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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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Gaelic
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The variants of the *Celtic language which are still spoken as a native tongue by some people on the west coasts of Ireland and Scotland. Records of Gaelic date back as far as the 5th century AD in the *Ogham inscriptions. At about that time *Gaelic crossed from Ireland to Scotland, where it later developed into virtually a distinct language. It was also the language of the Isle of Man, where the last native speaker died in 1974; but Manx Gaelic was kept alive by enthusiasts, and from 1992 began to be taught again in schools on the island. In the republic of Ireland Gaelic is the first of two official languages (the other being English) and it is taught in Irish schools.
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