2019-08-31
2019-08-16
2019-08-13
Proto-Celtic
The Ancient Celtic Languages - alpha > .
Sound of the Proto-Celtic language (Numbers, Words & Story) - ill > .
PC, Common Celtic
Reconstruction of Celtic languages
Region: Central Europe
Era: ca. 1000 BCE
Reconstructed ancestor: Proto-Indo-European
PC, Common Celtic
Reconstruction of Celtic languages
Region: Central Europe
Era: ca. 1000 BCE
Reconstructed ancestor: Proto-Indo-European
The Proto-Celtic language, also called Common Celtic, is the partially reconstructed proto-language of all the known Celtic languages. Its lexis, or vocabulary, can be confidently reconstructed on the basis of the comparative method of historical linguistics, in the same manner as Proto-Indo-European, the proto-language which has been most thoroughly reconstructed. Proto-Celtic is a descendant of the Proto-Indo-European language and is itself the ancestor of the Celtic languages which are members of the modern Indo-European language family, the most commonly spoken language family. Modern Celtic languages share common features with Italic languages that are unseen in other branches and according to one theory they may have formed an ancient Italo-Celtic branch. The duration of the cultures speaking Proto-Celtic was relatively brief compared to PIE's 2,000 years. The earliest archaeological culture that may justifiably be considered as Proto-Celtic is the Late Bronze Age Urnfield culture of Central Europe c.1300 BCE. By the Iron Age Hallstatt culture of around 800 BC these people had become fully Celtic.
The reconstruction of Proto-Celtic is currently being undertaken, by necessity relying on later iterations of Celtic languages. Although Continental Celtic presents much substantiation for Proto-Celtic phonology, and some for its morphology, recorded material is too scanty to allow a secure reconstruction of syntax, although some complete sentences are recorded in the Continental Gaulish and Celtiberian. Therefore, the primary sources for reconstruction come from the Insular Celtic languages with the oldest literature found in Old Irish and Middle Welsh, dating back to authors flourishing in the 6th century CE.
The reconstruction of Proto-Celtic is currently being undertaken, by necessity relying on later iterations of Celtic languages. Although Continental Celtic presents much substantiation for Proto-Celtic phonology, and some for its morphology, recorded material is too scanty to allow a secure reconstruction of syntax, although some complete sentences are recorded in the Continental Gaulish and Celtiberian. Therefore, the primary sources for reconstruction come from the Insular Celtic languages with the oldest literature found in Old Irish and Middle Welsh, dating back to authors flourishing in the 6th century CE.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Hypothetical Prehistoric Migrations
"Period Migrations - Early Eneolithic" ( A Storm of Hordes) Chalcolithic Europe , the Chalcolithic (also Aeneolithic, Coppe...
-
"Period Migrations - Early Eneolithic" ( A Storm of Hordes) Chalcolithic Europe , the Chalcolithic (also Aeneolithic, Coppe... -
When We First Talked - PBS Eons > . Human Evolution Learning Playlist - PBS Eons >> . The evolution of our ability to speak is it...
-
. Sound of Proto-Indo-European > . Ancient Languages (Spoken) - anffyddiaeth >> .
