Editing Manx language (section)

===Dialects===
[[File:Manx dialects.png|thumb|left|Historical dialect map of Manx (boundaries are approximate)]]
Linguistic analysis of the last few dozen native speakers reveals a number of [[dialect]]al differences between the North and the South of the island. Northern Manx ({{Langx|gv|Gaelg Hwoaie}}) was spoken from [[Maughold (parish)|Maughold]] in the northeast to [[Peel, Isle of Man|Peel]] on the west coast. Southern Manx was spoken in the [[sheading]] of [[Rushen]]. It is possible that written Manx represents a 'midlands' dialect of [[Douglas, Isle of Man|Douglas]] and surrounding areas.

In Southern Manx, older {{vr|á}}, and in some cases {{vr|ó}}, became {{IPA|[æː]}}. In Northern Manx the same happened, but {{vr|á}} sometimes remained {{IPA|[aː]}} as well, e.g. {{lang|gv|laa}} "day" (cf. Irish {{lang|ga|lá}}) was {{IPA|[læː]}} in the South but {{IPA|[læː]}} or {{IPA|[laː]}} in the North. Old {{vr|ó}} is always {{IPA|[æː]}} in both dialects, e.g. {{lang|gv|aeg}} "young" (cf. Irish {{lang|ga|óg}}) is {{IPA|[æːɡ]}} in both dialects.<ref>Broderick 1984–8,6 1:160</ref> {{vr|á, ó}} and lengthened {{vr|a}} before {{vr|rt, rd, rg}} became {{IPA|/œː/}}, as in ''paayrt'' '"part" {{IPA|/pœːrt/}}, ''ard'' "high" {{IPA|/œːrd/}}, ''jiarg'' "red" {{IPA|/dʒœːrɡ/}}, ''argid'' "money, silver" {{IPA|/œːrɡid/}} and ''aarey'' "gold [[Genitive case|gen.]]" {{IPA|/œːrə/}}.

In Northern Manx, older {{vr|(e)a}} before {{vr|nn}} in the same syllable is diphthongised, while in Southern Manx it is lengthened but remains a [[monophthong]], e.g. {{lang|gv|kione}} "head" (cf. Irish {{lang|ga|ceann}}) is {{IPA|[kʲaun]}} in the North but {{IPA|[kʲoːn]}} in the South.<ref>Broderick 1984–86, 1:161</ref>

Words with {{vr|ua}}, and in some cases {{vr|ao}}, in Irish and Scottish are spelled with {{vr|eay}} in Manx. In Northern Manx, this sound was {{IPA|[iː]}}, while in Southern Manx it was {{IPA|[ɯː]}}, {{IPA|[uː]}}, or {{IPA|[yː]}}, e.g. {{lang|gv|geay}} "wind" (cf. Irish {{lang|ga|gaoth}}) is {{IPA|[ɡiː]}} in the north and {{IPA|[ɡɯː]}} in the South, while {{lang|gv|geayl}} "coal" (cf. Irish {{lang|ga|gual}}) is {{IPA|[ɡiːl]}} in the North and {{IPA|[ɡyːl]}}, {{IPA|[ɡɯːl]}}, or {{IPA|[ɡuːl]}} in the South.<ref>Broderick 1984–86, 1:161–62</ref>

In both the North and the South, there is a tendency to insert a short {{IPA|[d]}} before a word-final {{IPA|[n]}} in monosyllabic words, as in {{IPA|[sleᵈn]}} for {{lang|gv|slane}} "whole" and {{IPA|[beᵈn]}} for {{lang|gv|ben}} "woman". This is known as [[pre-occlusion]]. In Southern Manx, however, there is also pre-occlusion of {{IPA|[d]}} before {{IPA|[l]}} and of {{IPA|[ɡ]}} before {{IPA|[ŋ]}}, as in {{IPA|[ʃuːᵈl]}} for {{lang|gv|shooyl}} "walking" and {{IPA|[lɔᶢŋ]}} for {{lang|gv|lhong}} "ship". These forms are generally pronounced without pre-occlusion in the North. Pre-occlusion of {{IPA|[b]}} before {{IPA|[m]}}, on the other hand, is more common in the North, as in {{lang|gv|trome}} "heavy", which is {{IPA|[t̪roᵇm]}} in the North but {{IPA|[t̪roː(ᵇ)m]}} in the South.<ref>Broderick 1984–86, 1:162–63</ref> This feature is also found in [[Cornish language|Cornish]].

Southern Manx tended to lose word-initial {{IPA|[ɡ]}} before {{IPA|[lʲ]}}, which was usually preserved in the North, e.g. {{lang|gv|glion}} "glen" and {{lang|gv|glioon}} "knee" are and {{IPA|[lʲɔᵈn]}} and {{IPA|[lʲuːᵈn]}} in the South but {{IPA|[ɡlʲɔᵈn]}} and {{IPA|[ɡlʲuːn]}} in the North.<ref>Broderick 1984–86, 1:164–65</ref>

In modern times, the small size of the island and the improvement in communications precludes any regional dialect variations.
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