Shelta
| Shelta | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Spoken in |
Ireland, UK, USA | |
| speaker | 86,000 | |
| Linguistic classification |
|
|
| Official status | ||
| Recognized minority / regional language in |
Council of Europe | |
| Language codes | ||
| ISO 639 -1 |
- |
|
| ISO 639 -2 |
- |
|
| ISO 639-3 |
sth |
|
Shelta (also known as Gammen , Sheldru or Cant ) is a mixed language, the elements of Irish-Gaelic and English origin as well as features of other languages, e.g. B. of Romani . The name probably goes back to the Irish siúlta , which means "to wander". This relates to the nomadic lifestyle of its speakers: Shelta is spoken by the (originally) not or only partially sedentary population of the British Isles , the so-called Tinkers ( Pavee , Travelers ).
Due to its position as a mixed language, the assignment of Shelta, unlike Irish and Scottish Gaelic and Manx , to the group of Celtic languages is controversial. The vocabulary is mostly Irish, while the structure is more English. It is spoken by around 6,000 travelers in Ireland . Globally, especially in the UK and the US , it is estimated that up to 86,000 people speak Shelta.
The alternative term Cant is also used to describe the English rogue language , comparable to Rotwelsch , the technical language of the criminal underworld. Therefore, many of the travelers reject it as stigmatizing.
Web links
- Shelta. In: Ethnologue . (English).