Editing Manx language (section)

== History ==
[[File:Clagh Ogham ec Thie Tashtee Vannin.jpg|right|thumb|An [[ogham inscription]] on a stone in the [[Manx Museum]] written in Primitive Irish and which reads DOVAIDONA MAQI DROATA, "Of Dovaido, son of Droata"<ref>{{cite web |last=West |first=Andrew |author-link=Andrew West (linguist) |url=http://babelstone.blogspot.ie/2011/06/ogham-stones-of-isle-of-man.html |title=The Ogham Stones of the Isle of Man |publisher=BabelStone |date=30 June 2011 |access-date=11 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111042420/http://babelstone.blogspot.ie/2011/06/ogham-stones-of-isle-of-man.html |archive-date=11 November 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>]]

[[File:Illiam Dhone.JPG|right|thumb|William Christian, better known as [[Illiam Dhone]] (Brown-haired William)]]
[[File:Lag ny Keeilley, West slope of Cronk ny Arrey Laa - geograph.org.uk - 181312.jpg|right|thumb|{{lang|gv|Lag ny Keeilley}} ("[[Mass rock|Hollow of the Church]]") on [[Cronk ny Arrey Laa]] ("Hill of the Day Watch"). The Manx language has had a substantial influence on the island's [[toponymy]] and nomenclature.]]

Manx is a [[Goidelic languages|Goidelic language]], closely related to [[Irish language|Irish]] and [[Scottish Gaelic]]. On the whole it is partially [[Mutual intelligibility|mutually intelligible]] with these, and native speakers of one find it easy to gain passive, and even spoken, competency in the other two.

It has been suggested that a little-documented [[Brythonic languages|Brythonic language]] (i.e. related to modern [[Welsh language|Welsh]], [[Cornish language|Cornish]] and [[Breton language|Breton]]) may have been spoken on the Isle of Man before the arrival of Christian missionaries from Ireland in the early Middle Ages.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-02 |title=Manx language {{!}} Manx Dialect, Celtic Language, Isle of Man {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Manx-language |access-date=2025-03-01 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=May 2025}} However, there is little surviving evidence about the language spoken on the island at that time.

The basis of the modern Manx language is [[Primitive Irish]] (like modern Irish and Scottish Gaelic). The island either lends its name to or takes its name from ''[[Manannán mac Lir|Manannán]]'', the Brythonic and Gaelic sea god who is said in myth to have once ruled the island. [[Primitive Irish]] is first attested in [[Ogham]] inscriptions from the 4th century AD. These writings have been found throughout Ireland and the west coast of [[Great Britain]]. Primitive Irish transitioned into [[Old Irish]] through the 5th century. Old Irish, dating from the 6th century, used the [[Latin script]] and is attested primarily in [[marginalia]] to Latin manuscripts, but there are no extant examples from the Isle of Man.

Latin was used for ecclesiastical records from the establishment of Christianity in the Isle of Man in the 5th century AD. Many words concerning religion, writing and record keeping entered Manx at this time.

The Isle of Man was conquered by [[Vikings|Norse Vikings]] in the 9th century. Although there is some evidence in the form of [[runic inscriptions]] that [[Old Norse|Norse]] was used by some of these settlers, the Vikings who settled around the [[Irish Sea]] and West Coast of Scotland soon became Gaelic speaking [[Norse–Gaels]]. During the 9th century AD, the Gaelic of the inhabitants of the Isle of Man, like those of Scotland and the North of Ireland, may have been significantly influenced by Norse speakers. While Norse had very little impact on the Manx language overall,<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite book |title=Language death in the Isle of Man : an investigation into the decline and extinction of Manx Gaelic as a community language in the Isle of Man |last=Broderick |first=George |date=1999 |publisher=Niemeyer |isbn=9783110911411 |oclc=300505991}}</ref> a small number of modern place names on the Isle of Man are Norse in origin, e.g. [[Laxey]] (Laksaa) and [[Ramsey, Isle of Man|Ramsey]] (Rhumsaa). Other Norse legacies in Manx include [[loanword]]s and [[personal name]]s.

By the 10th century, it is supposed that [[Middle Irish]] had emerged and was spoken throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man.

The island came under Scottish rule in 1266, and alternated between Scottish and English rule until finally becoming the feudal possession of the [[Stanley family]] in 1405. It is likely that until that point, except for scholarly knowledge of [[Latin]] and courtly use of [[Anglo-Norman language|Anglo-Norman]], Manx was the only language spoken on the island. Since the establishment of the Stanleys on the Isle of Man, first Anglo-Norman and later the [[English language]] have been the chief external factors in the development of Manx, until the 20th century, when Manx speakers became able to access Irish and Scottish Gaelic media.

===17th to 19th centuries===
Manx had diverged considerably from the Gaelic languages of Scotland and Ireland between 1400 and 1900. The 17th century [[Plantation of Ulster]], the decline of Irish in [[Leinster]] and the extinction of [[Galwegian Gaelic|Galloway Gaelic]] led to the geographic isolation of Manx from other dialects of Gaelic. The development of a separate [[orthography]] also led Manx to diverge from Irish and Scottish Gaelic.<ref name=":1" />

In the 17th century, some university students left the Isle of Man to attend school in England. At the same time, teaching in English was required in schools founded by governor [[Isaac Barrow (bishop)|Isaac Barrow]]. Barrow also promoted the use of English in churches; he considered that it was a superior language for reading the Bible; however, because the majority of ministers were monolingual Manx speakers, his views had little practical impact.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2"/>

[[Thomas Wilson (bishop)|Thomas Wilson]] began his tenure as Bishop of Mann in 1698 and was succeeded by Mark Hildesley. Both men held positive views of Manx; Wilson was the first person to publish a book in Manx, a translation of ''The Principles and Duties of Christianity'' ({{Lang|gv|Coyrie Sodjey}}), and Hildesley successfully promoted the use of Manx as the language of instruction in schools. The New Testament was first published in Manx in 1767. In the late 18th century, nearly every school was teaching in English. This decline continued into the 19th century, as English gradually became the primary language spoken on the Isle of Man.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2"/>

In 1848, J.G. Cumming wrote, "there are ... few persons (perhaps none of the young) who speak no English." [[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%.<ref name=":3">Gunther 1990, 59–60</ref> Since the language was used by so few people, it had low linguistic "[[Prestige (sociolinguistics)|prestige]]", and parents tended not to teach Manx to their children, thinking it would be useless to them compared with English.<ref name=":2"/>

According to [[Brian Stowell]], "In the 1860s there were thousands of Manx people who couldn't speak English, but barely a century later it was considered to be so backwards to speak the language that there were stories of Manx speakers getting stones thrown at them in the towns."<ref>{{Cite news|date=31 January 2013|title=Manx: Bringing a language back from the dead|work=BBC|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-21242667|access-date=6 September 2020}}</ref>

=== Revival ===
Following the decline in the use of Manx during the 19th century, {{lang|gv|[[Manx Gaelic Society|Yn Çheshaght Ghailckagh]]}} (The Manx Language Society) was founded in 1899. By the middle of the 20th century, only a few elderly [[native speaker]]s remained (the last of them, [[Ned Maddrell]], died on 27 December 1974), but by then a scholarly revival had begun and a few people had started teaching it in schools. The Manx Language Unit was formed in 1992, consisting of three members and headed by Manx Language Officer [[Brian Stowell]], a language activist and fluent speaker, "which was put in charge of all aspects of Manx language teaching and accreditation in schools."<ref name=":1">Ager, Simon. "A Study of Language Death and Revival with a Particular Focus on Manx Gaelic." Master's Dissertation University of Wales, Lampeter, 2009. PDF.</ref> This led to an increased interest in studying the Manx language and encouraged a renewed sense of ethnic identity. The revival of Manx was aided by the recording work done in the 20th century by researchers. Most notably, the [[Irish Folklore Commission]] was sent in with recording equipment in 1948 by [[Éamon de Valera]]. Also important in preserving the Manx language was work conducted by the late Brian Stowell, who is considered personally responsible for the current revival of the Manx language.<ref name=graun /> The Manx Language Strategy was released in 2017, outlining a five-year plan for the language's continued revitalisation.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.gov.im/news/2017/dec/01/five-year-strategy-salutes-and-celebrates-manx-language/ |title=Isle of Man Government - Five year strategy salutes and celebrates Manx language |website=www.gov.im |language=en-GB |access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.theworldweekly.com/reader/view/magazine/2018-01-04/lifelines-for-indigenous-languages/10437 |title=Lifelines for indigenous languages {{!}} The World Weekly |website=www.theworldweekly.com |access-date=6 January 2018 |archive-date=7 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180107232933/https://www.theworldweekly.com/reader/view/magazine/2018-01-04/lifelines-for-indigenous-languages/10437/ |url-status=usurped }}</ref> [[Culture Vannin]] employs a Manx Language Development Officer ({{Langx|gv|Yn Greinneyder}}) to encourage and facilitate the use of the language.

In 2009, [[UNESCO]]'s ''[[Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger]]'' declared Manx an [[extinct language]], despite the presence of hundreds of speakers on the Isle of Man.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/isle_of_man/7901763.stm |title=UN declares Manx Gaelic 'extinct' |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=20 February 2009 |work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=4 April 2015}}</ref> Historian and linguist [[Jennifer Kewley Draskau]] reacted to this declaration, saying that saying that "Unesco ought to know better than to declare Manx a dead language. There are hundreds of speakers of Manx and while people are able to have productive conversations in the language then it is very much alive and well."<ref>{{Cite news |date=2009-02-20 |title=UN declares Manx Gaelic 'extinct' |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/isle_of_man/7901763.stm |access-date=2025-01-17 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> Since then, UNESCO's classification of the language has changed to "critically endangered".<ref name=graun>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/apr/02/how-manx-language-came-back-from-dead-isle-of-man |title=How the Manx language came back from the dead |last1=Whitehead |first1=Sarah |date=2 April 2015 |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=4 April 2015}}</ref> 

In the 2011 census, 1,823 out of 80,398 Isle of Man residents, or 2.27% of the population, claimed to have knowledge of Manx,<ref name=Gov.im>{{cite web |url=http://www.gov.im/lib/docs/treasury/economic/census/census2011reportfinalresized.pdf |title=Isle of Man Census Report 2011 |publisher=Isle of Man Government Treasury |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108113021/http://www.gov.im/lib/docs/treasury/economic/census/census2011reportfinalresized.pdf |archive-date=8 November 2012}}</ref> an increase of 134 people from the 2001 census.<ref>{{cite news |title=Manx Gaelic Revival 'Impressive'|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/isle_of_man/4271840.stm |work=[[BBC News]] |date=22 September 2005 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603070631/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/isle_of_man/4271840.stm |archive-date= Jun 3, 2023 }}</ref> These individuals were spread roughly uniformly over the island: in [[Douglas, Isle of Man|Douglas]] 566 people professed an ability to speak, read or write Manx; 179 in [[Peel, Isle of Man|Peel]], 146 in [[Onchan]], and 149 in Ramsey.<ref name="Gov.im"/>

Traditional Manx given names have experienced a marked resurgence on the island, especially {{lang|gv|Moirrey}} and {{lang|gv|Voirrey}} (Mary), {{lang|gv|Illiam}} ([[William (name)|William]]), {{lang|gv|Orry}} (from the Manx king [[Godred Crovan]] of Norse origin), {{lang|gv|Breeshey/Breesha}} ([[Bridget (given name)|Bridget]]), {{lang|gv|Aalish/Ealish}} ([[Alice (given name)|Alice]]), {{lang|gv|Juan}} ([[Jack (name)|Jack]]), {{lang|gv|Ean}} (John), {{lang|gv|Joney}} (Joan), {{lang|gv|Fenella}} ([[Fionnuala]]), {{lang|gv|Pherick}} ([[Patrick (given name)|Patrick]]) and {{lang|gv|Freya}} (from the [[Freyja|Norse goddess]]) remain popular.<ref>{{Cite web |website=The Art of Naming |date=January 22, 2014 |title=World-Wide Wednesday: Manx Names |url=http://www.theartofnaming.com/2014/01/Manx-Names.html |access-date=24 November 2021 |language=en |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211124080955/http://www.theartofnaming.com/2014/01/Manx-Names.html |archive-date= 24 November 2021  }}</ref>

=== Estimated number of speakers by year ===
{{Image frame 
 | caption= {{legend|1f77b4|Isle of Man population}}
{{legend|ff7f0e|Manx speakers}}
 | content = {{Graph:Chart
 | width = 400
 | height = 200
 | type = line
 | xAxisMin=1870
 | xAxisMax=2030
 | yAxisMax=85000
 | showSymbols = 
 | x = 1871,1874,1901,1911,1921,1931,1951,1961,1971,1991,2001,2011,2015,2021
 | y1 = 54000,,54752,52016,60284,49308,50253,48133,54481,71267,78266,84497,88000,84069
 | y2 = ,16200,4419,2382,915,529,355,165,284,643,1500,1650,1800,2223
 |vAnnotatonsLine=1974
 |vAnnotatonsLabel=Last native speaker dies
}}
}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan=2 | Year
! colspan=2 | Manx speakers
! rowspan=2 | Isle of Man <br />population
! rowspan="2" |{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
! Total
! Of Manx<br /> population
|-
| 1874
| 16,200
| 30%
| 54,000 (1871)
|<ref name=":3" />
|-
| 1901
| 4,419
| 8.07%
|54,752
|<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=Censuses of Manx Speakers |url=http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/history/manks/census.htm |access-date=27 October 2015 |website=isle-of-man.com |editor-first1=F |editor-last1=Coakley |date=         2000 }}</ref>
|-
| 1911
| 2,382
| 4.58%
| 52,016
|<ref name=":0" />
|-
| 1921
| 915
| 1.52%
| 60,284
|<ref name=":0" />
|-
| 1931
| 529
| 1.07%
| 49,308
|<ref name=":0" />
|-
| 1951
| 355
| 0.64%
|50,253
|<ref name=":0" />
|-
|1961
|165
|0.34%
|48,133
|<ref name=":3" />
|-
|1971
|284
|0.52%
|54,481
|<ref>{{Cite book |title=Census of the Isle of Man, 1971 |publisher=Her Majesty's Stationery Office}}</ref>
|-
| 1974
| colspan=3 | ''Last native speaker dies''
|<ref name=":3" />
|-
| 1991
| 643
| 0.90%
| 71,267
|<ref>{{Cite book |last=Belchem |first=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yjHHVG_aiOAC |title=A New History of the Isle of Man: The modern period 1830-1999 |date=1 January 2000 |publisher=[[Liverpool University Press]] |isbn=9780853237266 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>
|-
| 2001
| 1,500
| 1.95%
| 78,266
|<ref>{{cite web |title=2001 Isle of Man Census: Volume 2 |url=https://www.gov.im/media/207874/2001censusreportvolume2.pdf |access-date=25 June 2017 |website=Gov.im}}</ref>
|-
| 2011
| 1,650
| 1.97%
| 84,497
|<ref>{{cite web |title=2011 Isle of Man Census |url=https://www.gov.im/media/207882/census2011reportfinalresized_1_.pdf |access-date=25 June 2017 |website=Gov.im}}</ref>
|-
| 2015
| 1,800
| 2%
| 88,000
|<ref name="graun" />
|-
| 2021
| 2,223
| 2.64%
| 84,069
|<ref>{{cite web |title=2021 Isle of Man Census |url=https://www.gov.im/media/1375604/2021-01-27-census-report-part-i-final-2.pdf |access-date=26 May 2022 |website=Gov.im}}</ref>
|}
{{clear}}