Erse
- noun
- /ɜrs/
- Archaic
:
erse
- Owen learned to speak Erse while studying the history of Scotland.
Examples
-
Ossian's Erse epics were an imposture, a forgery, and to this day the only evidence that they ever existed.
Academic text (2011) -
It's erse for Owen.
-
The ancient epic poems were written in Erse, reflecting the culture of the time.
-
Many scholars are interested in studying Erse to better understand Scottish history.
Synonyms
4
9.3
A language from the Celtic family spoken in Scotland or Ireland
1
8.6
A traditional language of Ireland, often called Irish
1
6.0
A Celtic language that people speak in Ireland, also called Gaeilge
A name for the Gaelic languages of Ireland and Scotland
A Celtic language spoken in Scotland, mainly in the Highlands and islands, different from Irish Gaelic
A Gaelic language spoken in Scotland that is different from Irish
A Celtic language spoken in Scotland similar to Irish and Manx
A Celtic language spoken in Ireland and Scotland, for example Irish or Scottish Gaelic
A traditional language spoken in Ireland
Compounds
Surface Forms
Etymology
Erse comes from old Gaelic names for Ireland like Éire and Erin, which mean 'Ireland' or 'Irish'. So Erse came to mean the Gaelic language spoken in Ireland and later in parts of Scotland, which is why it refers to Irish or Scottish Gaelic.