Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. This branch also includes the Irish and Manx languages. It is distinct from the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages, which includes Welsh, Cornish and Breton. Scottish, Manx and Irish Gaelic are all descended from Old Irish.
The language is often described as Scottish Gaelic, Scots Gaelic, Highland Gaelic or Gàidhlig, to avoid confusion with the other Goidelic languages. Outside Scotland, it is occasionally also called Scottish, a usage dating back over 1,500 years (for example Old English Scottas). Scottish Gaelic should not be confused with the Scots language (aka Lowland Scots), which is an Anglic language descended from early Middle English. Within Scotland, Gaelic is pronounced [ˈɡaːlɪk] while outside Scotland it is usually pronounced /ˈɡeɪlɪk/.