Monday, April 11, 2011

Gaelg - Manx


Manx is the least known of all of the Goidelic Languages, native only to the Isle of Man. Like the others, the English Conquests wiped it out when the British took over the Isle of Man. Also, like Scottish Gaelic, it was brought over as Old Irish from settlers and eventually distinguished itself. However, due to the small size and population of the Isle of Man, the Manx language suffered a larger blow than the others. In 1974, it became extinct as a first language. However, revival efforts soon followed with about 100 speakers, including small number of children who are considered to be “new native speakers”. According to the Census, in 2001, 1,689 people claimed some knowledge of the language, a meager 2.2% of the population of the Isle of Man. Better statistics will soon be available with the 2011 Census. As English became more prominent, Parents began to see it useless to tech there children Manx, because English was much more useful. In recent years, traditional Manx names are becoming more popular for children.

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