English

Main article: Mid-Ulster English

The dialect of English spoken in Northern Ireland shows influence from the lowland Scots language.^[107] There are supposedly some minute differences in pronunciation between Protestants and Catholics, the best known of which is the name of the letter h, which Protestants tend to pronounce as "aitch", as in British English, and Catholics tend to pronounce as "haitch", as in Hiberno-English. However, geography is a much more important determinant of dialect than religious background.

Irish

Percentage of people aged 3+ claiming to have some ability in Irish in the 2011 census

Main articles: Irish language in Northern Ireland and Ulster Irish

The Irish language (Irish: an Ghaeilge), or Gaelic, is a native language of the island of Ireland.^[108] It was spoken predominantly throughout what is now Northern Ireland before the Ulster Plantations in the 17th century and most place names in Northern Ireland are anglicised versions of a Gaelic name. Today, the language is associated with Irish nationalism (and thus with the Catholic community). However, in the 19th century, the language was seen as a common heritage, with Ulster Protestants playing a leading role in the Gaelic revival.

In the 2011 census, 11% of the population of Northern Ireland claimed "some knowledge of Irish"^[100] and 3.7% reported being able to "speak, read, write and understand" Irish.^[100] In another survey, from 1999, 1% of respondents said they spoke it as their main language at home.^[109]

The dialect spoken in Northern Ireland, Ulster Irish or Donegal Irish,^[110] is the one closest to Scottish Gaelic (which developed into a separate language from Irish Gaelic in the 17th century). Some words and phrases are shared with Scots Gaelic, and the dialects of east Ulster – those of Rathlin Island and the Glens of Antrim – were very similar to the dialect of Argyll, the part of Scotland nearest to Northern Ireland.

Use of the Irish language in Northern Ireland today is politically sensitive. The erection by some district councils of bilingual street names in both English and Irish,^[111] invariably in predominantly nationalist districts, is resisted by unionists who claim that it creates a "chill factor" and thus harms community relationships. Efforts by members of the Northern Ireland Assemblyto legislate for some official uses of the language have failed to achieve the required cross-community support, and the UK government has declined to legislate.

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