For the Germanic language that diverged from Middle English, see Scots language.
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Scottish Gaelic" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR(March 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
Scottish Gaelic
Scots Gaelic
Gaelic
Gàidhlig
Pronunciation
[ˈkaːlɪkʲ]
Native to
United Kingdom, Canada
Region
Scotland; Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia
Ethnicity
Scottish Gaels
Speakers
57,000 fluent L1 and L2 speakers in Scotland (2011)[1] 87,000 people in Scotland reported having some Gaelic language ability in 2011;[1] 1,300 fluent in Nova Scotia[2]
Language family
Indo-European
Celtic
Insular Celtic
Goidelic
Scottish Gaelic
Early forms
Primitive Irish
Old Irish
Middle Irish
Dialects
Argyll
Arran †
Beurla Reagaird
Canadian
Deeside †
East Sutherland †
Galwegian †
Hebridean
Lewis
Mid-Minch
Perthshire
West Sutherland
others
Writing system
Latin (Scottish Gaelic alphabet)
Insular script (historically)
Ogham (historically)
Official status
Recognised minority language in
Canada
Nova Scotia
Language codes
ISO 639-1
gd
ISO 639-2
gla
ISO 639-3
gla
Glottolog
scot1245
ELP
Scottish Gaelic
Linguasphere
50-AAA
2011 distribution of Gaelic speakers in Scotland
This article contains IPA phonetic symbols. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Unicode characters. For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA.
Part of a series on the
Culture of Scotland
History
Timeline
Prehistoric
Roman times
Middle Ages
Early Middle Ages
Kingdom
High Middle Ages
Davidian Revolution
Wars of Independence
Late Middle Ages
Renaissance
Early modern
Reformation
Colonisation of the Americas
Glorious Revolution
1707 Acts of Union
Jacobitism
Enlightenment
Lowland Clearances
Highland Clearances
Industrial Revolution
Romanticism
Modern
People
Languages
Scottish Gaelic
Broad Scots
Scottish English
Pictish
Norn
Traditions
Clothing
Hackle
Burning of the Clavie
Burns supper
Common Riding
Crofting
Saining
Scots law
Scottish clan
Skalk
Up Helly Aa
Units of measurement
Mythology and folklore
Cuisine
Festivals
St. Andrew's Day
Hogmanay
Burns supper
Tartan Day
Lanimer Day
Imbolc
Bealltainn/May Day
Lùnastal
Samhainn
Religion
Art
Literature
Music and performing arts
Folk music
Scottish highland dance
Scottish country dance
Scottish sword dances
Mod
Keening
Waulking song
Opera
Puirt à beul
Border Ballad
Media
Radio
Television
Cinema
Sport
Golf
Curling
Football
Haggis hurling
Hailes
Highland games
Horse racing
Rugby sevens
Rugby union
Shinty
Shot put
Monuments
World Heritage Sites
Symbols
Flag
Coat of arms
National anthem
Lion Rampant
Thistle
Tartan
Celtic cross
Celtic knot
Scottish inventions and discoveries
Scotland portal
v
t
e
Scottish Gaelic (/ˈɡælɪk/, GAL-ick; 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.[3] 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.[4] Most of modern Scotland was once Gaelic-speaking, as evidenced especially by Gaelic-language place names.[5][6]
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.[7]
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.[8][9] There exists a particular concentration of speakers in Nova Scotia, with historic communities in other parts of Canada having largely disappeared.[10]
The Scottish Government declares that it protects Scottish Gaelic "as an official language of Scotland",[11] however, this is disputed by others, who argue that Scottish Gaelic is not an official language of the United Kingdom or Scotland.[12][13] 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.[14]
^ ab2011 Census of Scotland Archived 4 June 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Table QS211SC [Viewed 30 May 2014]
^Statistics Canada, Nova Scotia (Code 12) (table), National Household Survey (NHS) Profile, 2011 NHS, Catalogue No. 99‑004‑XWE (Ottawa: 2013‑06‑26)
^"Background on the Irish Language". Údarás na Gaeltachta. Archived from the original on 24 December 2019.
^MacAulay, Donald (1992). The Celtic Languages. Cambridge University Press. p. 144.
^Kavanagh, Paul (12 March 2011). "Scotland's Language Myths: 4. Gaelic has nothing to do with the Lowlands". Newsnet.scot. Archived from the original on 20 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
^"Gaelic History / Highland Council Gaelic Toolkit / The Highland Council / Welcome to Northern Potential". HighlandLife. Archived from the original on 19 June 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
^"Census shows decline in Gaelic speakers 'slowed'". BBC News. 26 September 2013. Archived from the original on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
^"Census Profile, 2016 Census". 2016 Census. Statistics Canada. 8 February 2017. Archived from the original on 15 May 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
^"Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population". 2021 Census. Statistics Canada. 9 February 2022. Archived from the original on 26 September 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
^"Nova Scotia/Alba Nuadh". Province of Nova Scotia Gaelic Affairs. Archived from the original on 23 April 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
^"Gaelic".
^McLeod, Wilson (1997). "Official Status for Gaelic: Prospects and Problems". Scottish Affairs. 21: 95–118. doi:10.3366/scot.1997.0059. Archived from the original on 20 June 2013. Retrieved 4 November 2023. At present Gaelic enjoys no official status in the United Kingdom or even within Scotland. There is no Act of Parliament conveying such status to the language, as with Welsh; nor, given Britain's lack of a written constitution, is there any constitutional protection, such as Irish enjoys in the Irish Republic.
^"Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005". legislation.gov.uk.
^"Gaelic". The Scottish Government. Archived from the original on 4 January 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
ScottishGaelic (/ˈɡælɪk/, GAL-ick; endonym: Gàidhlig [ˈkaːlɪkʲ] ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic...
Canadian Gaelic or Cape Breton Gaelic (ScottishGaelic: Gàidhlig Chanada, A' Ghàidhlig Chanadach or Gàidhlig Cheap Bhreatainn), often known in Canadian...
This list of ScottishGaelic surnames shows ScottishGaelic surnames beside their English language equivalent. Unlike English surnames (but in the same...
ScottishGaelic orthography has evolved over many centuries and is heavily etymologizing in its modern form. This means the orthography tends to preserve...
This list of ScottishGaelic given names shows ScottishGaelic given names beside their English language equivalent. In some cases, the equivalent can...
The Goidelic (/ɡɔɪˈdɛlɪk/ goy-DEL-ik) or Gaelic languages (Irish: teangacha Gaelacha; ScottishGaelic: cànanan Goidhealach; Manx: çhengaghyn Gaelgagh)...
ScottishGaelic (Gàidhlig [ˈkaːlɪkʲ] ), is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic...
[n̪ˠə ˈɡeːlʲ]; ScottishGaelic: Na Gàidheil [nə ˈkɛː.al]; Manx: Ny Gaeil [nə ˈɡeːl]) are an ethnolinguistic group native to Ireland, Scotland and the Isle...
This article describes the grammar of the ScottishGaelic language. Gaelic shares with other Celtic languages a number of interesting typological features:...
English, while Scots and ScottishGaelic are minority languages. The dialect of English spoken in Scotland is referred to as Scottish English. The Celtic languages...
Look up Gaelic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Gaelic (pronounced /ˈɡeɪlɪk/ for Irish Gaelic and /ˈɡælɪk/ for ScottishGaelic) is an adjective that...
§ Brackets and transcription delimiters. There is no standard variety of ScottishGaelic; although statements below are about all or most dialects, the north-western...
The Scottish people or Scots (Scots: Scots fowk; ScottishGaelic: Albannaich) are an ethnic group and nation native to Scotland. Historically, they emerged...
with them to other regions, such as Scotland and the Isle of Man, where Middle Irish gave rise to ScottishGaelic and Manx. It was also, for a period...
became able to access Irish and ScottishGaelic media. Manx had diverged considerably from the Gaelic languages of Scotland and Ireland between 1400 and...
ScottishGaelic punk (also known as Gaelic punk) is a subgenre of punk rock in which bands sing some or all of their music in ScottishGaelic. The Gaelic...
Deeside Gaelic is an extinct dialect of ScottishGaelic spoken in Aberdeenshire until 1984. Unlike a lot of extinct dialects of ScottishGaelic, it is...
This is a list of English words borrowed from ScottishGaelic. Some of these are common in Scottish English and Scots but less so in other varieties of...
the Hielands; ScottishGaelic: a' Ghàidhealtachd [ə ˈɣɛːəl̪ˠt̪ʰəxk], lit. 'the place of the Gaels') is a historical region of Scotland.[failed verification]...
ScottishGaelic language programming. The available ITV network station depends on region: ITV Border, branded "ITV1", which covers both the Scottish...
Lawlands; ScottishGaelic: a' Ghalldachd, lit. 'place of the foreigners', pronounced [ˈaˈɣauɫ̪t̪əxk]) is a cultural and historical region of Scotland. The...
roll are derived from places within Scotland; there are very few Gaelic surnames recorded in the roll. Many Scottish surnames originate from names that...
names are either derived from ScottishGaelic or have ScottishGaelic equivalents: The place type in the list for Scotland records all inhabited areas as...
Global Information
