Celtic languages

Celtic languages are the languages descended from Proto-Celtic, both those spoken by the ancient Celts, and those used by their modern descendants, the Irish, Manx, Scots, Welsh, Cornish and Bretons. The Celtic languages are classified as a branch of the greater Indo-European language family. They were spoken across western Europe during the 1st millennium BC, but are now limited to a few enclaves in the British Isles, western Canada, Patagonia, scattered groups in the United States and Australia, and on the peninsula of Brittany in France.

Related Topics:
Proto-Celtic - Celts - Modern descendants - Irish - Manx - Scots - Welsh - Cornish - Bretons - Indo-European - Europe - 1st millennium BC - British Isles - Canada - Patagonia - United States - Australia - France

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There are four main groups of Celtic languages, of which the first two are now long extinct:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• Gaulish and its close relatives, Lepontic and Galatian. These languages were once spoken in a wide arc from France to Turkey and from the Netherlands to northern Italy.
• Celtiberian, anciently spoken in the Iberian peninsula, namely in the areas of modern Portugal, Galicia, Asturias, Aragón and León.
• Goidelic, including Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx.
• Brythonic, including Welsh, Breton, Cornish, Cumbric, the hypothetical Ivernic, and possibly Pictish

Note that the Breton is not Gaulish, but closely related to Cornish and is thus a member of Insular Celtic. Brittany is known to have been settled from Britain in historical times.

Related Topics:
Breton - Cornish - Britain

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The separation of these groups probably occurred around 1000 BC. The early Celts are commonly associated with the archaeological Urnfield culture.

Related Topics:
1000 BC - Urnfield culture

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 
Celtic languages: Classification ►