Irish Traveller Language by Maria Rieder

Author:Maria Rieder
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9783319767147
Publisher: Springer International Publishing

Before this sequence, we talked about the vanishing of country work and begging contexts, which has, as the older women stated, reduced the need for Cant. Similar to what the older participants said, also Breda explains that Cant is used around settled people. Hence, the diglossic relationship in their communicative and social world between a public and a home domain is upheld and the switch into Cant indicates both a topic change as well as participant selection.

Asked about specific, typical situations of Cant use today in the above fragment, Breda lists different potential places, ending the list with “ d’y know ” (l. 15), which indicates that the list could go on and on and that Cant is not bound to specific spatial or temporal contexts. Rather, it is a resource for Travellers for whatever they want to talk about in whatever kind of public space where “ you are not on your own ” (l. 17). Contexts, such as shops, hotels, etc. do not come from Breda, but are elicited, and are only examples where Cant could be used, but the main context for Cant as described by Breda is a feeling: a feeling (l. 16) of not being able to speak freely in front of “ other people ” (l. 17) and a need to do so.

Similar to the conversations with the older participants, the opposition between Travellers and non-Travellers (“on our own” vs “other/settled people”) is again emphasised frequently through various lexical elements. Also, like the older speakers Breda repeatedly speaks of a great level of understanding among family and community members: “ we’ll understand what we’re sayin’ t’ each other ” (l. 6) and “ but you know when you’re there in a spot, you know exactly what you’re on about ” (l. 12f.). The emphasis on mutual understanding adds force to the distinction between ‘other people’ and ‘we, who understand each other’ and Cant serves as a bond that reinforces community solidarity. 4

A more concrete example of Cant use in public was provided by Helen in the last focus group held with the whole group:

8. FG 15/03/2012

   1   HELEN :    we could mix- (.), I could meet Breda in the post office,

   2           (.)

   3   BREDA :                        with a load of [settled people around

   4   HELEN :                   [and she could tell me (.)            10.44

   5           somethin’ that’s goin’ on around the place

   6    INTRVWR :                aha

   7   HELEN :    but we’d say in (.) Cant, (.)

   8   BIDDY :                        [so they wouldn’t understand

   9   HELEN :    [so the whole post office wouldn’t hear it, wouldn’t

10           understand it

11   BREDA :                        they’d understand-, they’d hear you talkin’ about    10.53

12           but they [(don’t know anythin’)

13   HELEN :            [if there was other Travellers in it, they’d

14           understand it like, but if there was ah (.) only settled

15           people in it, the only ones that know about it is me and

16           Breda

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