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Gaelic

 
Dictionary: Gael·ic   ('lĭk) pronunciation
 
adj.

Of or relating to the Gaels or their culture or languages.

n.
  1. Goidelic.
  2. Any of the Goidelic languages.

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British History: Gaelic
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Gaelic, one of the Celtic dialects, is of the group known as the Goidelic, comprising Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. Scottish Gaelic and Manx developed through the migrations of Irish speakers in the late 4th cent. From the original settlement of Dalriada the Gaels spread northwards and eastwards through Scotland cutting through native Pictish resistance. Following the establishment of the Gaelic church on Iona by Columba in the 6th cent., the Gaels acquired the means of spreading both their authority and their language. In the 9th cent., Gaels and Picts were finally united under a Gaelic king, probably of mixed parentage. In the 11th cent., Malcolm Canmore, son of Duncan, came to the throne with the aid of English forces and began to introduce Anglo-Norman customs and language. His descendants followed this policy and the Gaelic language was gradually replaced by English in state and church administration.

For 1755 it has been estimated that under a quarter of Scotland's population were Gaelic speakers—i.e. some 290, 000. By 1971 Gaelic-only speakers numbered no more than 477 out of 5, 228, 000. Support for the Gaelic language began in the 19th cent., and in 1882 it became possible to study Gaelic as part of a university degree course. Today children can be educated in Gaelic at the primary level and it can be studied at secondary level. Since these efforts to save the language have been in place, the number of speakers has increased.

 
Gaelic ('lĭk) , or Goidelic, group of languages belonging to the Celtic subfamily of the Indo-European family of languages. See Celtic languages; Irish language.


 
Word Tutor: Gaelic
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pronunciation

IN BRIEF: adj.- Of, relating to, or constituting the Goidelic speech of the Celts in Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Scottish Highlands.

Tutor's tip: Note: "Gaelic" pertains to natives of Scotland and Ireland. "Gallic" pertains to the Gauls or to the French. "Garlic" is a strong smelling and tasting plant.

 
Wikipedia: Gaelic
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Gaelic as an adjective means "pertaining to the Gaels", including language and culture. As a noun, it may refer to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the individual languages, all of which are members of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages.

Contents

Gaelic languages

In referring to languages, Gaelic may mean:

Gaelic languages are distinct from the Brythonic group of Celtic languages, which is composed of Cornish, Breton and Welsh.

When referring to Irish Gaelic or Manx Gaelic (the dialect spoken in the Isle of Man), it is usually pronounced /ˈɡeɪlɪk/. In Scotland, "Gaelic" is usually pronounced /ˈɡɑːlɪk/ or /ˈɡælɪk/; [ˈɡalɪk] in Scots and Scottish English.

In Ireland people rarely call the Irish language "Gaelic". Most people refer to it simply as "Irish", or Gaeilge in the language itself. In Ireland, the term "Gaelic" as a noun often refers to the sport of hurling or Gaelic football.

Gaelic culture and history

As an adjective, Gaelic may refer to the Gaelic culture and history of the Gaelic-speaking peoples, with reference to, amongst other things:

Other uses

See also


 
Translations: Gaelic
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Dansk (Danish)
adj. - gallisk, gælisk
n. - galler

Nederlands (Dutch)
Keltisch (Ierland/ Schotland)

Français (French)
adj. - gaélique
n. - Gaélique

Deutsch (German)
n. - Gälisch
adj. - gälisch

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - γαελική (γλώσσα)
adj. - γαελικός

Italiano (Italian)
gaelico

Português (Portuguese)
n., -
adj. - gaélico (m)

Русский (Russian)
гэльский, гэльский язык

Español (Spanish)
adj. - gaélico
n. - gaélico

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - gaeliska (språket)
adj. - gaelisk

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
盖尔人的, 盖尔人, 盖尔语

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 蓋爾人的
n. - 蓋爾人, 蓋爾語

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 게일 족[말]의
n. - 게일 말

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - ゲール語
adj. - ゲール人の

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) غيلي : ناطق بالغيليه في اسكتلندا (صفه) متعلق بالغيليين‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮קלטי‬
n. - ‮גאלית (שפה)‬


 
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Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
British History. A Dictionary of British History. Copyright © 2001, 2004 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.  Read more
Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/  Read more
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