Understanding Goidelic Languages: A Guide to Traditional Tongues of the Scottish Highlands and Beyond

Goidelic (also known as Goidil or Goidelic language) is a term used to describe the traditional languages spoken in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, particularly those that are closely related to the Gaelic language. The term "Goidelic" is derived from the Old Irish word "Goidel", which means "Irishman".

The Goidelic languages include:

1. Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig): This is the most widely spoken Goidelic language, with around 57,000 speakers in Scotland.
2. Manx: This language was traditionally spoken on the Isle of Man, but it has largely been replaced by English. There are still a few fluent speakers today.
3. Irish: This language is spoken in Ireland and has around 1.8 million speakers.
4. Breton: This language is spoken in Brittany, France, and has around 200,000 speakers.
5. Cornish: This language was traditionally spoken in Cornwall, England, but it has largely been replaced by English. There are still a few fluent speakers today.

The Goidelic languages are part of the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family, and they share many similarities in grammar and vocabulary. They are known for their complex system of inflectional endings and their rich oral tradition of storytelling and poetry.