ISLE OF MAN ~ Manxisms ~

...Kys t'ou to everyone ʘ͜͡ʘ...a really nice and "funny" postcard showing the islands dialect...it's sad that most of these dialects will become extinct, they are part of a nations identity... Gura mie ayd James!! ㋡

Manx English is the historic dialect of English spoken on the Isle of Man, though today in decline. It has many borrowings from the original Manx language, a Goidelic language.

The language was historically the dominant one on the island, but fell out of use during the twentieth century.

At the present time, less than one hundred children receive their education exclusively in Manx. There are an additional 1,689 second-language speakers, comprising 2.2% of the population of the Isle of Man.

The language has been offered in public schools since 1992, and has been mandatory since 2001.



From the illustrator Julia Ashby Smyth

Stamps:

National Heritage
(Issued 03-08-2004)