Celtic languages
| Celtic | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution: | Formerly widespread in Europe; today British Isles, Brittany, Patagonia and Nova Scotia |
| Linguistic classification: | Indo-European
|
| Proto-language: | Proto-Celtic |
| Subdivisions: | |
| ISO 639-2 and 639-5: | cel |
The Celtic languages are a language family of the Indo-European languages. They were once more widespread among the Celts. Six Celtic languages are still spoken today in north-western Europe. They are divided into two groups: the Goidelic (or Gaelic) languages and the Brythonic (or British) languages.
The three Goidelic languages that are still spoken are Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Manx. Scottish Gaelic is the main language spoken in parts of north-eastern Scotland. Irish is the main language spoken in the Gaeltacht, in Ireland. Manx is spoken mainly by people interested in the language but used to be spoken on the Isle of Man.
The three Brythonic languages that are still spoken are Welsh, Cornish, and Breton. Cornish became extinct in the 18th century, but some people have started to speak it again in Cornwall, in north-western Great Britain. Welsh is spoken everywhere throughout Wales, but it is the first language for people mainly in the north and the west of Wales, in the area that some people call the Bro Gymraeg. Breton is spoken mainly in western Brittany and is the only Celtic language that is not spoken mainly on the British Isles. Because Brittany is part of France, the language is in danger of becoming extinct, just like Cornish, and efforts are ongoing to prevent that from happening.
Scottish Gaelic also has a native community of speakers in Canada, where it was once widely spoken, especially in Nova Scotia, and there are Welsh-speakers in Patagonia, Argentina.