In this week’s Culture Vannin column, Manx language development officer Ruth Keggin Gell details the Manx ‘you didn’t know you knew’.

Manx words and phrases are woven throughout our daily lives.

Along with the thousands of Manx Gaelic place names we encounter on the island, we might also say that we’re going for a skeet; hear moghrey mie or fastyr mie around and about; or spot the Ben my Chree (woman of my heart) in Douglas harbour.

Given that Manx has been spoken here for 1,500 years – centuries longer than English – this daily usage is unsurprising. But the Manx language is also something that sets us apart and gives our island its distinct Celtic identity.

In recent years there has been a surge in businesses using Manx.

This can help show provenance of products; studies in Scotland show that using Scottish Gaelic makes businesses more attractive to customers and generates millions per year for the Scottish economy.

Below are just a handful of Manx names, words and phrases that are prominently used here on the island.

Some of these words will grace your lips regularly, even if you didn’t know what they meant, or even that they were Manx in the first place!

‘Aalin Dairy’ – The Manx word aalin (pronounced ‘AIR-lin’ or ‘AY-lin’) means ‘beautiful’, and can be found on Aalin Dairy’s products in the west of the island. Isle of Man Creameries also include the Manx word for ‘milk’ on their cartons: bainney.

‘Bun-troggalys’ – Infrastructure. When I learnt the Manx term for the DOI, I actually had a better idea of what the (Latin/French) term ‘infrastructure’ actually means! Bun means ‘below’ or ‘foundation’, and troggalys means ‘building’. The Manx is pronounced ‘bun TROG-uh-liss’.

‘Kerroo’ – Quarter. This word can be seen and heard in Manx place names, but is also the name for the independent microbrewery based in Port Erin. The word is pronounced ‘KEH-roo’, with the emphasis on the first syllable.

‘Kishtey Çheh’ – Hot Box. Port Erin’s beach sauna has an incredibly appropriate name! The first word, meaning ‘box’, is pronounced ‘KISH-tyuh’. The second word is pronounced ‘chay’.

‘Noa’ – New. When Miles and Pippa Pettit founded Noa Bakehouse, they deliberately chose to incorporate a Manx word in the title, reflecting their commitment to all things Manx. The word ‘noa’ is pronounced ‘no’ or ‘naw’, the latter pronunciation almost rhyming with the English word ‘more’.

‘Red Mie’ – Good Thing. The farm near Orrisdale, famous for its wonderful Fire Island chillies and family farm experiences, has a lovely, simple name. ‘Red’, pronounced ‘rud’, means ‘thing’, and ‘mie’, pronounced ‘my’, means ‘good’.

‘Soaral’ – scented, smell. This is the name for a perfumery, based in Port Erin. It’s pronounced ‘SORE-al’, with the emphasis on the first syllable.

Maybe you’d like to use some Manx in your workplace to help celebrate the Year of the Manx Language in 2026?

Access Culture Vannin’s free translations service via [email protected] and find out more about the Year at https://yearofmanx.im/