#118 | Thirty-Two Carat Gaeilge – Costing and Valuing a Language

Everything is worth what its purchaser will pay for it. That’s a quote attributed to the Roman senator Publius Syrus, who also said that a good reputation is more valuable than money.

We hear a lot on the radio and in the news about how much Irish costs. But what do costs mean outside the context of value? We know that a car or house might be insured for one amount, sell for different figure and be taxed based on a third value. If value is so uncertain for something so physical, how do we measure it in something as abstract as a language?

Placing a value on intangible assets – goodwill, a brand name, the difference between a print and an original – is tricky but not necessarily impossible. In today’s episode, Darach, Clodagh and Peadar welcome Osgur Ó Ciardha back to the Motherfoclóir studio. He explains some of the valuation concepts used in business for such intangibles, especially when they are linked to the unique selling point of another entity, such as tourism or the existence of the state.

And as the concepts of cost and value are intimately connected to the idea of private ownership, we ask if Irish belonging to all of us actually makes it more precious.

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Get Kirsten Shiel art prints here: https://www.inprnt.com/gallery/kirstenshiel/

Support for this episode comes from Foras na Gaeilge – https://www.forasnagaeilge.ie/

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