Western Brittonic languages facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Western Brittonic |
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| Geographic distribution: |
Wales; formerly Northern England and Scotland |
| Linguistic classification: | Indo-European
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| Subdivisions: |
Cumbric †
Pictish †
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Western Brittonic languages are a group of languages that developed from an older language called Common Brittonic. Think of Common Brittonic as a parent language that split into two main branches during the Early Middle Ages. One branch became the Western Brittonic languages, and the other became the Southwestern Brittonic languages.
This split happened because of historical events. A major event often linked to this split is the Battle of Deorham in the year 577. During this battle, the Saxons from Wessex won, and their victory effectively divided Brittonic-speaking Britain into two parts. This separation caused the Western and Southwestern language groups to grow and change differently over time.
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What Are Western Brittonic Languages?
Western Brittonic languages are a family of languages that were spoken in specific parts of Britain. They are part of the larger Brittonic group, which itself is a branch of the Celtic family. The most well-known Western Brittonic language that is still spoken today is Welsh.
Where Were These Languages Spoken?
These languages were spoken in two main areas. One area was Wales, where the language eventually developed into modern Welsh. The other area was known as the Hen Ogledd, which means "Old North" in Welsh. This region covered parts of northern England and southern Scotland.
What Happened to These Languages?
One of the Western Brittonic languages spoken in Wales changed over time into Old Welsh and then into the modern Welsh language we know today.
However, the language spoken in the yr Hen Ogledd, called Cumbric, eventually died out. This happened after the expansion of a group called the Dál Riata, who spoke a language called Middle Irish.
The Southwestern Brittonic languages, which were the other branch from Common Brittonic, became the ancestors of Cornish and Breton.
Another Idea About These Languages
Not all experts agree on the exact family tree of these languages. For example, a scholar named Alan James has suggested a different idea. He believes that Cumbric and Pictish (another ancient language) were more closely related to each other than they were to Welsh. This shows that understanding ancient languages can sometimes have different theories!
