Manx Gaelic phrasebook
Manx Gaelic (Gaelg) is a language from the Isle of Man. It is mostly only used by the minority of the Manx population who can speak it amongst themselves. Most road signs are bilingual, but most place names are in Manx only. The language is rarely heard in public except in formal situations such as Tynwald Day and on radio shows for Manx speakers. Manx, in common with Scottish Gaelic, is closely related to Irish, and shares most of its vocabulary and grammar with these languages. Whilst it shares common grammatical features with Welsh, Cornish and Breton it shares very little common vocabulary with these languages. There is one Manx medium primary school in the Isle of Man, and most children on the Isle of Man learn some Manx in primary school. Provision for Manx in secondary school is limited, the number of speakers being far higher in schools with strong community links and the highest academic achievement. All native speakers are bilingual (or multilingual).
Pronunciation guide
The Manx spelling system is quite different from either Irish or Scottish Gaelic, particularly the vowels and in the way it uses auxiliary letters. English speakers will find the Manx spelling system considerably easier than that of Irish or Scottish Gaelic.
Vowels
- a â
- (Short) Like "a" in "cat", (with circumflex) like "a" in "pale".
- e ê
- Like "e" in "bed", (with circumflex) like "ea" in "fear".
- i î
- Like "i" in "pin".
- o ô
- Like "o" in "hot", (with circumflex) like "oa" in "moat".
- u
- Like "a" in "cat" or "o" in "hot".
- w
- Like "u" in "put".
- y
- Like "u" in "hut" or "i" in "bird". The word y is pronounced like the "e" in "bed".
Consonants
- b
- Like "b" in "bat".
- c
- Like "c" in "cat".
- ch
- Like "ch" in "Bach".
- d
- Like "d" in "door".
- f
- Like "f" in "feet".
- g
- Like "g" in "get".
- h
- Like "h" in "hot".
- l
- Like "l" in "late".
- m
- Like "m" in "mud".
- n
- Like "n" in "no".
- p
- Like "p" in "park".
- ph
- Like "ph" in "philosopher".
- r
- Like "r" in "run" but slightly trilled.
- s
- Like "s" in "sat".
- t
- Like "t" in "trip".
Common digraphs
- aa, ea, ai
- Like "ea" in "fear".
- ae, oi
- Like "i" in "pin".
- au, aw, ou, ow
- Like "oo" in "food".
- ay, ei
- Like "e" in "bed".
- ee, iy
- Like "ee" in "feet".
- eo
- Like "ayo" in "mayonaise".
- eu, iu, ew, iw
- Like "you".
- ia
- Like "ia" in "victoria".
- ie
- Like "igh" in "high".
- io
- Like "yo" in "yoke".
- oa, ua, wa
- Like "wha" in "whack".
- oe
- Like "owe" in "mower".
- oh
- Like "oo" in "door".
- oo
- Like "oo" in "food".
- ui, wi
- Like "wi" in "with".
- çh
- Like "ch" in "cheese".
- gh
- Like "ch" in "bach".
- lh, ll
- Like "lj" in "ljubljana".
- qu
- Like "c" in "cat".
- rr
- Like "r" in "run" but slightly trilled.
- sh
- Like "sh" in "she".
- ss
- Like "ss" in "likeness".
- th
- Like "t" in "trip".
Common trigraphs
- aie, eie, eue, oie
- Like "ea" in "yeah".
- aue, iwe, oue
- Like "we" in "wet".
- eau, eoi
- Like "ai" in "air".
- iau
- Like "oo" in "food".
- ieu, iou
- Like "yew".
- uiy
- Like "we".
- woa
- Like "wha" in "whack".
- çh
- Like "ch" in "cheese".
- gh, ght
- Like "ch" in "bach".
Common tetragraphs
- iooa
- Like "You what?" without the "t".
Phrase list
Basics
|
Common signs
|
- Hello.
- Hoi bhoy!
- Hello. (informal)
- Hai.
- How are you?
- Kys t'ou? (?)
- Fine, thank you.
- Braew, gura mie ayd. ( )
- What is your name?
- Cre'n ennym t'ort? (?)
- My name is ______.
- Ta'n ennym orrym ______ . ( _____ .) (Formal): OR
- Mish _____. (Informal)
- OR
- She _______ t'orrym.
- Nice to meet you.
- S'mie lhiam çheet dty whail. ( )
- Please.
- My sailt ( )
- Thank you.
- Gura mie ayd. ( )
- You're welcome.
- She dty vea. ( )
- Yes.
- Ta. ( )
- No.
- Cha nel. ( )
- Excuse me. (getting attention)
- Hey bhoy ! / Ya! ( )
- Excuse me. (begging pardon)
- Gow my leshtal. ( )
- I'm sorry.
- S'olk lhiam. ( )
- Goodbye
- Slane. ( )
- Goodbye (informal)
- Bai. ( )
- I can't speak Manx [well].
- Cha nel monney Gaelg aym ( [])
- Do you speak English?
- Vel Baarle ayd? (?)
- Is there someone here who speaks English?
- Vel peiagh erbee aynshoh toiggal Baarle (?)
- Help!
- Cooin Lhiam (!)
- Look out!
- Er dty hwoaie! (!)
- Good morning.
- Moghrey mie!. ( )
- Good evening.
- Fastye mie. ( )
- Good night.
- Oie vie. ( )
- Good night (to sleep)
- Oie vie, caddill dy mie. ( )
- I don't understand.
- Cha nel mee toiggal. ( )
- Where is the toilet?
- C'raad ta'n premmee? ( )
Numbers
½ - lieh
0 - neunhee
1 - nane
2 - jees
3 - tree
4 - kiare
5 - queig
6 - shey
7 - shiaght
8 - hoght
9 - nuy
10 - jeih
11 - nane-jeig
12 - daa-yeig
20 - feed
21 - nane as feed
22 - jees as feed
30 - jeig as feed or treead
31 - nane-jeig as feed or nane as treead
32 - daa-yeig as feed or jees as treead
40 - daeed
41 - nane as daeed
42 - jees as daeed
50 - jeig as daeed or queigad
60 - tree feed or sheyad
61 - tree feed as nane
62 - tree feed as jees
70 - tree feed as jeih or shiagtad
80 - kiare feed or hoghtad
90 - kiare feed as jeig or nuyad
100 - keead
200 - daa cheead
1000 - tousane
5000 - queig tousane