'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.
It is also the word commonly used in
Ireland to denote the sport of
Gaelic football.
'Gaelic' may thus mean or refer to:
★
Goidelic languages - or "Gaelic languages"
:
★
Irish language, or the derived
Canadian Irish dialect
:
★
Scottish Gaelic, or the derived
Canadian Gaelic dialect
:
★
Manx language
When referring to Scottish Gaelic, 'Gaelic' is usually pronounced or ; in
Scots and
Scottish English. When referring to Irish Gaelic or Manx Gaelic, it is usually pronounced .
Shelta is sometimes counted as a Gaelic or Goidelic language; however, while it is closely associated with Irish it is not genetically related, being instead a
cant which has borrowed a great volume of Irish vocabulary.
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:
★
Gaels (The Gaelic peoples)
★ The
Gaelic Association (An Comunn Gàidhealach)
★ The
Gaelic Athletic Association
★ The
Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts
★
Gaelic football
★
Gaelic Games
★
Gaelic handball
★ The
Gaelic League (Conradh na Gaeilge)
★
Gaelic-Norse
★
Gaelic punk
★ The
Gaelic Revival
★
Gaelic-speaking congregations in the Church of Scotland
★
Gaelic script (typeface)
★
Gaelic music
Other uses
★
SS Gaelic
See also
★
Differences between Scottish Gaelic and Irish