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Manx language
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=== 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>
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