Sùilean Gàidhlig, Speuclairean Beurla - Dathan ann an Litreachas agus Dualchas Nitheil
This paper seeks to demonstrate the need for context when considering abstract concepts in a culture, such as colour terminology. The research seeks to demonstrate the depth and uniqueness of colour in the Gaelic language, which has additional values beyond the hue-based colour system of the English language, such as brilliance, saturation, and temperature. The Gaelic colour use is particularly used to convey light and dark, rather than hue alone. The research consists of a survey of colour terms in Gaelic poetry and some prose from Scotland, from Medieval to Modern Day. This is then contextualised by comparison with research done on colour terms on early Welsh epic poetry, and the early Irish epic Táin Bó Cúailnge to find similarities in use and colour domain within the Celtic languages. The following chapters seek to situate Gaelic colour within global cultures by drawing comparisons with colour use in the Norse sagas, and in the ancient world, seen as an example of civilisation by the western world, particularly the philosophy, poetry, and use in material culture of colour in Ancient Greece. This is then compared with applied colour in Gaelic culture, from a survey of traditional home dyeing recipes, to the use of colour in illuminated manuscripts. The study of applied colour gives context to the terms used, demonstrating among other things that Gaelic culture did distinguish between the hues that in English are termed blue and green, despite lacking clearly distinguished terms in Gaelic. The research combines these different aspects with the hope of demonstrating the bias inherent to a dominant language and culture, particularly English, which leads researchers to try to find equivalent values in other cultures, while blinding them to the aspects that English does not possess. From Berlin and Kay’s foundational but flawed work in colour perception, to visiting writers to the Highlands and Islands like Boswell and Johnson, Gaelic language and culture has suffered as English speakers look for their own markers of so-called civilisation, and failing to find them, have declared the other culture to be devoid of sophistication when in reality, they have only skimmed the surface and failed to find the depth.
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