Q-Celtic Hypothesis
The P-Celtic/Q-Celtic hypothesis is a categorization for the Celtic languages. The theory links Gaulish with Brythonic as P-Celtic and links Goidelic with Celtiberian as Q-Celtic. The difference between P and Q languages is the treatment of Proto-Celtic *kw, which became *p in the P-Celtic languages but *k in Goidelic. For example the word for head is pen in Brythonic languages but ceann in Goidelic; the word for son is mab (earlier map) in Brythonic but mac in Goidelic – maqq on the Primitive Irish Ogham inscriptions.
P-Celtic incorporates the following:
- Gallic
- Gaulish
- Lepontic
- Noric
- Galatian
- Pritennic
- Pictish
- Brythonic (British)
- West Brythonic
- Old Welsh
- Middle Welsh
- Welsh
- Middle Welsh
- Cumbric
- Old Welsh
- Southwestern Brythonic
- Old Breton
- Middle Breton
- Breton
- Middle Breton
- Old Cornish
- Middle Cornish
- Cornish
- Middle Cornish
- Old Breton
- West Brythonic
Q-Celtic incorporates the following:
- Goidelic
- Primitive Irish
- Old Irish
- Middle Irish
- Irish
- Scottish Gaelic
- Manx
- Middle Irish
- Old Irish
- Primitive Irish
- Celtiberian languages
- Celtiberian
- Northwestern Hispano-Celtic
Read more about Q-Celtic Hypothesis: Alternative Theories
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