P-Celtic And Q-Celtic Languages
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 P-Celtic And Q-Celtic Languages: Alternative Theories
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“Science and technology multiply around us. To an increasing extent they dictate the languages in which we speak and think. Either we use those languages, or we remain mute.”
—J.G. (James Graham)