Page Type: languageIrish | Ethnologue

GLE ISO 639-3

Irish

Gaeilge Autonym

A language of Ireland

ISO 639
gle
Alternate Names
Erse, Gaelic, Gaelic Irish, Irish Gaelic
Autonym
Gaeilge
Population
1,171,000 in Ireland, all users. L1 users: 141,000 in Ireland (European Commission 2012). L2 users: 1,030,000 (European Commission 2012). Total users in all countries: 1,200,290 (as L1: 170,290; as L2: 1,030,000).
Location:
Cork, Donegal, Galway, Kerry, part of Mayo, Meath, and Waterford counties. Western isles northwest and southwest coasts.
Language Status
6b (Threatened). Statutory language of national identity (1937, Constitution, Article 8(1)).
Classification
Indo-European, Celtic, Insular, Goidelic
Dialects
Munster-Leinster (Southern Irish), Connacht (Western Irish), Donegal (Northern Irish, Ulster).
Typology
VSO; inflected prepositions; noun head initial; gender (masculine/feminine); definite article; case-marking (3 cases); verb affixes mark person, number; tense and aspect; comparatives; 32 consonants, 11 vowels, 4 diphthongs; non-tonal; stress on first syllable; initial consonant mutation.
Language Use
Some young people, all adults. A number of children learn the language but the number is decreasing (Salminen 2007). Also use English [eng] (Salminen 2007).
Language Development
Radio. Dictionary. Grammar. Texts. Bible: 1690–1981.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Irish
Writing
Latin script [Latn]. Latin script, Gaelic variant [Latg]. Ogham script [Ogam], no longer in use.
Other Comments
Taught as an official language in schools and encouraged by the government.

Also Spoken in

Language Name
Irish
User Population
No known L1 speakers in Canada. Last speakers likely died in the mid-2000s.
Location
Newfoundland and Labrador province.
Language Status
9 (Dormant)
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
View other languages of Canada
Language Name
Irish
User Population
5,730 in United Kingdom (2011 census). England and Wales 1,560, Northern Ireland 4,170. Widely used as L2 in all parts of Northern Ireland.
Location
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon district: Armagh county; Belfast; Fermanagh and Omagh county.
Language Status
6b (Threatened)
View other languages of United Kingdom
Language Name
Irish
User Population
1,020 in New Zealand (2013 census).
Language Status
Unestablished
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
View other languages of New Zealand
Language Name
Irish
User Population
20,600 in United States (2015 census).
Location
Massachusetts: Boston; scattered elsewhere.
Language Status
Unestablished
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
View other languages of United States

Map

Location: Cork, Donegal, Galway, Kerry, part of Mayo, Meath, and Waterford counties. Western isles northwest and southwest coasts.