It’s the best language to learn if you want to better your understanding of Scottish culture!įrom the benefits of bilingualism, social and career opportunities, and offering a fun family activity, there are so many reasons to learn Gaelic. Spoken by the Gaels of Scotland for over 1,500 years, the language is an important part of Scottish culture and heritage. Though once the resident language, Scottish Gaelic is now largely restricted to residents of the Highlands and Islands, with most speakers residing in the Western Isles. If you’re interested in helping to resurrect the language before it becomes dead or extinct, we’ve covered why you should learn, and some basic but handy Scottish Gaelic phrases you can learn right now. This was a drop of over 1,000 people from the census a decade before! The 2011 consensus found that what was once the most common language in Scotland, is now spoken by just 1.1% of the population. Unfortunately, by the late 18th century, Scottish Gaelic had been quashed heavily during the Highland Clearances and consequent Jacobite Uprisings. The language then spread quickly across the country, becoming the primary language of medieval ‘Alba’. Scottish Gaelic was native to the Gaels of Scotland, developing from the Middle Irish spoken by early Scots who emigrated from Ireland around the 6th century. However, they are actually very different. They all share similar language structures, and share the same Gaelic origin, so many think they’re one and the same. Scottish Gaelic is a member of the family of Celtic languages, which includes Irish Gaelic and Manx Gaelic.
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