The Sound of the Proto-Celtic language (Numbers, Words & Story)

This video was made for educational purposes only.

Proto-Celtic
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.

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[Infrared]

If you cross your ears, it almost sounds like old Latin. Which makes sense considering linguists believe there was an Italo-Celtic branch of PIE before they split.

[ignacioignogrundinglestheg]

As a Breton speaker I can see similarities between some words :
*alyos, *aralyos > all, arall (other)
*brassos, *māros > bras, meur (big, great)
*birros > berr (short)
*tenauyos > tanav (thin)
*benā (woman) > benel (feminine)
*kū > ki (dog)
*ruskos > rusk/ruskenn (bark)
*krokkeno-, *krokno- > kroc'henn (skin)
*kīkos > kig (meat)
*astkornu > askorn (bone)
*kornu- > korn (horn)
*lostā > lost (tail)
*genus > genoù (mouth)
*dantom > dent (tooth)
*glūnos > glin (knee)
*kalonā > kalon (heart)
*ana- > anal, analañ (to breathe)
*wel-o- > gwelet, gwelout (to see)
*klew-o > klevet, klevout (to hear)
*kuϕ-sko- > kousket (to sleep)
*labar-o- > lavar, lavarout (to say)
*kaneti > kanañ (to sing)
*sterā > sterenn, steredenn (star)
*glawā > glav (rain)
*linnā > lenn (lake)
*mori > mor (sea)
*glastos > glas (natural green, blue)
*matis > mat (good)
*drukos > droug, drouk (bad, angry/anger, mean)
*klēyos > kleiz (left)

*P.C. > Breton (English)

[erylevans]

As a Welsh speaker I think this is brilliant. So many words are familiar to me. Not only do we still use some of the same words, give or take a letter or two but they still have the same meaning today.

[jac]

Welsh similarities 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿:
[Note that the letter S in Proto-Celtic has shifted to other letters in Welsh (notably H, F and the Welsh letter ‘Ch’, as seen in the Scottish ‘loch’). Vowels also shift quite a bit as language develops, and in the Welsh alphabet, the letters ‘W’ and ‘Y’ are vowels, so they are also subject to these changes.]

Numbers:
1: oyno = un
2: dwāw = dau/dwy
3: trīs = tri
6: swexs = chwech
8: oxtū = wyth
9: nowan = naw
10: dekam = deg

Vocabulary:
I: *mī = fi
you: *tū = ti
we: *snīs = ni
not: *ne, *nīs = na/ni/nid
other: *aralyos = arall
big: *brassos = bras
big: *māros = mawr
long: *sīros = hir
fat: *tegus = tew
heavy: *trummos = trwm
small: *bikkos = bach
short: *birros = bir
thin: *tenauyos = tena
woman: *benā = benywaidd (Welsh word for feminine)
man (adult male): *wiros = gŵr (same for *wiros meaning husband)
man (human being): *gdonyos = dyn
mother: *mātīr = mam
fish: *øēskos = pysgod (ø symbol is my device’s closest approximation to the symbol)
bird: *øatar = adar
dog: *kū = ci (singular), cŵn (plural)
louse: *luwā = llau (singular), lleuen (plural)
snake: *natrixs = neidr
tree: *kwresnom = coeden (this one is a stretch)
forest: *kaito- = coedwig (also a stretch)
leaf: *dolnyā, *dolyā = deulen (singular), dail (plural)
root: *wridā = gwraidd (singular), gwreiddiau (plural)
bark: *ruskos = rhisgl
flower: *blātus = blodyn (singular) blodau (plural)
grass: *gweltā = glaswellt/gwelltglas
skin: *krokkeno-, *krokno = croen
meat: *kīkos = cig
bone: *astkornu = asgwrn
egg: *āuyom = ŵy
horn: *kornu- = corn
tail: *lostā = llosgwrn
hair: *woltos = gwallt
ear: *kloustā = clyst/clystiau (singular/plural)
eye: *lukato- = llygad
mouth: *genus = genau (for ‘mouth’) or gen (used to mean ‘chin’ as far as I’m aware)
tooth: *dantom = dant
fingernail: *angwīnā = ewin/ewinedd
foot: *tregess = troed
leg: *koxsā = coes/coesau
knee: *glūnos = clun (meaning thigh), pen-glin (for knee)
wing: *øatanī = adain/adenydd
belly: *bolgos = bol
heart: *kalonā = calon

to drink: *øibeti = yfed
to eat: *øiteti = bwyta
to bite: *knā-yo- = cnoi
to breathe: *ana- = anadlu
to see: *wel-o- = gweld
to hear: *klew-o = clywed
to know: *wi-n-d-o = gwybod
to fear: *obno- = ofni
to sleep: *kuø-sko- = cysgu
to live: *biwo- = byw
to hunt: *selgā = hela
to dig: *kladyeti = cloddio (to dig) or claddu (to bury)
to fly: *øet-o- = hedfan
to sit: *sed-o- = eistedd
to fall: *ki-yo = cwympo (another stretch)
to hold: *delg-o- = dal
to sew: *nē-yo- = gwnïo
to count: *rimā = rhif (number)
to say: *labar-o- = llafar (meaning ‘verbal’)
to sing: *kaneti = canu
to flow: *liy-o- = llifo

sun: *sāwol = haul
moon: *lugrā = lleuad
star: *sterā = seren
water: *dubros = dŵr
rain: *glawā = glaw
river: *abū = afon
lake: *linnā = llyn
sea: *mori = môr
salt: *salanos = halen
stone: *magino- = maen
sky: *nemos = nen
wind: *wintos = gwynt
fire: *teønets = tân
ash: *loutus = lludw (assuming ‘ash’ as in the substance, not the tree)
mountain: *moniyo- = mynydd
green: *glastos = glas (meaning blue - the Celts saw blue and green as shades of the same colour)
white: *windos = gwyn
black: *dubus = du
night: *noxs = nos
day(time): *dīyos = dydd
year: *blēdnī = blwyddyn
warm (as in weather): *teøsmi = twym
cold (as in weather): *ougros = oer
full: *ølānos = llawn
new: *nouyos = newydd
old: *senos = hen
good: *dagos = da
bad: *drukos = drwg
round: *krundis = crwn
wet: *wlikwos = gwlyb
dry: *siskwos = sych
near: *onkos = agos
right (side): *dexswos = de
in: *en = yn

[oittlaz]

As a Brazilian Portuguese speaker, find out that "Horn" in proto-celtic is "Kornu" made my day.

[samrovito]

You can hear the similarities between proto-italic. really cool!

[Nista]

Oyno - jedan
Dwãw - dva
Trīs - tri
Kwetwores - četiri (četvoro)
Kwenkwe - pet
Swexs - šest
Sextam - sedam
Oxtū - osam
Nowan - devet
Dekam - deset
Mī - mi (meni)
Tū - ti
Swīs, swīsswīs - svi, svi vi (all of you)
Yoi - oni
Emo - to
Sondo - ovde
Sindo-de - ono onde
Anda - onde
Kwēs - ko (ko je)
Kwuts - kud
Kwan(o) - kad(a)
Ne - ne
Olyos - svo
Filu - puno
Nekwos - neko (some)
Nekwos - neko (few)
Tegus - gust
Trummos - trom
Angus - uzak (usko)
Tenauyos - tanko
Benā - žena
Mãtīr - mater
Fetnos - ptica
Kū - kuče
Luwā - buva
Kwrimis - crvić
Kwresnom - krošnja (krošnjom)
Sīlom - seme
Mīros - meso
Krokno - krzno (fur)
Krowos - krv (krvavo)
Knãmis - kost
Āuyom - jaje (jajetom)
Woltos - vlasi
Ausos - uho (uši)
Lukato - oko
Fibeti - piti (popiti)
Ed-o - jedi
Swizd-o- zviždi
Wi-n-d-o - vidim
Biwo - bivati (to exist)
Gwaneti - raniti (to wound)
Wiketi - vikati (to yell at someone)
Binati - biti (to hit someone)
Skiy-o- seko (he cut)
Leg-o- lego (he lied down)
Sed-o- sedeti
Sistā - stoji (stajati)
Dāti - dati
Liy-o- lije
Mori - more
Salanos - so (salty-slano)
Nemos - nebo
Snigwyo - sneg (snežno)
Sentus - cesta
Bānos - belo
Noxs - noć
Dīyos - dan
Nouyos - novo
Senos - star (starost)
Krundis - okrugao
Wlikwos - vlažno
Siskwos - suvo
Kweslos - daleko
Dexswas - desno
Klēyos - levo
Onkos - kod
En - u
Kom - s'kim
Eti - i
Anman - ime
Iāi - koji
Ulanā - vuna
Ūegnom - vagon
Oūis - ovca
Suebei - sebi
Esti - jeste

Greetings to all Celtic peoples ❤

[buarath]

Celtic languages are absolutely awesome! Proto-Celtic is very similar to Latin and so Italian

Let me add similaties with Latvian -

English / Proto-Celtic / Latvian:
You / *tū / tu
man / *wiros / vīrs
husband / *wiros / vīrs
mother / *mātīr / māte
ear / *ausos / auss
to give / *dāti / dot
to sing / *kaneti / skanēt (making sound)
Sun / *sāwol / Saule
water / *udenskyos / ūdens
salt / *salanos / sāls
snow / *snigyo / sniegs
red / *roudos / ruds
night / *noxs / nakts
day / *dīyos / diena
new / *nouyos / jauns
old / *senos / sens

[tinaloflin]

I have learned Irish. The words sound, many of them, like that language. It's fascinating. Thank you.
I love this, a lot.

[misererenobis]

As a Portuguese speaker, I could definitely make out a few of these words.

[DudeWatIsThis]

Indoeuropean: **exists**
Everyone here: "HeY LoOk ThiS SoUndS LiKe My LaNGuAgE!!!!1!!1"

[its_kolesza]

The similarities with the the romance languages are really impressive. native speaker here

[miglius]

2:47 Some standard (TI) Here even in Proto.Celtic vs Lithuanian
Gerti= To drink
Valgiti = To eat
Kasti = to bite
Ciulpti = to suck
Vemti= to vomit
Pusti = to blow
Kvemuoti = to breath
Joukti= to laugh
Matiti= to see
Girdeti = to hear
And so own...
Some words like "new" sounds like Naujas and Naujos :O, and "full" Pilnas, Pinos same with "Old" Senas, Senos.Same speled as in Lithuanian there are many words we use to this day.

[slyninja]

A lot of these words sound very similar to romance languages.

Makes me wonder if Celtic and Romance are closer together on the language tree.

[Majorie]

Wow. As a European Portuguese speaker I can totally hear how proto-celtic could have influenced our phonetics! I still wonder though how some of our s sounds started to sound similar to some russian sounds (don't know how they are written) :D

[randomperson]

Similarities between Proto Celtic and Portuguese:

Proto-Celtic- Quan’ō (When)
Portuguese- Quando (When)

Proto-Celtic- Kornu (Horn)
Portuguese- Corno (Horn, same spelling)

Proto-Celtic- Dīyos (Day)
Portuguese- Dia (Day)

Proto-Celtic- En (In)
Portuguese- Em (In, same spelling)

Proto-Celtic- Kom (With)
Portuguese- Com (With)

I’m a native speaker of Portuguese

[PLUTONIUM]

creepily similar with old latin and greek

[jeffondrement]

Krowos (blood) almost identical with Baltic and Slavic
Dati = like serbo-croatian

[davidmanrique]

So, this could be a probably language spoken by Hallstatt culture?