Audio reading of this section (English)
Next comes the question of iextis (language). At some point in the Ulumagos (Urnfield) period Senocelticos (Proto-Celtic) was starting to be spoken, though some claim even earlier. It is the language that in the Isarnoberios (Hallstatt) period, whom we will also discuss later, started off speaking. Most likely early on and as this culture progressed through time, the languages descended from it began to develop. Proto-Celtic gave rise to many languages, known as the Celtic family of Proto-Indo-European languages. Some other families of Proto-Indo-European languages are Indo-Iranian, Germanic, Balto-Slavic, Italic, Hellenic, Armenian, and Albanian. All emerged at different times and places as the “split off” from the “mother language”.
In the Celtic family of these Proto-Indo-European languages, Senocelticos (Proto-Celtic) emerged during either the Ulumagos (Urnfield) period. Exactly when in it is unknown. We see Lepontic (a Celtic language) inscriptions being found in the area of the Golasecca culture which is contemporary to the Isarnoberios (Hallstatt) culture, from which the Senogalatîs and their language emerge. Thus it is thought that Senocelticos is spoken by the Ulumagos (Urnfield) period into the Isarnoberios (Hallstatt) period, probably splitting off into early descendant languages like Lepontic, Celtiberian, and Senogalaticos. As the Celtic languages spread, in whichever era they may have, it splits into several languages.
Lepontic was one of the earliest known languages coming from Proto-Celtic (in Northern Italy). Celtiberian (in what is now Central Spain), Senogalaticos – Gaulish (much of what is now France, Belgium, Switzerland, Northern Italy, Southern Germany – also parts of Southern England, parts of Austria, parts of the Balkan region, and what is now Central Turkey), Brittonic (from Britain, in what is now England, Wales, Southern and Central Scotland, possibly Eastern and Northern Scotland if Pictish is also a Brittonic language, possibly the Isle of Mann early on), Goidelic (Ireland, Western Scotland) all descend from Proto-Celtic. Many of these languages unfortunately (save for the last two branches) did not survive long enough to leave descendants in the present.
The Celtic languages that are spoken today come from the Brittonic and Goidelic languages. Not all descendants of either survived. From Brittonic the ones that did survive are Cymraeg (Welsh – from Wales), Brezhoneg (Breton – spoken in Brittany), one that had effectively died for a bit over a century but was revived and is spoken again today is Kernewek (Cornish – in Cornwall). From Goidelic there are also three languages spoken today. Those are Gaeileg (Irish – from Ireland), Ghàidhlig (spoken in parts of Scotland), and Gaelg (spoken in the Isle of Mann – also revived after a period of death). As such, six languages from the Celtic family continue to be spoken, and in spite of many challenges that these languages face due to history of repression by English speakers (except Brittany, where French does this) efforts by the speakers of these six languages continue to preserve, teach, and carry them into the future.
For the focus of this piece of course, we will look at the time Senogalaticos (the Ancient Gaulish) language begins to emerge. Toward the middle or end of the time of the Isarnoberios (Hallstatt) culture, to hit its stride in the next era.
For a taste of what some words in Senocelticos may have been:
- English – Proto-Celtic Word List, a research project from the University of Wales
Bessus Nouiogalation 