Insular Celtic languages
language family
Insular Celtic languages are the six Celtic languages that originated in the British Isles.[1] All surviving Celtic languages are from the Insular Celtic group; the Continental Celtic languages (the other group) are now extinct. The six Insular Celtic languages of modern times can be divided into 2 groups:
- The Goidelic languages: Irish, Manx, and Scottish Gaelic[2] They are also called "Q-Celtic" because of the use of a Q sound (spelled with a C or a K).[2]
- The Brittonic languages: Breton, Cornish, and Welsh[2] (another language, Cumbric, is extinct). Brittonic Celtic is also called "P-Celtic" because of the use of the letter P.[2]
By the 4th century BC most people in the British Isles spoke a Celtic language.[3] When the Irish abbot and missionary Columba met the Pictish king Bruide they needed a translator.[3] Columba spoke Q-Celtic while the Picts spoke P-Celtic.[3]
References
change- ↑ "The Celtic Language - the basics and what it sounds like". GaelicMatters.com. 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "What are the Celtic Languages?". Celtic Languages Resources. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Celtic languages". Education Scotland. Archived from the original on 1 November 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
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