History of the Celtic languages (Timeline)

The Celtic languages are a group of related languages descended from Proto-Celtic. They form a branch of the Indo-European language family. The term "Celtic" was first used to describe this language group by Edward Lhuyd in 1710, following Paul-Yves Pezron, who made the explicit link between the Celts described by classical writers and the Welsh and Breton languages.

During the first millennium BC, Celtic languages were spoken across much of Europe and central Anatolia. Today, they are restricted to the northwestern fringe of Europe and a few diaspora communities. There are six living languages: the four continuously living languages Breton, Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Welsh, and the two revived languages Cornish and Manx. All are minority languages in their respective countries, though there are continuing efforts at revitalisation. Welsh is an official language in Wales and Irish is an official language of Ireland and of the European Union. Welsh is the only Celtic language not classified as endangered by UNESCO. The Cornish and Manx languages became extinct in modern times. They have been the object of revivals and now each has several hundred second-language speakers.

Irish, Manx and Scottish Gaelic form the Goidelic languages, while Welsh, Cornish and Breton are Brittonic. All of these are Insular Celtic languages, since Breton, the only living Celtic language spoken in continental Europe, is descended from the language of settlers from Britain. There are a number of extinct but attested continental Celtic languages, such as Celtiberian, Galatian and Gaulish. Beyond that there is no agreement on the subdivisions of the Celtic language family. They may be divided into P-Celtic and Q-Celtic.

The Celtic languages have a rich literary tradition. The earliest specimens of written Celtic are Lepontic inscriptions from the 6th century BC in the Alps. Early Continental inscriptions used Italic and Paleohispanic scripts. Between the 4th and 8th centuries, Irish and Pictish were occasionally written in an original script, Ogham, but Latin script came to be used for all Celtic languages. Welsh has had a continuous literary tradition from the 6th century AD.

[gandolfthorstefn]

The Welsh got serious about there language. Renamed Snowdonia, road signs in Welsh(Cymraeg)and learning the language as a first language at school. They just cared about it more. Not some passive program that tickles the ears of the natives but made sure it was an everyday spoken language. Some areas aren't as strong but the language seems to be healthy when your singing Yma o hyd at the Rugby.
Hwyl!🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿👍

[revinhatol]

Galatian is basically a Celtic language said back in Biblical times in the northern plateaus of Asia Minor.

[iroquoianmapper]

Interesting fact: Gaulish language didn't die, because one small village of indomitable Gauls still holds out against the invaders. 💀

[luadli]

Thanks for making a celtic vid! Tha gaol agam air a’ Ghàidhlig!!

[mell]

I live in the area in south Germany were the Celtics came from. The lokal Celtic tribe here have been the Vindeliker/Vindelici.
They where detroyed 15 BC by the Romans.

[apollo]

Can you do history of the Canaanite languages? (Hebrew, Phoenician, Amorite, ugaritic, Punic)

[papazataklaattiranimam]

It is quite sad that most Celtic languages ​​have disappeared. I would like one of the Celtic languages ​​to be the majority and spoken in Austria and France today.

[SergeySavin]

The Swiss band Eluveitie use Gaulish for some of their songs. Check out theis songs "Brictom", "Omnos", "Ne Regv Na" or "Epona" to listen to how it sounds.

[mochuelo]

We need to save them, even if the language is hard to learn we should revive the Irish, Scottish and all the Celtic languages...

[papazataklaattiranimam]

They are one of the unluckiest ethno-linguistic entities in history due to Romans and Germanics.

[phylbrake]

Lovely graphics, but when was it made? It doesn't seem to take account of the 'Celtic from the West' theory that postulates that Proto-Celtic originated as a lingua fanca along the Atlantic façade. I also have a few more queries: (1) It's in Breizh Izel/Western Brittany that Breton is spoken. In Breizh Uhel/Eastern Brittany, the Romance language known as Gallo is spoken; (2) Because of its place in the education system, most of the population of the Repbublic of Ireland have at least a passing knowledge of Gáilge/Irish: (3) Perhaps because of a historical accident, sometimes called 'benign neglect', Cymraeg/Welsh is by far the most widely spoken of the modern Celtic languages. It's true that communities where over 70% of the population speak the language are mainly situated in the north and west of the country, but flourishing Welsh communities occur throughout the country, especially in the capital city, Caerdydd/Cardiff. The Welsh Government has set an ambitious target of creating a million Welsh speakers by 2050 - which would be close to the maximum number of Welsh speakers recorded at the beginning of the 20th century. The current estimate is that there a now nearly three quaters of a million of Welsh speakers in Cymru/Wales, not counting the diaspora in England and other countries. There is a growing community of Welsh speakers in the Dyffryn Camwy/Chubut region of Patagonia in Argentina, who are descended from the Welsh colony established there in the second half of the nineteenth century.

[ladrodiavocado]

I think Lepontic spread earlier and there is also ancient Ligurian language in Northern Italy and Southern France.

[ashenen]

Я читал, что оказывается есть теория, что кельты берут своё начало не в южной Германии, а во Франции и оттуда уже в Германию распространились. Но там сложно сказать. Просто малоизвестная теория, которая тоже может считаться вероятной

[Cicero]

It's sad to see them go, I hope one day they can all be revived fully, even galatian lol, If hebrew or ancient greek was revived I'm sure they can be too

[addeenen]

My ancestors are mainly Dutch Celtic from below the Rhine. We have the Celtic soft Chh. Above the Rhine people have laryngitis g and do not pronounce r. Unfortunately, those ugly sayings are taking over because rich people are starting to use them.

[noahtylerpritchett]

Lesser known fact, Gaelic and Celtiberian are Q celtic and everything else is P Celtic.
So the Irish probably came from Iberia.

[Normal_user_coniven]

There is also Celtic-romance launguages in Northern Iberia (Asturias and Galician). They are a merge between Hispanic languages and Celtic languages.

[noahtylerpritchett]

With recent genetic and archaeological evidence, the Urnfield might of been the predecessors of the celts and by 2021 we think they had a presence In Kent and nearby areas. Just to let you know.

[noahtylerpritchett]

(Not Welsh ethnically) I am learning Welsh. Beautiful language

[noahtylerpritchett]

Britonnian is a celtic language in Galicia 600-800 from briton refugees