A person of Gaelic or Irish descent, particularly one from the ancient Celtic peoples of Ireland and Scotland.
From Irish Gaoidheal, derived from Old Irish Goidel, possibly from the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. The term originally referred to the Gaels who spoke Goidelic languages, and its meaning has evolved to describe people of Irish or Gaelic heritage.
The Goidels are one of history's great linguistic markers—their name actually became the name of their languages (Goidelic), so when people use the word 'Goidelic' to describe Irish or Scottish Gaelic, they're literally saying 'the language of the Goidels.' It's a perfect example of how people's names can define entire language families.
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