Different language - same story

Not that it's any comfort, but it's seems that it's not just the Welsh language that's attacked and be-littled by ignorant large media groups. The was recently an article in the Wall Street Journal under the title; Basque Inquisition: How Do You Say Shepherd in Euskera? (article in full copied here on Susatu - the Basque Slashdot)

The same old accusations are rolled out against the Basque language which sadly we Welsh speakers are more than familiar with: "only X amount actually speak it", "they steal words from other languages", "it's terrible that these people are forced to learn it as it's useless", "it's not a real language"...blah blah blah blah blah etc.

As you can imagine, it's pissed off a few people in the Basque blogosphere. Here are two excellent replies, which are full of brilliant arguments that can be used by Welsh speakers (if we're silly enough to get into a futile on-line debate with the many bigots out there).

Anyway if people want to wallow in their ignorance, who can stop them. In the meantime irratia.com ("a weekly broadcasted then podcasted live radio show in Basque about new technologies, music and social issues") will be celebrating their 100th podcast with a Basque Digital Shepherds' Meeting in Bilbo - here's a clip promoting the event on EuskalTube (yup - those nasty Basques even have time in between terrorizing non-Basque speakers to come up with their own YouTube clone).

As a farmers son who enjoyes the company of sheep as mush as blogging in his dead language, I wish I could be over there with my velcro gloves and laptop.