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.
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Gaelic languages
In referring to languages, Gaelic may mean or refer to:
- Goidelic languages - or "Gaelic languages"
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- 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 /gɑːlɪk/ or /gælɪk/; /galɪk/ in Scots and Scottish English. When referring to Irish Gaelic or Manx Gaelic, it is usually pronounced /geɪlɪk/. 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)
