Celtic languages

Branch of the Indo-European family, divided into two groups: the Brythonic or P-Celtic (Welsh language, Cornish, Breton, and Gaulish) and the Goidelic or Q-Celtic (Irish, Scottish, and Manx Gaelic languages). Celtic languages once stretched from the Black Sea to Britain, but have been in decline for centuries, limited to the so-called ‘Celtic fringe’ of western Europe.

All Celtic languages are generally in decline despite the efforts of broadcasters, ‘revitalist’ organizations, and pressure groups. The most notable efforts have been in Welsh (see Welsh Language).

As their names suggest, a major distinction between the two groups is that where Brythonic has p (as in Old Welsh map, ‘son’) Goidelic has a q sound (as in Gaelic mac, ‘son’). Gaulish is the long-extinct language of ancient Gaul. Cornish died out as a natural language in the late 18th century and Manx in 1974.