The Celtic Comeback: The Revitalization of Celtic Languages
Walking down the streets of Wales, located on the southwest of Great Britain, you naturally hear a lot of English being spoken. However, the more you listen to your surroundings, the more “helo”, “bore da”, and “diolch” you start to hear. Suddenly, you realize that these phrases are in fact not English. They're the quiet revival of Welsh, one of the six ancient Celtic languages. These languages teetered on the brink of extinction at one point but have miraculously made a comeback in classrooms, TV, and more. Now, Welsh, Irish, Breton, Scottish Gaelic, Manx, and Cornish are becoming proud symbols of Celtic heritage, especially amongst the youth.
The initial decline of the Celtic languages was due to many cultural and social factors. Celtic tongues thrived on the British Isles until Germanic tribes—the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes—invaded the area. This is where Old English, which is completely unintelligible to Celtic languages, started to rise in prevalence. Gradually, English was enforced as the language of education and economic opportunity, which framed Celtic languages as the languages of the poor and uneducated. Those speaking Celtic languages were shamed and oppressed for not adapting to the changing society. Children were forced to speak English in schools, leading to the dominance of English as a necessity for navigating everyday life. Yet, despite the massive decline of Celtic languages and the stigma surrounding them, they have always been quietly spoken, and it wasn’t until modern times when we began to hear these languages slowly returning to common speech.
The revitalization of Celtic languages started in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and consisted of cultural movements that fought against the decline of these languages by teaching them. Organizations like the Gaelic League and the Welsh Language Society were created to expand education and restore pride in native languages across Great Britain. There’s also been more Celtic language immersion schools established recently, such as Breton schools located on the tip of France, Scottish and Irish Gaelic schools, and Welsh schools. Road signs, government documents, and TV networks in Celtic languages have also increased in number. Even languages that were considered extinct at one point, like Cornish and Manx, have been revived by devoted speakers. Modern technology has also contributed to the revival process; popular language learning app Duolingo has released courses for Welsh, Irish, and Scottish, which opened pathways for people to learn in a more accessible way. The amazing thing about Celtic language revitalization is that the younger generations are also eager to represent their native heritage. One such example is in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, where the number of Celtic songs featured has been increasing over time.
As revitalization efforts continue, the future of Celtic languages is looking bright. Their survival throughout many long years of oppression shows us that language it not just about communication; rather, it is a reflection of identity and resilience.
