A History of Modern and Extinct Celtic Languages...
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
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<p></p> The evolution and history of the celtic languages are interesting and somewhat chequered. Celtic languages are descended from the Indo-European stock of languages, which developed into most of the languages that the "westernized world" speaks today. For example, the romance languages are also descended from the Indo-European stock, and today, they make up the languages we know as Spanish, Italian, French, Romanian and Portuguese. To get back on track, the Proto-Celtic language (the first Celtic language that arose from the Indo-European common ancestor) was spoken all over the western continent of Europe. The people who spoke it soon began to die out or be culturally assimilated by the growing Roman empire (ca 200 BC). The Gauls in fact, were the last known mainland Europe people to speak some form of Celtic. Before, however, celtic speakers were eradicated or integrated, some of them migrated to the British Islands. This signifies the first major division of the celtic languages.
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Now we have Continental Celtic (spoken by the Gauls and other mainlanders) and Insular Celtic, spoken by occupants of the British Islands. The oldest known Insular Celtic language is Old Irish or Goedelic (Gaelic), which eventually became the Irish Gaelic language of today. When settlers moved to what is today mainland Britain, Goedelic became Brythonic. Goedelic and Brythonic and the two major divisions of Celtic that provide the basis for all surviving Celtic languages. When the Irish started to migrate into what is now Scotland, a distinct language, Scottish Gaelic developed. A similar process occured for those people who inhabited the Isle of Man, who now speak Manx. So there you have the Goedelic Celtic languages: Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic and Manx.
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Brythonic, the root for the mainland British languages, also developed into three modern Celtic languages (of which only two survive). Welsh is spoken in Wales and is actually the most widely spoken of the Celtic languages. Cornish also derived from Brythonic Celtic and was spoken in a small region of southwestern Britain, but the language died sometime in the 19th century. Breton is the third Brythonic Celtic language to develop, and also the most interesting (to me, anyway). Breton, although an Insular Celtic language, is actually spoken on continental Europe, France to be exact; that's because it's roots are from the Brythonic languages. As the history goes, about 600 AD, Britain was invaded by pagan tribes from western Germany, called the Saxons. While the Saxons were sweeping part of southern Britain, some of the natives picked up and left. They landed in northwestern France, where their Celtic heritage and language still have an influence on local culture and daily life. And there are the Brythonic Celtic languages: Welsh, Cornish, and Breton.
<p></p>
I hope you learned something!
</html>
<p></p> The evolution and history of the celtic languages are interesting and somewhat chequered. Celtic languages are descended from the Indo-European stock of languages, which developed into most of the languages that the "westernized world" speaks today. For example, the romance languages are also descended from the Indo-European stock, and today, they make up the languages we know as Spanish, Italian, French, Romanian and Portuguese. To get back on track, the Proto-Celtic language (the first Celtic language that arose from the Indo-European common ancestor) was spoken all over the western continent of Europe. The people who spoke it soon began to die out or be culturally assimilated by the growing Roman empire (ca 200 BC). The Gauls in fact, were the last known mainland Europe people to speak some form of Celtic. Before, however, celtic speakers were eradicated or integrated, some of them migrated to the British Islands. This signifies the first major division of the celtic languages.
<p></p>
Now we have Continental Celtic (spoken by the Gauls and other mainlanders) and Insular Celtic, spoken by occupants of the British Islands. The oldest known Insular Celtic language is Old Irish or Goedelic (Gaelic), which eventually became the Irish Gaelic language of today. When settlers moved to what is today mainland Britain, Goedelic became Brythonic. Goedelic and Brythonic and the two major divisions of Celtic that provide the basis for all surviving Celtic languages. When the Irish started to migrate into what is now Scotland, a distinct language, Scottish Gaelic developed. A similar process occured for those people who inhabited the Isle of Man, who now speak Manx. So there you have the Goedelic Celtic languages: Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic and Manx.
<p></p>
Brythonic, the root for the mainland British languages, also developed into three modern Celtic languages (of which only two survive). Welsh is spoken in Wales and is actually the most widely spoken of the Celtic languages. Cornish also derived from Brythonic Celtic and was spoken in a small region of southwestern Britain, but the language died sometime in the 19th century. Breton is the third Brythonic Celtic language to develop, and also the most interesting (to me, anyway). Breton, although an Insular Celtic language, is actually spoken on continental Europe, France to be exact; that's because it's roots are from the Brythonic languages. As the history goes, about 600 AD, Britain was invaded by pagan tribes from western Germany, called the Saxons. While the Saxons were sweeping part of southern Britain, some of the natives picked up and left. They landed in northwestern France, where their Celtic heritage and language still have an influence on local culture and daily life. And there are the Brythonic Celtic languages: Welsh, Cornish, and Breton.
<p></p>
I hope you learned something!
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