Study: Scotland’s Gaelic Language Could Go Extinct in 10 Years

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Scotland’s Gaelic language may vanish in a decade, according to one study. Scottish Gaelic is a language of Celtic origin mainly spoken along the northwest coast of Scotland and some nearby islands. The language is an essential part of the Scottish culture and has been used in the country for over 1,500 years. However, researchers from the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) found that the language is on the brink of extinction. They discovered that currently, only about 11,000 people can speak the language, and most of them are 50 or older. According to the researchers, the number of Gaelic speakers started to wane in the 1980s. At that time, 80% of Scottish people could still speak Gaelic. By 2011, the figure fell to 52%, which is equivalent to a 13% decline per decade. The researchers associated the decline with modernization and increasing social diversity in Scotland. In addition, the use of English increased in some Scottish homes, especially in those where Gaelic-speaking household members had married English speakers. The researchers noted that if the decline continues, Scottish Gaelic may fall out of use completely. To prevent this, they advised the Scottish government to come up with efforts to preserve the language, like setting up a trust fund for the Gaelic community, providing employment for Gaelic speakers, and encouraging users to speak the language in social settings.