Irish and Gaelic Irish? Plus other quesitons!

[Nick the DSM]

Every gaelic language came from Irish, the same as Irish Gaelic. The other two surviving forms are Scots Gaelic and Manx.

Its sort of like the Romance languages, based on latin and you can learn the other languages with mastering one of them.

[tripleblessed]

Every gaelic language came from Irish, the same as Irish Gaelic. The other two surviving forms are Scots Gaelic and Manx.

Its sort of like the Romance languages, based on latin and you can learn the other languages with mastering one of them.

In the interest of precision in the languaging, I think it is the other way round. Every Irish language came from Gaelic. The Gaels came to what we now call Ireland to live. They were one of many Celtic tribes that spread through the Middle East and Europe pushed by population pressures. This particular tribe ended up on this particular island which later began to be called Ireland, and as the people spread into what we now call the Hebrides and Scotland, they were widely referred to as Irish. Observers from the continent referred to them as such, IFIRC, through the 17th into the 18th century, as did the lowland Scots, noted above. As always, I am working mostly out of my head here, not having the extensive libraries of other members. (Did he say he's out of his head? I may well be, but I think I'm correct.)

So, as Gaels, their language was Gaelic before they arrived on the Emerald Isle, only later did it evolve into Irish, which is referenced by the word "Erse" to describe what was spoken in the Highlands. Irish and Gaelic are frequently interchanged, but Gaelic was the predecessor term.

If I'm incorrect, it's faulty recall, not teacher failure, and I'm sure someone will be happy to inform me, and I will be happy to learn.

P.S. I started on this after post 10, and I'm 17. You guys type way faster.

[slohairt]

Well, yes and no. Scottish Gaelic and Manx are really direct descendants of Old Irish, not some 'proto-Gaelic language'.

As MoR pointed out, Irish is indeed referred to as 'Irish' when speaking English. In Irish, it is called Gaeilge (i.e. Gaelic) not Éireannach (i.e. Irish).

The same is true for the others. Scottish Gaelic-speakers call their language Gàidhlig (Gaelic) and Manx-speakers call their 'Gaelg' or 'Gailck'.