In this week’s Culture Vannin column, Manx language development officer Ruth Keggin Gell details more ‘beautiful’ Manx words and phrases.

‘The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper’ – W.B. Yeats.

As I write, I’m sitting down on the shore at Spaldrick, watching the light glint off the water, and listening to the soodraght.

Have you ever heard that word? It’s the Manx for the sound of waves lapping upon the shore and dragging back to percolate through shingle, pebbles and stones.

I bet you can bring it to mind. And yet, to the best of my knowledge, there’s no word in English to describe this sound that is so familiar to us islanders. In Manx, it’s summed up by a single word.

Learning different languages is important for a multitude of reasons, one of which is that it gives us different ways to perceive the world.

Languages help us to understand different cultures, as well as our own, as well as feeling more connected to the people who came before us.

This month, I wanted to share some beautiful, poetic Manx with you - Manx that helps us to see the world in a different, perhaps more enlightened, way.

Manx is an important reason as to why the Isle of Man is a whole nation Biosphere reserve, and these words and phrases celebrate earth, sea and sky:

· Arkan sonney - Hedgehog. The literal translation is ‘lucky/bountiful piglet’. Say it like ‘Ark-an SON-nuh’

· Gollan-geayee - Swallow. Gollan means ‘fork’ and ‘geayee’ means ‘of the wind’. So, a swallow is a ‘fork of the wind’, which, of course, it is! Say it like ‘Gol-lan GAY-ee’

· Oirr ny cruinney - Horizon. This literally means ‘The edge of the earth’. Say it like ‘Orr nuh CROON-yah’

· Raad Mooar Ghorree - The milky way. Literally ‘The Great Way of Godred’. Gorree is the Manx name for Godred Crovan, the Viking King. This is where we get the name ‘Orry’, say ‘King Gorree’ and you’ll see how the G of ‘Gorree’ got lost along the way. Say it like ‘Raird MOO-uh GHO-ree’.

· Smug rauney - Jellyfish. This literally means ‘Seal snot’. What a great description! Say it like ‘Smug RAW-nuh’

· Soodraght - the repercussions of waves on the shore. Say it like ‘SOO-drakh.’

If you enjoyed learning these words and phrases and are curious to find out more about Manx, then you might like to get involved with the Year of the Manx Language (Blein ny Gaelgey), which is planned for 2026!

The Year is organised by Jeebin, the Manx Language Network, and it’s all about celebrating the Manx language, encouraging more people to use it, and sparking new ideas for how Manx can be part of our everyday lives.

Whether you're fluent or just learning your first few words, there’ll be something for you.

You can also get involved by emailing [email protected], or find out more at https://yearofmanx.im/ or https://www.learnmanx.com/