Isle of Man

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

For those speculating on the Discord, I am on the Isle of Man and it is a really great place to live

[Panopticon]

I've often wondered, as an American with little to no knowledge of naming conventions outside this country, why is it called the Isle of Man? it is very fantasy movie-esque to me.

"Behold! The Isle of Man! Nonhumans dare not approach!"

[MarcAFK]

I've always been fascinated with the past languages of Britian, many smaller dialects have died out which were very similar but not entirely the same as 'early english'.
Its interesting how Manx has survived.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

I've often wondered, as an American with little to no knowledge of naming conventions outside this country, why is it called the Isle of Man? it is very fantasy movie-esque to me.

"Behold! The Isle of Man! Nonhumans dare not approach!"

The etymology isn't certain, but there are a few potential explanations. The island is also called Mann, which translates to Mannin in Manx Gaelic (the newest hotel on the island is the Mannin), and our head of state is the Lord of Mann. Our current head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, but only in her role of Lord of Mann not as Queen. The Celtic god Manannan, or sometimes Mannan, is closely associated with the island, so given the close similarity in Gaelic that seems the most likely origin.

The mist that often gathers around the island is known as Manannan's cloak, which legend says he used to protect the island from invaders. One of the two ferries that serves the island is called Manannan and one of the main museums is the House of Manannan. There are well-known statues of him carved from large tree-trunks on the island. There is quite a lot of folklore on the island, including Fairy Bridge, where you have to say hello to the local fairies (Celtic Fairies, not English) as you pass or Bad Things Will Happen. Speaking from personal experience I can confirm this appears to be completely true!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_Bridge_(Isle_of_Man)

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

I've always been fascinated with the past languages of Britian, many smaller dialects have died out which were very similar but not entirely the same as 'early english'.
Its interesting how Manx has survived.

A lot of signs are bi-lingual and it is taught in schools. In fact, in some cases I find myself using the Manx word for things. For example, the Manx for the Department of Infrastructure is Rheynn Bun-Troggalys. So, whenever we see workmen fixing roads or clearing the debris from the latest winter storm, we just refer to them as the Bun-Troggalys, which always gives me the image of a team of Oompa Loompas.

[Panopticon]

I've often wondered, as an American with little to no knowledge of naming conventions outside this country, why is it called the Isle of Man? it is very fantasy movie-esque to me.

"Behold! The Isle of Man! Nonhumans dare not approach!"

The etymology isn't certain, but there are a few potential explanations. The island is also called Mann, which translates to Mannin in Manx Gaelic (the newest hotel on the island is the Mannin), and our head of state is the Lord of Mann. Our current head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, but only in her role of Lord of Mann not as Queen. The Celtic god Manannan, or sometimes Mannan, is closely associated with the island, so given the close similarity in Gaelic that seems the most likely origin.

The mist that often gathers around the island is known as Manannan's cloak, which legend says he used to protect the island from invaders. One of the two ferries that serves the island is called Manannan and one of the main museums is the House of Manannan. There are well-known statues of him carved from large tree-trunks on the island. There is quite a lot of folklore on the island, including Fairy Bridge, where you have to say hello to the local fairies (Celtic Fairies, not English) as you pass or Bad Things Will Happen. Speaking from personal experience I can confirm this appears to be completely true!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_Bridge_(Isle_of_Man)

Fascinating, no sarcasm at all there, I actually was wondering in Manannan had anything to do with it, Celtic mythology is a minor fascination of mine but I've always been too lazy to really dig into it.

[Erik L]

How does Manx Gaelic compare to Gaeilge? I'll be in Ireland at the end of May this year, and I've been "learning" Gaeilge. It's a bitch. I doubt I'll ever be able to speak it competently but I should be able to read some of it.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

How does Manx Gaelic compare to Gaeilge? I'll be in Ireland at the end of May this year, and I've been "learning" Gaeilge. It's a bitch. I doubt I'll ever be able to speak it competently but I should be able to read some of it.

My knowledge of Gaelic is pretty minimal, but I think they have the same roots and diverged.

From Wiki: Manx is one of the three descendants of Old Irish (via Middle Irish and early Modern Gaelic), and is closely related to Irish and Scottish Gaelic. It shares a number of developments in phonology, vocabulary and grammar with Irish and Scottish Gaelic (in some cases only with dialects of these) and shows a number of unique changes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manx_language

[Person012345]

For those speculating on the Discord, I am on the Isle of Man and it is a really great place to live

Can confirm it's a good place to live. 

[Person012345]

Fascinating, no sarcasm at all there, I actually was wondering in Manannan had anything to do with it, Celtic mythology is a minor fascination of mine but I've always been too lazy to really dig into it.

From what I understand Manannin is named after us, or they have common etymology, rather than the other way around.