Manx (native name or , pronounced or ), also known as
Manx Gaelic, and as the
Manks language, is a
Goidelic Celtic language of the
Indo-European language family, historically spoken by the
Manx people. Only a small minority of the
Isle of Man's population is fluent in the language, but a larger minority has some knowledge of it. Manx is widely considered to be an important part of the island's culture and heritage. Although the last of the original native speakers,
Ned Maddrell, died in 1974, the language has never fallen completely out of use. In recent years, it has been the subject of
language revival efforts, so that despite the small number of speakers, Manx has become more visible on the island, with increased signage and radio broadcasts. The revival of Manx has been aided by the fact that the language was well recorded; for example, the Bible was translated into Manx, and audio recordings were made of native speakers.