Alternate Names: Gaelic, Gàidhlig, Scots Gaelic
Dialects: Biblical Gaelic is based on the 1801 Perthshire dialect, somewhat distant from today’s spoken dialects.
Genealogy:
Demographics: 58,700 in United Kingdom (2001 census). Population total all countries: 63,130.
Language Use: Resurgence of interest in Scottish Gaelic in 1990s. A number of children learn the language but there are serious problems in language maintenance even in the core areas (Salminen 2007). Home, church, community.
Language Development: Literacy rate in L1: 50% (1971 census). In bilingual areas Gaelic usually is the language of instruction for most primary subjects. Taught in primary schools. Gaelic secondary schools. Magazines. Newspapers. New media. Radio programs. Bible: 1801–1992.
Typology: VSO.
Writing System: Latin
Nation of Origin: United Kingdom
Other Comments: Status rising since the establishment of Scots Parliament in 1990s.