When people think of the UK and the languages spoken, they will more often than not only think of English. But did you know that other languages indigenous to the UK also exist? And do you know that some of these are used in day-to-day life in certain parts of the country? Many of these languages have an ancient history with long-standing cultures deeply routed in our lands. Whilst others may have developed or arrived in the UK later on, they are still a vital means of communication to many people. So, let’s find out more about these fascinating languages!
Welsh
Welsh is an ancient Celtic language, with literature dating back to as early as the 6th century, meaning the spoken form would have existed long before this time. The language is spoken today in Wales, however older forms of the language were once spoken in parts of central and northern England as well as southern Scotland, long before the modern borders of the UK were drawn out. The language is known as Cymraeg in Welsh, connected to the term Cymry meaning ‘fellow countrymen’. This interesting term paints of picture of life in Britain centuries ago, and many place names even outside of Wales still have connections to their Celtic past – one example being Cumbria in north-west England, whose name also derives from the term Cymry. Welsh is spoken / understood by around 900,000 people today, and the language is used and required in many aspects of day-to-day life in Wales. All school aged children in Wales study the language, and for many people the language is a vital part of Welsh identity.
Useful phrase: Bore Da! – Good morning!
Listen to an example of Welsh:
Cornish
Cornish is another ancient Celtic language from the same linguistic family as Welsh – both derive from an even older language known as Brythonic which was spoken in western parts of the island of Britain and in Brittany in north-west France. Cornish is recorded as having being spoken locally in Cornwall until the mid 18th century. Although it is no longer in everyday usage, in recent times there has been an effort to revive the language, and it is possible to attend language lessons locally. Many consider the language to be an important part of Cornish culture and heritage, adding to an already strong local identity.
Useful phrase: Yeghes da! – Cheers!
Listen to an example of Cornish:
Irish Gaelige
As well as the Brythonic languages, another group of Celtic languages also exists in the UK, namely the Goidelic languages, the oldest of which is Irish Gaelige. Although more commonly found in regions of the Republic of Ireland and in particular in areas known as Gaeltacht, speakers of Gaelige can also be found in Northern Ireland, where it is an officially recognised minority language. Until the late 18th century, Gaelige was the main language used by the majority of the population. Though it is not spoken much in day-to-day life today, there are increasing numbers of children in Northern Ireland learning the language in school.
Useful word: Sláinte! – Cheers!
Listen to an example of Gaelige:
Scottish Gaelic
Also belonging to the Goidelic language family is Scottish Gaelic. Like Gaelige, although not spoken by the majority of the Scottish population, it does have a presence in regional pockets. In particular, the language is sometimes used in island communities such as in the Outer Hebridies, where around 61% of the population speak the language. Recently, the popular BBC show Countryfile visited the Isle of Lewis where local musicians were interviewed about Gaelic Psalm singing – a tradition dating back around 400 years. Another traditional type of Scottish Gaelic music is the Hebridean Waulking song, which was sung by ladies as they wove. Check out an example below!
Useful phrase: Tapadh leibh! – Thank you!
Listen to an example of Gaelic:
Manx Gaelg
A close relative of both Irish Gaelige and Scottish Gaelic, is the native Celtic language of the Isle of Man – Manx Gaelg. In the local language, the Isle of Mann is known as Ellan Vannin, and Manx is still an important part of the island’s culture. Although it is often quoted that the last speaker of the language passed away in 1974, there are actually exciting revival efforts taking place, with some nurseries and primary schools now teaching the language. It is thought that around 1800 people have some knowledge of the language today and it is hoped that this number will continue to grow.
Useful phrase: Moghrey mie! – Thank you!
Listen to an example of Manx Gaelg:
Scots & Ulster Scots
Scots is a language closely related to Modern English, as both are rooted in the early English spoken during medieval times. As English evolved from it’s early days, a distinct form of the language developed in Scotland and Ulster (an area spanning Northern Ireland and some counties in the north of the Republic of Ireland). One of the most famous writers to use Scots was Robert Burns, and Auld Lang Syne is well known around the world as ‘the song’ to welcome in the New Year. Although many argue that Scots is a dialect rather than a language, it is now recognised officially by the UK government as a regional minority language.
Useful word: Bonnie – Beautiful
Listen to an example of Scots:
British Sign Language – BSL
It is thought that British Sign Language in its current form was developed in the 18th century, and when schools for the deaf were opened in the 19th century, BSL because an established language. Since the 1980, BSL has been used on television in the UK, and has recently experienced a huge surge in interest thanks to deaf actor, Rose Ayling-Ellis, winning BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, where BSL was used on Saturday night prime time TV. There are an estimated 87,000 people who use BSL as their primary mode of communication, and a further 70,000 who are able to communicate in the language.
See some examples of BSL:
Angloromani and Shelta / the Cant
These language are spoken by traveller communities in the UK. Agloromani is a fascinating language which is an evolved version of the Romani language, which has by today merged with English to create a new style of communication. There are an estimated 90,000 Angloromani speakers in the UK and it was featured in the popular series Peaky Blinders. Shelta (or the Cant as its commonly known) is a language spoken by the Irish traveller community, and again is a language which has gone through a process of merging, this time between Gaelige and English. In the UK there are thought to be around 30,000 speakers of the language.
Useful Algloromani phrase: Kushti Divvus! – Good day!
Useful Shelta phrase: Slum hawrum! – Good morning!
So as you see, the UK is far from being a place where only English is spoken – and we haven’t even started to discuss the many international languages spoken in the country yet! We hope you’ve learned some interesting new facts today. Share your comments below!