Gaelic
or ERSE, LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE. The language spoken by the Highlanders of Scotland is termed by them the Gaelic; but the name frequently given to it by the Lowlanders is Erse, or Ersh, evidently a corruption of Irish. It is a dialect of that great branch of the Celtic languages termed the Gwyddelian or Gaelic, and to which belong also the Irish and Manx, or that spoken in the Isle of Man. an. According to Dr. Prichard, the Celts are of Eastern origin, belonging to the great Indo-European family. They arrived before the Teutons from the regions on the Oxus, and from Media, and penetrated through the Allophylic races along the S. shores of the Baltic Sea, at a time of which we have no historic data. At the time of the Roman invasion, Celtic was the language generally spoken in western Europe. The dialects of the Celtic still spoken, besides the three already mentioned, are the Welsh, and the language of Brittany; while the Cornish, another dialect, though not now spoken, is preserved in books. The three dialects, the Irish, the Scottish-Gaelic, and the Manx, approach each other so nearly as to constitute but one language, the peculiarities which distinguish them from each other not being sufficiently broad or vital to constitute either of them a distinct language. There are also marked differences in the language as spoken in different parts of the Highlands; and a native of Sutherland has some difficulty in understanding one.
The Gaelic which, from a variety of cases has retained, in a considerable degree, its original purity, is copious, bold, and expressive. Having affixes and prefixes, it greatly resembles the Hebrew, particularly in the inflections of its nouns and verbs. In Ireland, the Gaelic spoken in the different parts varies.
GAELIC LEAGUE. An organization having for its object the preservation, cultivation and extension of the Irish GAETA (gä-a'tä), a fortified seaport town of southern Italy, province of Caserta, at the end of a peninsula, on the W. shore of the kingdom, forming the N.
W. boundary of the gulf to which it gives its name; 4 miles S. S. W. of Mola di Gaeta, 41 N. W. of Naples, and 72 S. E. of Rome. The town is regarded as one of the keys of southern Italy. Its port, though not the largest, is one of the safest and best in Italy. It is the center of a considerable trade. The place is very ancient. Cicero was put to death, by order of Antony, in its immediate vicinity. After the fall of the Western empire it had a republican form of government. In 1435 it was taken by Alfonso V. of Aragon; and since then be- GÆTULIA longed to the crown of Naples till 1860.
In modern times it has been repeatedly besieged; the last siege of note was in 1806, when it fell into the hands of the French. In November, 1860, it with- , 1860, it with stood a siege of several weeks (as the last stronghold of Francis II., King of Naples, who had sought refuge within its walls) by the national troops commanded by General Cialdini. Pop . about 6,000. ancient
GÆTULIA (jē-tuli-ä), an country of Africa situated S. of Maurisituated S. of Mauritania and Numidia, and embracing the W. part of the Sahara. Its inhabitants belonged in all probability to the aboriginal Berber family of north and northwestern Africa; they were not in general black, though a portion of them dwelling in the extreme S., toward the Niger, had approximated to this color through intermixture with the natives and from climatic causes, and were called Melanogætuli, or "Black Gætulians." The Gætulians were savage and war-like, and paid great attention to the rearing of horses. They first came into collision with the Romans during the Jugurthine war, when they served as light horse in the army of the Numidian king. Cossus Lentulus broke them to Roman rule, obtaining for his success a triumph and the surname of Gætulicus (A. D. 6). The ancient Gætulians are believed to be represented by the modern Tuareg. GAINES'S MILL Massachusetts Bay, with headquarters at Boston, in 1774; was again made commander-in-chief in North America in 1775, and returned to England the same year. He was promoted general in 1782.
The battles of Lexington and Bunker Hill took place during his generalship.
He died in April 2, 1787.
GAILLAC (gä-yäk'), a town in the French department of Tarn, on the river Gaillac, 32 miles by rail N. E. of Toulouse. The Abbey Church of St. Michel dates from the 12th century. The inhabitants are engaged in wine-growing, engaged in wi coopering, and spinning, and trade in and spinning, clover, coriander seeds, plums and wine. in