Why is Welsh still spoken?

Welsh originates from the Celtic language spoken by the ancient Britons. When the Anglo-Saxons colonised Britain, Brythonic speakers were split up into those in northern England speaking Cumbric, those in the south-west speaking an early version of Cornish, and those speaking primitive Welsh.

Will the Welsh language survive?

Almost everyone in Wales will be able to speak Welsh within the next 300 years, according to new research. Scientists in New Zealand have studied the language and say there is no danger of it dying out. There have been fears traditional Welsh-speaking communities are under threat.

What is the difference between Welsh and Gaelic?

Both Welsh and Gaelic are Celtic languages, but they belong to different branches within that overall group. There are two branches of Celtic languages: Brythonic and Goidelic (Gaelic).

How has the Welsh language changed over time?

Both the teaching of the language to all children under the age of 16 and the popularity of Welsh media channels have helped reverse the decline. The Welsh Language Act of 1993 also ensures that the public can avail of services in English or Welsh.

How effective has the Scottish Language Movement been?

The Scottish language movement has not been as effective as getting the same level of recognition as Welsh (see below) but this too has been improving since devolution and a Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act was introduced in 2005 to protect the language.

Is Scottish Gaelic difficult to learn for English speakers?

For native English speakers, Scottish Gaelic is no more difficult or “hard” to learn than other western European languages – in essence. The most complicated thing about Gaelic is its pronunciation system and the fact it has 3 grammatical cases : vocative, nominative, genitive, with remnants of a 4th case, dative, still in use.