The Gaels are an ethno-linguistic group, traditionally viewed as having spread from Ireland to Scotland and the Isle of Man.
Examples of ethnic groups who have gone through a period of Gaelicisation in history include the Norse-Gaels, the Picts, the Britons of southwest Scotland, the Scoto-Normans,[1] and the Hiberno-Normans,[2] Today, Gaelicisation, or more often re-Gaelicisation, of placenames, surnames and given names is often a deliberate effort to help promote the languages and to counteract centuries of Anglicisation.
[5] The decline of the language on the island was primarily as a result of stigmatisation and high levels of emigration to England.
[15] In some official Gaeltachtaí (Irish-speaking regions) areas, Irish remains a vernacular language alongside English.
In the 21st century, Scottish Gaelic literature has seen development and challenges within the area of prose fiction publication,[18] and phrases such as Alba gu bràth may be used today as a catch-phrase or rallying cry.