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The Shelta is a language spoken by parts of the Irish Traveller
people. The language is also known as Gammon, Sheldru, or simply the Cant.
However, "Shelta" is the most appropriate term to use.
Shelta's vocabulary is based largely on Irish Gaelic, while its
structure contains many similarities with English. It also contains
elements of Romany languages, though the Travellers are not actual
Roma. Although heavily influenced by non-Celtic languages, Shelta is
classified as part of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic language family.
There are approximately 86,000 worldwide speakers of Shelta, with anywhere from 6,000-25,000 in Ireland itself according to various sources. The language is spoken almost exclusively by Travellers, though
linguists have documented Shelta since at least the 1870s. Both Celtic expert Kuno Meyer and Romany expert John Sampson assert that Shelta existed
as far back as the 13th century.
The word "Shelta" itself likely derives from the Irish word "siulta", meaning "walking". This refers to the nomadic lifestyle of the Travellers, as well as the fact that they were
commonly referred to for a time as "the Walking People" by English speakers in Ireland.
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