Insular Celtic languages facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Insular Celtic languages are a group of six Celtic languages that started in the British Isles. Think of them as the only surviving members of the Celtic language family. Other Celtic languages, called Continental Celtic, are now extinct.

The six Insular Celtic languages we know today are split into two main groups:

Goidelic languages: These include Irish, Manx, and Scottish Gaelic. They are sometimes called "Q-Celtic" because they use a "Q" sound, often spelled with a "C" or "K."
Brittonic languages: This group has Breton, Cornish, and Welsh. Another language, Cumbric, used to be part of this group but is now extinct. Brittonic Celtic is also known as "P-Celtic" because it uses the letter "P" in certain words where Q-Celtic uses a "Q" sound.

Celtic Languages in Ancient Times

By the 4th century BC, most people living in the British Isles spoke a Celtic language. These languages were very common across the islands.

A famous story shows how different these languages could be. When the Irish abbot and missionary Columba met the Pictish king Bruide, they needed someone to translate for them. Columba spoke a Goidelic (Q-Celtic) language, while the Picts spoke a Brittonic (P-Celtic) language. This shows that even though both were Celtic, they were different enough to require a translator!

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