Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic (/ˈɡælɪk/, GAL-ik; endonym: Gàidhlig [ˈkaːlɪkʲ] ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as both Irish and Manx, developed out of Old Irish.[4] It became a distinct spoken language sometime in the 13th century in the Middle Irish period, although a common literary language was shared by the Gaels of both Ireland and Scotland until well into the 17th century.[5] Most of modern Scotland was once Gaelic-speaking, as evidenced especially by Gaelic-language place names.[6][7]
For the Germanic language that diverged from Middle English, see Scots language.Scottish Gaelic
70,000 L1 and L2 speakers in Scotland (2022)[1]
130,000 people in Scotland reported having some Gaelic language ability in 2022;[1] 1,300 fluent in Nova Scotia[2]
-
Celtic
- Insular Celtic
- Goidelic
- Scottish Gaelic
- Goidelic
- Insular Celtic
- Argyll
- Arran †
- Beurla Reagaird
- Canadian
- Deeside †
- East Sutherland †
- Galwegian †
- Hebridean
- Lewis
- Mid-Minch
- Perthshire
- West Sutherland
- others
- Latin (Scottish Gaelic alphabet)
- Insular script (historically)
- Ogham (historically)
50-AAA
In the 2011 census of Scotland, 57,375 people (1.1% of the Scottish population aged over three years old) reported being able to speak Gaelic, 1,275 fewer than in 2001. The highest percentages of Gaelic speakers were in the Outer Hebrides. Nevertheless, there is a language revival, and the number of speakers of the language under age 20 did not decrease between the 2001 and 2011 censuses.[8] In the 2022 census of Scotland, it was found that 2.5% of the Scottish population had some skills in Gaelic,[9] or 130,161 persons. Of these, 69,701 people reported speaking the language, with a further 46,404 people reporting that they understood the language, but did not speak, read, or write in it.[10]
Outside of Scotland, a dialect known as Canadian Gaelic has been spoken in Canada since the 18th century. In the 2021 census, 2,170 Canadian residents claimed knowledge of Scottish Gaelic, a decline from 3,980 speakers in the 2016 census.[11][12] There exists a particular concentration of speakers in Nova Scotia, with historic communities in other parts of Canada having largely disappeared.[13]
Scottish Gaelic is at present not an official language of the United Kingdom or Scotland.[14][15][16] Scottish Gaelic is classed as an indigenous language under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, which the UK Government has ratified, and the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 established a language-development body, Bòrd na Gàidhlig.[17] The Scottish Parliament is considering a Scottish Languages Bill which proposes to give Gaelic and Scots languages official status in Scotland.[18]
Name[edit]
Aside from "Scottish Gaelic", the language may also be referred to simply as "Gaelic", pronounced /ˈɡælɪk/ GAL-ik in English. However, "Gaelic" /ˈɡeɪlɪk/ GAY-lik also refers to the Irish language (Gaeilge)[19] and the Manx language (Gaelg).
Scottish Gaelic is distinct from Scots, the Middle English-derived language which had come to be spoken in most of the Lowlands of Scotland by the early modern era. Prior to the 15th century, this language was known as Inglis ("English")[20] by its own speakers, with Gaelic being called Scottis ("Scottish"). Beginning in the late 15th century, it became increasingly common for such speakers to refer to Scottish Gaelic as Erse ("Irish") and the Lowland vernacular as Scottis.[21] Today, Scottish Gaelic is recognised as a separate language from Irish, so the word Erse in reference to Scottish Gaelic is no longer used.[22]