Editing Hebrides (section)

==Language==
[[File:Scots Gaelic speakers in the 2011 census.png|thumb|220px|right|Geographic distribution of Gaelic speakers in Scotland (2011)]]
The residents of the Hebrides have spoken a variety of different languages during the long period of human occupation.

It is assumed that [[Pictish language|Pictish]] must once have predominated in the northern Inner Hebrides and Outer Hebrides.<ref name=Hunt44/><ref>Watson (1994) p. 65.</ref> The [[Scottish Gaelic]] language arrived from [[Ireland]] due to the growing influence of the kingdom of [[Dál Riata]] from the 6th century AD onwards, and became the dominant language of the southern Hebrides at that time.<ref>Armit, Ian "The Iron Age" in Omand (2006) p. 57.</ref><ref name=Woolf95>Woolf, Alex "The Age of the Sea-Kings: 900–1300" in Omand (2006) p. 95.</ref> For a few centuries, the military might of the ''{{lang|gd|[[Norse-Gaels|Gall-Ghàidheil]]}}'' meant that Old Norse was prevalent in the Hebrides. North of {{lang|gd|[[Ardnamurchan]]}}, the place names that existed prior to the 9th century have been all but obliterated.<ref name=Woolf95/> The Old Norse name for the Hebrides during the [[Viking]] occupation was ''{{lang|non|Suðreyjar}}'', which means "Southern Isles"; in contrast to the ''{{lang|non|Norðreyjar}}'', or "[[Northern Isles]]" of Orkney and [[Shetland]].<ref>Brown, James (1892) [http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/james-b-james-brown-johnston/place-names-of-scotland-ala/page-4-place-names-of-scotland-ala.shtml "Place-names of Scotland"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710164954/http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/james-b-james-brown-johnston/place-names-of-scotland-ala/page-4-place-names-of-scotland-ala.shtml |date=10 July 2011 }} p. 4 ebooksread.com. Retrieved 13 February 2011.</ref>

South of {{lang|gd|Ardnamurchan}}, Gaelic place names are more common,<ref name=Woolf95/> and after the 13th century, Gaelic became the main language of the entire Hebridean archipelago. Due to [[Scots language|Scots]] and [[English language|English]] being favoured in government and the educational system, the Hebrides have been in a state of [[diglossia]] since at least the 17th century. The [[Highland Clearances]] of the 19th century accelerated the [[language shift]] away from Scottish Gaelic, as did increased migration and the continuing lower status of [[Gaels|Gaelic speakers]].<ref name="Local Studies">{{cite web |last1=Duwe |first1=Kurt C. |title=Gàidhlig (Scottish Gaelic) Local Studies |url=http://www.linguae-celticae.org/GLS_english.htm |website=Linguae Celticae |date=17 May 2005 |access-date=7 January 2017 |archive-date=29 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101229110410/http://www.linguae-celticae.org/GLS_english.htm |url-status=usurped }}</ref> Nevertheless, as late as the end of the 19th century, there were significant populations of monolingual Gaelic speakers, and the Hebrides still contain the highest percentages of Gaelic speakers in Scotland. This is especially true of the Outer Hebrides, where a slim majority speak the language.<ref name="Local Studies" /><ref>{{lang|gd|Mac an Tàilleir, Iain}} (2004) {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20101207211745/http://www.linguae-celticae.org/dateien/Gaelic_1901-2001.ppt "1901–2001 Gaelic in the Census"]}} (PowerPoint) Linguae Celticae. Retrieved 1 June 2008.</ref> The Scottish Gaelic college, {{lang|gd|[[Sabhal Mòr Ostaig]]}}, is based on Skye and Islay.<ref>{{lang|gd|[http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/A-Cholaiste/index_gd.html "A' Cholaiste"]}}. UHI. Retrieved 30 May 2011.</ref>

Ironically, given the status of the Western Isles as the last Gaelic-speaking stronghold in Scotland, the Gaelic language name for the islands – ''{{lang|gd|Innse Gall}}'' – means "isles of the foreigners"; from the time when they were under Norse colonisation.<ref>Hunter (2000) p. 104.</ref>