Canadian Gaelic

Canadian Gaelic and / or Cape Breton Gaelic (Scottish Gaelic: Gàidhlig Chanada, A' Ghàidhlig Chanèideanach, Gàidhlig Cheap Bhreatainn), locally just Gaelic or The Gaelic, refers to the dialects of Scottish Gaelic that have been spoken continuously for more than 200 years on Cape Breton Island and in isolated enclaves on the Nova Scotia mainland and on Prince Edward Island. The language also has strong historical ties and is also spoken in Glengarry County in present-day Ontario (where many Highland Scots have settled since the 18th century) and to a lesser extent in the province of New Brunswick, and by emigrant Gaels living in major Canadian cities. This language is similar to, but should not be confused with the Irish Gaelic spoken in Newfoundland, Canada, which is known as Newfoundland Irish. At its peak in the mid-19th century, Gaelic, considered together with the closely related Irish language, was the third most spoken language in Canada after English and French. The language has sharply declined since that period, however, and is now nearly extinct. Recently, efforts have been made to revitalise the language.