Parliament. The study was compiled by Fiontar, Dublin City University, in consultation with project participants in the EU institutions and the Irish public service

An introduction to the National Folklore Collection and Meitheal Dúchas.ie

In this paper, a brief description is given of the National Folklore Collection and in particular of the current project to digitize its contents and make them available at Dúchas.ie. Meitheal Dúchas.ie is described as well as some of its benefits

A quantitative analysis of biographical data from Ainm, the Irish-language Biographical Database

This paper looks at some trends identifiable in the biographical data contained in the Ainm collection of Irish-language related biographies. The data structure is described and the reasons for its particular structure are outlined. The structured data is then analysed to identify some notable patterns and significant gaps in the Ainm biographical collection. These features and omissions are discussed in the context of the creation of both the original print biographical dictionary (the Beathaisnéis series) and the more recent digital version (www.ainm.ie)