Continental Celtic languages

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Continental Celtic languages refer to a group of Celtic languages that were spoken on the European continent. These languages are distinct from the Insular Celtic languages, which are spoken on the British Isles. The Continental Celtic languages were spoken by the Celtic peoples in much of Europe from the Iron Age through to the early Middle Ages, until they gradually were replaced or absorbed by Latin, the Germanic languages, and other languages.

Classification

The Continental Celtic languages are classified into several branches, although the exact number and classification can vary among linguists. The most commonly recognized branches are:

• Gaulish: Once spoken in what is now France, parts of Italy, Switzerland, and possibly in the western Balkans. Gaulish texts have been found on inscriptions, pottery fragments, and coins.
• Lepontic: Considered by some linguists to be a variant of Gaulish, Lepontic was spoken in northern Italy and parts of Switzerland.
• Galatian: This language was spoken by the Galatians in central Anatolia, modern-day Turkey. The Galatians were a Celtic people who settled in the area after a migration across the Balkans and into Anatolia in the 3rd century BC.
• Hispano-Celtic or Celtiberian: A group of languages or dialects spoken in ancient Iberia, modern-day Spain and Portugal. Celtiberian is the best-attested of these languages, known from several inscriptions.
• Noric: Spoken in the region of Noricum, covering parts of modern-day Austria and Slovenia. Evidence for Noric is sparse and primarily epigraphic.

Characteristics

Continental Celtic languages share several linguistic characteristics, distinguishing them from the Insular Celtic languages. These include:

• The use of the sogdian script in some inscriptions, though most Continental Celtic inscriptions are in the Latin alphabet.
• A tendency towards syncretism in verb conjugations and noun declensions, though less so than in the Insular Celtic languages.
• The preservation of the Proto-Celtic *kw sound, which in the Insular Celtic languages evolved into *p.

Decline and Extinction

The decline of the Continental Celtic languages is attributed to a variety of factors, including the expansion of the Roman Empire and the Romanization of the Celtic-speaking populations, leading to the gradual adoption of Latin. The spread of the Germanic peoples and their languages into Celtic-speaking territories also contributed to the decline. By the end of the first millennium AD, most of the Continental Celtic languages had become extinct, with only limited records of their existence.

Legacy

Despite their extinction, the Continental Celtic languages have left a mark on the modern world. Place names, personal names, and some words within various European languages have Celtic origins. Additionally, the study of these languages provides valuable insights into the pre-Roman cultures of Europe and the early development of the Celtic languages.