Manx alive

A report today on the BBC suggests that Manx Gaelic is not just extant, but is growing in importance. Local expert Dr Brian Stowell claims that Manx gives the islanders a sense of identity, although curiously some older speakers of the language are resentful of strangers coming over and learning to speak it.

An indication of Manx's growing importance is the appearance of more signs in the language. Dr Stowell recently received the Tynwald Honour for his work in helping to propagate the Manx language.

Manx was declared extinct by UNESCO in February last year, but following protests from islanders who still spoke the language the global cultural body revised their classification. Although Manx was thought to have disappeared in the 19th Century, it has undergone a revival and there are now estimated to be about 600 active speakers.