Manx Gaelic was a type of Goidelic language formerly spoken by the indigenous Manx people as a community language until the beginning of the 20th century. The last reputed native Manx speaker, Ned Maddrell, died on 27 December, 1974.
Goidelic was introduced into Man c. 500AD from Ireland, and survived well into the 20th century, lasting through four centuries of Scandinavian presence (9th-13th centuries) and six centuries of English administration (14th-20th centuries). The language shift from Manx Gaelic to English essentially took place during the 19th century due to increased settlement into the Island, though English had been spoken in the towns and centres of administration since the advent of English suzerainty in Man in the early 14th century.
There has recently been a revival of interest in the language, and since 1992 it has been taught in modern Manx schools.
The Manx language ("Gaelg" in Manx) is written with an orthography based mostly on English and a little bit on Welsh, with the result that it looks fairly ridiculous written down. Example:

"Cha jean mee cur y muc magh hoshiaght. Mannagh vel shiu laccal soie, immee shiu magh eisht, son cha jean mee cur y muc magh, son ta'n muc fetch yn argid hym as ta shiuish goaill argid voym, as cha jean mee cur y muc magh."

"I won't put the pig out first. If you won't sit down, then get out, cause I won't put the pig out, cause it gets me money and you take my money, so I won't put the pig out."

(This comes from a page with some recordings of native speakers at http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/gaelg/goo/samples.htm).

If you know Scottish Gaelic (or Ulster Irish) it's not that difficult to understand; you could rewrite most of the above in Scottish Gaelic spelling as something like:

"Cha dèan mi cur a' muc 'mach thoisiachd. Ma nach bheil sibh (laccal?) suidh, imigh sibh 'mach eist, son cha dèan mi cur a' muc 'mach, son ta'n muc fetch an airgid (chugam? dhom?) is ta sibhse gabhail airgid bhuam, is cha dèan mi cur a' muc 'mach."

Of course, it would help to know English as well - note the Englishism "I won't do put the pig out" which isn't how Irish (and probably Scottish Gaelic) would say it for at least two reasons.

You can hear news read in Manx at www.manxradio.com/manx.

Manx (?), a.

Of or pertaining to the Isle of Man, or its inhabitants; as, the Manx language.

Manx cat Zool., a breed of domestic cats having a rudimentary tail, containing only about three vertebrae. -- Manx shearwater Zool., an oceanic bird (Puffinus anglorum, or P. puffinus), called also Manx petrel, Manx puffin. It was formerly abundant in the Isle of Man.

 

© Webster 1913.


Manx, n.

The language of the inhabitants of the Isle of Man, a dialect of the Celtic.

 

© Webster 1913.

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