Manx language: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 02:37, 2 May 2025

Revision as of 19:29, 4 May 2025

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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=deadusurped }}</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>