Scottish Gaelic language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Scottish Gaelic |
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| Scots Gaelic Gàidhlig |
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| Native to | United Kingdom, Canada, United States, Australia, New Zealand | |||
| Region | Scotland, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and Glengarry County, Canada | |||
| Native speakers | 58,552 in Scotland. 92,400 people aged three and over in Scotland had some Scottish Gaelic ability in 2001 with estimates of additional 500–2000 in Nova Scotia, 1,610 speakers in the United States in 2000, 822 in Australia in 2001 and 669 in New Zealand in 2006. (date missing) | |||
| Language family |
Indo-European
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| Writing system | Gaelic alphabet (Roman alphabet) | |||
| Official status | ||||
| Official language in |  Scotland |
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| Linguasphere | 50-AAA | |||
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Scottish Gaelic, or Gàidhlig (pronounced "Gah-lick"), is a fascinating Celtic language. It's often called Scots Gaelic in English. This language is like a close cousin to Irish Gaelic and Manx Gaelic. All three are part of the Goidelic languages family. They are also related to other Celtic languages like Welsh, Cornish, and Breton. These three are known as Brittonic languages.
Contents
A Quick Look at Scottish Gaelic History
In the past, the Scottish Gaelic language was spoken almost everywhere in Scotland. The only places it wasn't common were the Northern Islands, like Orkney and Shetland.
How Gaelic Changed in Scotland
During the Middle Ages, the kings of Scotland started speaking English. They began to look down on Scottish Gaelic. After England and Scotland joined together, Scottish Gaelic was even more ignored. English slowly became the main language.
Scottish Gaelic Today
Today, the Scottish Gaelic language you hear is mostly like the one spoken in the Outer Hebrides and on the Isle of Skye. Generally, the Gaelic spoken across the Western Isles is quite similar. People there can understand each other easily.
Where Gaelic Speakers Live Now
A census in the United Kingdom in 2001 showed some interesting facts. About 58,652 people in Scotland could speak some Scottish Gaelic. This was about 1.2% of the Scottish population over three years old.
The Western Isles are special because more people there speak Scottish Gaelic than not. About 61% of the people in the Western Isles speak it. The village with the most Gaelic speakers is Barvas on the Isle of Lewis. There, 74.7% of the people speak Scottish Gaelic!
Gaelic in Schools and Beyond
Children in Scotland don't have to learn Scottish Gaelic in school. However, it's becoming a more popular subject. Many people see it as an important part of Scottish culture.
Scottish Gaelic is also spoken in other countries. It's thought that between 1,000 and 2,000 people in Nova Scotia, Canada, can speak some Gaelic.
Images for kids
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Place names in Scotland that contain the element bal- from the Scottish Gaelic baile meaning home, farmstead, town or city. These data give some indication of the extent of medieval Gaelic settlement in Scotland.
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Cumbernauld Gaelic Choir in 2021
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Anne Lorne Gillies speaking publicly in the Scottish Gaelic language
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Police Scotland vehicle logo (Bilingual)
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Bilingual Gaelic–English road sign, at Lochaline in the Scottish Highlands
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Monolingual Gaelic direction sign, at Rodel (Roghadal) on Harris in the Outer Hebrides
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Bilingual English/Gaelic sign at Queen Street Station in Glasgow
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Sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu (Glasgow Gaelic School)
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A sign indicating services in Gaelic and English at a Free Church of Scotland congregation in the community of Ness, Isle of Lewis
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Gaelic public signage has become more common in the Scottish Highlands. This sign is located in the bilingual port community of Mallaig.
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See also
In Spanish: Gaélico escocés para niños
