Manx (Gaelg or Gailck), also known as Manx Gaelic, is a Goidelic language spoken on the Isle of Man. It is a descendant of Old Irish, particularly similar to the old East Ulster and Galloway dialects. Current distribution of Human Language Families Most languages are known to belong to language families. ... The Indo-European languages comprise a family of several hundred related languages and dialects [1], including most of the major languages of Europe, the Americas as well as many spoken in the Indian subcontinent (South Asia), the Iranian plateau (Southwest Asia), and Central Asia. ... The Celtic languages are the languages descended from Proto-Celtic, or Common Celtic, spoken by ancient and modern Celts alike. ... The Insular Celtic hypothesis concerns the origin of the Celtic languages. ... Goidelic is one of two major divisions of modern-day Celtic languages (the other being Brythonic). ... ISO 639-1 is the first part of the ISO 639 international-standard language-code family. ... ISO 639-2:1998 Codes for the representation of names of languages — Part 2: Alpha-3 code Twenty-two of the languages have two three-letter codes: a code for bibliographic use (ISO 639-2/B) a code for terminological use (ISO 639-2/T). ... ISO 639-3 is in process of development as an international standard for language codes. ... For information on how to read IPA transcriptions of English words see here. ... Phonetics (from the Greek word φωνή, phone meaning sound, voice) is the study of sounds and the human voice. ... Because of technical limitations, some web browsers may not display some special characters in this article. ... This is a concise version of the International Phonetic Alphabet for English sounds. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The Goidelic languages (also sometimes called the Gaelic languages or collectively Gaelic) are one of two major divisions of modern-day Insular Celtic languages (the other being the Brythonic languages). ... Old Irish is the name given to the oldest form of the Irish language which can be more or less fully reconstructed from extant sources. ... Ulster Irish is the dialect of the Irish language spoken in the province of Ulster. ... Galwegian Gaelic is an extinct Goidelic dialect formerly spoken in South West Scotland. ... A dialect (from the Greek word διάλεκτος, dialektos) is a variety of a language used by people from a particular geographic area. ...

History

Manx began to diverge from Middle Irish sometime around 900 - 1600 AD, and is called Yn Ghaelg / Yn Ghailck by Manx speakers. The language sharply declined during the 19th century and was supplanted by English. In 1848, J. G. Cumming wrote that "there are ... few persons (perhaps none of the young) who speak no English", and Henry Jenner estimated in 1874 that about 30% of the population habitually spoke Manx (12,340 out of a population of 41,084). According to official census figures, 9.1% of the population claimed to speak Manx in 1901; in 1921 the percentage was only 1.1%.^[2] Since the language had fallen to a status of low prestige, owing in part to specific influences like Methodism ^[3], parents tended not to teach the language to their children, thinking that Manx would be useless to them compared with English. my children are my life ... Dionysius Exiguus invented Anno Domini years to date Easter. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... 1848 (MDCCCXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Henry Jenner ( 1848- 1934) was a Celtic scholar, Cornish cultural activist, and the chief originator of the Cornish language revival. ... 1874 (MDCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for full calendar). ... Methodism or the Methodist movement is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity. ...

By the middle of the 20th century only a few elderly native speakers remained (the last of them, Ned Maddrell, died on December 27, 1974), but by then a scholarly revival had begun to spread to the populace and many had learned Manx as a second language. The first native speakers of Manx (bilingual with English) in many years have now appeared: children brought up by Manx-speaking parents. Primary immersion education in Manx is provided by the Manx government: since 2003, the former St. John's School building has been used by the Bunscoill Gaelgagh (Manx language-medium school). Degrees in Manx are available from the Isle of Man College, the Centre for Manx Studies and the University of Edinburgh. Manx-language playgroups also exist, and Manx language classes are available in island schools. In the 2001 census, 1,689 out of a population of about 71,000 claimed to have knowledge of Manx, although the degree of knowledge in these cases presumably varied. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... First language (native language, mother tongue) is the language a person learns first. ... Edward Ned Maddrell (1877?–December 27, 1974) was a fisherman from the Isle of Man who was arguably the last surviving native speaker of the Manx language. ... December 27 is the 361st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (362nd in leap years). ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Language revival is the revival, by governments, political authorities, or enthusiasts, to recover the spoken use of a language that is no longer spoken or is endangered. ... The village of St Johns is a small village in the central valley of the Isle of Man on the road between Douglas and Peel. ... Yn Colliesh Ellan Vannin (The Isle of Man College) is the primary centre for tertiary and vocational education on Ellan Vannin (the Isle of Man). ... Laare-Studeyrys Manninagh or the Centre for Manx Studies is the primary centre on Ellan Vannin (the Isle of Man) for the study of Ellan Vannin, Gaelg (Manx Gaelic), and Manx culture and history. ... The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a renowned centre for teaching and research in Edinburgh, Scotland. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Manx is used by the Tynwald, with new laws being read out by Yn Lhaihder ('the Reader') in both Manx and English. Tynwald (Tinvaal) is the bicameral legislature of the Isle of Man (Ellan Vannin). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

Manx is recognised under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. It is also one of the regional languages recognised in the framework of the British-Irish Council. Some controversy has resulted over the omission of Manx culture from the Columba Initiative. The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML) is a European treaty (CETS 148) adopted in 1992 under the auspices of the Council of Europe to protect and promote historical regional and minority languages in Europe. ... A regional language is a language spoken in a part of a country - it may be a small area, a federal state or province, or a wider area. ... The British–Irish Council (sometimes known as the Council of the Isles) is a body created by the Belfast Agreement (also known as the Good Friday Agreement). ... The Columba Initiative or Iomairt Cholm Cille is a program for Gaelic speakers in Scotland and Ireland to meet each other more often, and in so doing to learn more of the language, heritage and lifestyles of one another. ...

The revival of Manx has been aided by the recording work done in the 20th century by researchers, notably the Irish Folklore Commission in 1948. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ...

Little secular Manx literature has been preserved. Arguably, no trace of written Manx survives from before the 1600s, but the Book of Common Prayer and Bible were translated into Manx in the 17th and 18th centuries. A tradition of carvals, religious songs or carols, developed. Manx literature is literature in the Manx language. ... For the novel by Joan Didion, see A Book of Common Prayer. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ...

Following the decline in the use of Manx during the 19th century, Yn Cheshaght Ghailckagh (The Manx Language Society) was founded in 1899. 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Today Manx is used as the sole medium for teaching at five of the Island's pre-schools by a company named Mooinjer Veggey^[4], which also operates the sole Manx primary school - the Bunscoill Ghaelgagh. Manx is taught as a second language at all of the Island's primary and secondary schools and also at the Isle of Man College and Centre of Manx Studies. Mooinjer Veggey - Gaelg Vio! is a Manx phrase meaning Little People - Living Manx and is the title of a scheme for Manx language pre-school education[1] on the Isle of Man. ... Yn Colliesh Ellan Vannin (The Isle of Man College) is the primary centre for tertiary and vocational education on Ellan Vannin (the Isle of Man). ... The Centre for Manx Studies (Manx: Laare-Studeyrys Manninagh) is the primary centre on the Isle of Man (Ellan Vannin) for the study of the Isle of Man, Manx Gaelic (Gaelg), and Manx culture and history. ...

Manx names are once again becoming common on the Isle of Man, especially Moirrey (Mary), Illiam (William), Orry, Breeshey (also Breesha) (Bridget) and Aalish (also Ealish) (Alice). Juan (Jack/Johnny), Ean (John), Joney, Fenella (Fionnuala), Pherick (Patrick) and Freya (from the Norse Goddess) remain popular. Mary may refer to: // Mary (mother of Jesus), the mother of Jesus of Nazareth Blessed Virgin Mary, the Catholic and Orthodox conception of the mother of Christ Gospel of Mary, Christian text Mary, mother of John Mark, one of the earliest of Jesus disciples Mary, sister of Lazarus, follower of... // See William (name) for information about the name. ... Bridget can mean: Another spelling of Brigid from Irish mythology. ... Look up Alice in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up John, john in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In Irish mythology, Fionnuala was a daughter of Lir. ... Patrick is a male name, derived from the Latin name Patricius, which means nobleman. ... Freya, in an illustration to Wagners operas by Arthur Rackham. ...

Orthography

The spelling of Manx, unlike that of Irish and Scottish Gaelic, does not represent the Goidelic etymology, and displays a degree of Welsh and English influence (seen, for example, in the use of 'y' and 'w' and in combinations such as 'oo' and 'ee'). For example, 'Isle of Man' in Irish would be written as Oileán Mhanainn or in Scottish Gaelic as Eilean Mhanainn, whereas in Manx it is written as Ellan Vannin - all three variants are pronounced in more or less the same way. Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. ... Not to be confused with Entomology, the study of insects. ...

If any distinctively Manx written literature existed before the Reformation, it was unidentifiable or lost by the time that widespread literacy was being seriously advocated, so when attempts were made (mainly by the Anglican church authorities) to introduce a standardised orthography for the language, a new system was developed. It is commonly supposed that it was simply invented by John Phillips, the Welsh-born Bishop of Sodor and Man (1605-1633) who translated the Book of Common Prayer into Manx. However, it does appear to have some similarities with orthographical systems found occasionally in Scotland. For example, the 'Book of the Dean of Lismore' is written in Scottish Gaelic using a similar system of spelling. The orthography of a language is the set of symbols (glyphs and diacritics) used to write a language, as well as the set of rules describing how to write these glyphs, including spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. ... The Bishop of Sodor and Man is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Sodor and Man in the Province of York. ... For the novel by Joan Didion, see A Book of Common Prayer. ...

Initial consonant mutations

Many places, such as Douglas, sport bilingual welcome signs. Note here the consonant mutation of Doolish (Douglas) to Ghoolish.

Like all modern Celtic languages, Manx shows initial consonant mutations, which are processes by which the initial consonant of a word is altered according to its morphological and/or syntactic environment. The only productive mutation of literary Manx is lenition, though traces of the eclipsis found in Irish can also be found. In the late spoken language of the 20th century the system was breaking down, with speakers frequently failing to use lenition in environments where it was called for, and occasionally using it in environments where it was not called for. Image File history File links Bilingual welcome road sign in Douglas, Isle of Man with Manx language message Image created by User:Man vyi on 3rd May 2005 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Bilingual welcome road sign in Douglas, Isle of Man with Manx language message Image created by User:Man vyi on 3rd May 2005 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Location within the British Isles Douglas (Doolish in Manx) is the capital of the Isle of Man (Ellan Vannin) and its largest town. ... The term bilingualism (from bi meaning two and lingua meaning language) can refer to rather different phenomena. ... Initial consonant mutation is the phenomenon in which the first consonant of a word is changed according to a certain grammatical environment. ... Morphology is a subdiscipline of linguistics that studies word structure. ... For other uses, see Syntax (disambiguation). ... Lenition is a kind of consonant mutation that appears in many languages. ... Irish, like all modern Celtic languages, is characterized by its initial consonant mutations. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999...

Vocabulary

Key: SCO - Scottish Gaelic, IRL - Irish Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. ...

Numbers

Notes

1. ^ There are currently (as of academic year - September 2006) - 56 students at the Manx Language School, all of whom are classed as native speakers since they have been able to speak Manx as well as English from a very young age.
2. ^ Fourth International Conference on Minority Languages, Vol. II, Gorter et al, 1990, pages 59-60.
3. ^ http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/mannin/v9p511.htm
4. ^ http://www.mooinjerveggey.esmartstudent.com/

See also

• Ned Maddrell
• Manx names

Edward Ned Maddrell (1877?–December 27, 1974) was a fisherman from the Isle of Man who was arguably the last surviving native speaker of the Manx language. ...

External links

Manx language edition of Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

• Information about the language
• isle-of-man.com language section
• Gaelic Dictionaries
• Manx-English dictionary
• Manx Language resources