Dr Christopher Lewin
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action postgraduate research fellow
- School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures
- Celtic and Scottish Studies
Contact details
- Email: Christopher.Lewin@ed.ac.uk
Address
- Street
-
Room 4.23
50 George Square - City
- Edinburgh
- Post code
- EH8 9JU
Background
Born and raised in Douglas in the Isle of Man, I became interested in the linguistic and cultural heritage of the island from an early age, and its place in the wider context of Gaelic and Celtic languages. After completing an undergraduate degree in Celtic at the University of Edinburgh, I did a masters at Aberystwyth University before returning to Edinburgh to complete a PhD on the historical phonology of Manx. Since then I have worked as a researcher at Aberystwyth University and the University of Galway, I have lectured in medieval Celtic Studies and modern Welsh at Aberystwyth University, and I was a lexicographical editor at Faclair na Gàidhlig, the historical dictionary of Scottish Gaelic. My primary research interest is in the historical linguistics and literature of Manx, and I am also interested in language revitalization and minority language policy and planning. My current project looks at the Manx translation of the Bible (which was completed in 1775) and its impact on the standardization of the spelling and grammar of the language. I am also working on an edited collection of Manx manuscript sermons from the period. I speak English, Manx, Scottish Gaelic, Irish, Welsh and Swedish and have a good reading knowledge of French and German.
Rugadh is thogadh mi ann an Dubhghlais anns an Eilean Mhanainneach, far an do chuir mi ùidh ann an dualchas cànanach is cultarail an eilein bho aois òig, agus anns na ceanglaichean aige ris na cànanan Gàidhealach is Ceilteach eile. As dèidh dhomh fo-cheum a thoirt a-mach ann an Ceiltis aig Oilthigh Dhùn Eideann, chuir mi seachad bliadhna a' coileanadh maighstireachd ann an Oilthigh Aberystwyth mus do thill mi a Dhùn Eideann airson PhD a dhèanamh air fòn-eòlas eachdraidheil Ghàidhlig Mhanainn. Bhon uair sin bha mi ag obair nam rannsaiche ann an Oilthigh Aberystwyth is Oilthigh na Gaillimhe, bha mi nam òraidiche ann an Eòlas Ceilteach meadhan-aoiseach agus Cuimris an latha an-diugh ann an Oilthigh Aberystwyth, agus dh'obraich mi nam dheasaiche faclaireachd aig Faclair na Gàidhlig. 'S e cànanachas eachdraidheil is litreachas Ghàidhlig Mhanainn am prìomh chuspair rannsachaidh agam, agus tha ùidh agam cuideachd ann an ath-bheòthachadh cànain agus poileasaidh is planadh mion-chànain. 'S e tha fa-near dhomh anns a' phròiseact a tha romham an-dràsta sgrùdadh a dhèanamh air eadar-theangachadh a' Bhìobaill gu Gàidhlig Mhanainn (a chrìochnaicheadh ann an 1775) agus a' bhuaidh aige air mar a chaidh litreachadh is gràmar a' chànain a stèidheachadh. Tha mi cuideachd ag obair air trusadh fhoillseachadh de shearmonan làmh-sgrìobhte ann an Gàidhlig Mhanainn bhon aon linn. Tha Beurla, Gàidhlig Mhanainn, Gàidhlig na h-Alba, Gàidhlig na h-Eireann, Cuimris is Suainis agam, agus tha deagh chomas leughaidh agam ann an Gearmailtis is Fraingis.
Qualifications
MA(Hons) Celtic (University of Edinburgh)
MPhil Welsh and Celtic Studies (Aberystwyth University)
PhD Celtic (University of Edinburgh)
Responsibilities & affiliations
Manx Language Research Group (chair) https://corpus.gaelg.im/
Research summary
Manx (Gaelic) linguistics, philology and literature
Scottish Gaelic and Irish historical linguistics and dialectology
Language standardization and orthography development
Language revitalization, minority language policy and planning
History, culture and politics of the Isle of Man
Current research interests
Eighteenth-century Bible translation, language standardization, sermons in a Manx and wider Gaelic, British, Irish and European contextCurrent project grants
2025–2027. Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (2025-27) 101206982, 'Emergent linguistic norms and translated religious prose in eighteenth-century Manx'.
Past project grants
2022–2024. Postdoctoral research fellow, NUI Galway, Irish Research Council Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, ‘Linguistic forms and language ideology in the revival of Manx Gaelic’.
2015–2020. AHRC Centre for Doctoral Training in the Celtic Languages (PhD studentship).
Conference details
I have extensive experience of speaking at conferences in Celtic Studies and linguistics, including major international meetings such as the International Congress of Celtic Studies and the Sociolinguistics Symposium. I have also led or contributed to the organizing of several conferences, workshops and conference sessions.
Invited speaker
2025. ‘Language and style in the Manx Bible’. Conference, Manx National Heritage, Douglas, Isle of Man: ‘The Manx Bible at 250’.
2023. ‘The persistence of native speaker models after language “death”: the case of Manx’. University of Galway, Roinn na Gaeilge seminar / colloquium: ‘Emergent norms, models and target varieties in Celtic language revitalization’.
2023. ‘Manx and Celtic Studies’. Plenary lecture, Celtic Students’ Conference, University of Glasgow.
Organiser
2023. Emergent norms, models and target varieties in Celtic language revitalization, University of Galway.
2023. Session: ‘Manx literature and linguistics’. International Congress of Celtic Studies, Utrecht University.
2023. Session: ‘The revival(s) of Manx’. International Congress of Celtic Studies, Utrecht University.
2023. Language and Society in the Isle of Man, University of Galway / Manx National Heritage.
2022. Session: ‘The revivals of Manx: historical and contemporary perspectives’. Sociolinguistics Symposium 24, Ghent University.
2014. Undergraduate Linguistics Association of Britain, University of Edinburgh.
2013, 2018, 2019. Celtic Students' Conference, University of Edinburgh.
Papers delivered
2025. 'Manuscript sermons and the emergence of a written standard for Manx'. Historical Sociolinguistics Network Conference 2025, University of Bristol.
2024. ‘“For the better edifying of all degrees”: the catechism in Manx translation literature’. Contents of Faith in Transfer: Texts and Contexts of Early Modern Catechism Translations, University of Bonn.
2023. ‘Staid reatha na foclóireachta do Ghaeilge Mhanann’ [‘The current state of lexicography for Manx’]. An Béal Beo: Foclóireacht agus Frásaíocht na Gaeilge [The Living Mouth: Gaelic Lexicography and Phraseology], University College Cork.
2023. ‘The retrovernacular turn in the contemporary Manx language community: a challenge to the new speaker paradigm?’. Irish Association of Applied Linguistics Annual Conference, Maynooth University.
2023. ‘Ní ach botún beag é: semi-negatives and the copula in the Gaelic languages’. Tionól, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.
2023. ‘The roots of Manx writing’. International Congress of Celtic Studies, Utrecht University. As convenor and panelist. Session title: ‘Manx literature and linguistics’.
2023. ‘Eighteenth-century sermon writing in Manx and Irish: historical and sociolinguistic context’. Eighteenth Century Ireland Society: Annual Conference, Dublin City University.
2023. ‘Towards a volunteer-built online bilingual text corpus for Manx’. Teangeolaíocht na Gaeilge / Gaelic Linguistics, Royal Irish Academy.
2023. ‘It was a disaster in Ireland: Manx as a compulsory school subject in the Isle of Man, discourse and policy implications.’ Language and Education Policy in Ireland, Trinity College Dublin.
2023. ‘Manx today: ideology, practice and resource development’. Language and Society in the Isle of Man, University of Galway / Manx National Heritage.
2022. ‘“The trouble of transposing into Manx”: Translation, diglossia and linguistic competence in eighteenth-century Manx sermons’. Tionól, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.
2022. ‘“A living language is constantly changing and extending”: ideological currents in the Manx revival. Sociolinguistics Symposium 24, Ghent University.
2022. ‘The standardization of written Manx 1696–1772’. Poznań Conference of Celtic Studies, Adam Mickiewicz University.
2021. With Peadar Ó Muircheartaigh. ‘More than just fire and brimstone: Manx manuscript sermons, 1696–1863’. Harvard Celtic Colloquium, Harvard University.
2019. ‘The Manx Bible translation as a source for linguistic features and variation in vernacular eighteenth-century Manx’. International Congress of Celtic Studies, Bangor University.
2019. ‘Anti-prescriptivism, language revitalization and ‘new speakers’: fresh perspectives or plus ça change?’ Cambridge Conference on Language Endangerment, postgraduate workshop.
2018. ‘The vowel */əː/ ao in Gaelic dialects’. Edinburgh Symposium on Historical Phonology, University of Edinburgh.
2018. ‘New speakers and language ideology: some observations and suggestions’. Celtic Sociolinguistics Symposium, NUI Galway.
2018. ‘What is a revived language? Linguistic features of Revived Manx in comparison with the traditional language’. Celtic Linguistics Conference, Maynooth University.
2018. ‘Progess in Manx historical phonology’. Rannsachadh na Gàidhlig, University of Edinburgh.
2018. ‘Newid cystrawen mewn Manaweg a Chymraeg’ [‘Syntactic change in Manx and Welsh’]. Gair am air, Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies, University of Wales.
2017. ‘Progress and desiderata in Manx historical linguistics’. Tionól, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.
2016. ‘Grammatical gender in Manx: a re-evaluation’. Celtic Linguistics Conference, University of Cardiff.
2016. ‘The interface between scholarship and the Manx Gaelic Revival’. Poznań Conference of Celtic Studies, Adam Mickiewicz University.
2015. ‘The study of Manx: the historiography of subconscious ideology in scholarship from the nineteenth century to the present day’. International Congress of Celtic Studies, University of Glasgow.
2015. ‘Comparisons between corpus planning for Scottish Gaelic and Manx: a response to the Dlùth is Inneach project’. Celtic Sociolinguistics Symposium, University College Dublin.
2015. ‘The distribution of the copula and the substantive verb in Manx’. Teangeolaíocht na Gaeilge / Gaelic Linguistics, Maynooth University.
2015. ‘John Rhŷs as a pioneer in the study of Manx Gaelic’. Sir John Rhŷs conference, Aberystwyth University.
2014. ‘Can Manx shed light on the development of progressive features in Scottish Gaelic?’. Rannsachadh na Gàidhlig, University of Edinburgh.
2012. ‘Manx Gaelic today: competing standards’. Eurolinguistic Association Symposium, University of Heidelberg.