SPECIMEN TEXT

It may be of interest to the reader to see a short text in Manx Gaelic with a word-for-word English translation, and for this purpose the Lord's Prayer has been chosen. English words omitted in Manx are in square brackets:

AYR AIN T'AYNS
Father at-us [who] is in

NIAU, CASHERICK DY ROW DT'ENNYM; DY JIG
heaven, hallowed be thy name; come

DTY REERIAGHT; DT'AlGNEY DY ROW JEANT ER Y THALLOO MYR T'EH AYNS NIAU.
thy kingdom; thy will be done on the earth as is it in heaven.

CUR DOOIN NYN ARRAN JIU
Give to-us our bread today,

AS GAGH LAA. AS LEIH DOOIN NYN LOGHTYN,
and every day. And forgive to-us our offences,

MYR TA SHIN LEIH DAUESYN
as are we forgive to-them

TA JANNOO LOGHTYN NYN OI. AS NY
[who] are doing offences our against. And not

LEEID SHIN AYNS MIOLAGH, AGH LIVREY SHIN VEIH OLK.
Lead us in temptation, but deliver us from evil.

The approximate pronunciation using the English spelling system as a basis is given below. Underlined syllables should be stressed, and 'kin' sounds like the final sound of Scots 'loch'.

Airine tunss n-yow, cahsherick the row th'ennem; the Jig the ree-reeakht; th'ahgnier the row jint erra tolloo mer teh unss n-yow. Cur dunn n'n arran Joo as gakh leh. As lie dunn n'n lawkht'n, mer tashin lie dowz'n ta'jinnoo lawkht'n n'n eye. Azner leed shin unss m-yawlakh, akh livray shin vie ulk.

It must be stressed that the imitated pronunciation given here is only a very rough approximation of the English sounds, and is in no way scientifically accurate. It is intended to represent the way Manx was spoken by the best of the last native speakers and by those today who are carrying on the tradition of spoken Manx.

Adrian J. Pilgrim