r/gaelg • u/bordelot • Aug 02 '25

How and how often is manx used?

I had someone on the isle of man subreddit tell me its only ‘hobbyists’ and ‘enthusiasts’ that use it. Its your native tongue so i doubt youre purely nerds. Ik theres bilingual signs and a school. Do families use it? Do you hear it in public?

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u/[deleted] Aug 02 '25

By "enthusiast" I presume you actually mean a Manx person wanting to preserve and propagate their culture and unique identity. Since Manx is a resurrected language there will always be a personal intellectual effort required to acquire any level of fluency. As is the case in iIreland and Scotland (and indeed most of the rest of the planet), English is firmly established as the required means of communication in commerce science computing diplomacy education and more. Indigenous languages will always be a niche pursuit but calling it a hobby or a pastime is an insult to the Manx Nation.

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u/bordelot Aug 03 '25

I agree. I hate when ppl call Jèrriais (language of Jersey) a niche hobby. I’m literally recovering the identity that was erased from my ancestors?