Scholars Uncover 1,000 Ancient Celtic Words for First-Ever Dictionary
A team of linguists from Aberystwyth University has embarked on a groundbreaking project - compiling the world's first complete dictionary of ancient Celtic. The endeavor aims to bring together disparate sources, including Julius Caesar's account of his conquests and ancient memorial stones, to provide an unprecedented insight into the nature of Celtic languages spoken in Britain and Ireland 2,000 years ago.
The dictionary is unlikely to be a large volume due to the scarcity of words that have survived over time. However, experts expect to compile more than 1,000 words, offering a unique glimpse into the linguistic landscape of the region at the dawn of history. This comprehensive dictionary will not only shed light on ancient Celtic languages but also provide valuable information for historians, archaeologists, and archaeogeneticists.
Dr. Simon Rodway, a senior lecturer in Welsh and Celtic studies, expressed his excitement about being part of this monumental project. "By bringing together these disparate sources, we're going to gain an unparalleled understanding of the nature of Celtic languages spoken on these islands at the dawn of history," he said.
One of the most intriguing aspects of this dictionary is that it highlights similarities between modern Celtic languages such as Welsh, Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Breton, and Cornish. For instance, the word for sea in Welsh (môr) shares a common root with Old Irish (muir), found in ancient names like Moridunum - an ancient name for Carmarthen in south-west Wales.
Rodway noted that while modern Celtic languages have evolved differently, they share a common thread. "We're going to try and get everything together and see what patterns emerge," he said.
The team is also exploring Roman Britain's administrative records, which contain fragments of Celtic words written in Latin. Dr. Rodway revealed that the bulk of the material will come from the Roman period in Britain (1st to 4th centuries AD) and Ireland (from the second century onwards). In contrast, Ireland had relatively little contact with the Romans due to not being part of their empire.
Another source of information for this dictionary is inscriptions on stones using the Ogham alphabet - a unique system used by ancient cultures in north-west Europe. These stones provide valuable insights into the linguistic landscape of early Britain and Ireland.
The project's ultimate goal is to produce both online and printed versions of the dictionary, offering an unparalleled resource for scholars and enthusiasts alike.
A team of linguists from Aberystwyth University has embarked on a groundbreaking project - compiling the world's first complete dictionary of ancient Celtic. The endeavor aims to bring together disparate sources, including Julius Caesar's account of his conquests and ancient memorial stones, to provide an unprecedented insight into the nature of Celtic languages spoken in Britain and Ireland 2,000 years ago.
The dictionary is unlikely to be a large volume due to the scarcity of words that have survived over time. However, experts expect to compile more than 1,000 words, offering a unique glimpse into the linguistic landscape of the region at the dawn of history. This comprehensive dictionary will not only shed light on ancient Celtic languages but also provide valuable information for historians, archaeologists, and archaeogeneticists.
Dr. Simon Rodway, a senior lecturer in Welsh and Celtic studies, expressed his excitement about being part of this monumental project. "By bringing together these disparate sources, we're going to gain an unparalleled understanding of the nature of Celtic languages spoken on these islands at the dawn of history," he said.
One of the most intriguing aspects of this dictionary is that it highlights similarities between modern Celtic languages such as Welsh, Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Breton, and Cornish. For instance, the word for sea in Welsh (môr) shares a common root with Old Irish (muir), found in ancient names like Moridunum - an ancient name for Carmarthen in south-west Wales.
Rodway noted that while modern Celtic languages have evolved differently, they share a common thread. "We're going to try and get everything together and see what patterns emerge," he said.
The team is also exploring Roman Britain's administrative records, which contain fragments of Celtic words written in Latin. Dr. Rodway revealed that the bulk of the material will come from the Roman period in Britain (1st to 4th centuries AD) and Ireland (from the second century onwards). In contrast, Ireland had relatively little contact with the Romans due to not being part of their empire.
Another source of information for this dictionary is inscriptions on stones using the Ogham alphabet - a unique system used by ancient cultures in north-west Europe. These stones provide valuable insights into the linguistic landscape of early Britain and Ireland.
The project's ultimate goal is to produce both online and printed versions of the dictionary, offering an unparalleled resource for scholars and enthusiasts alike.
! 1,000 ancient Celtic words? That's just gonna be a bunch of obscure stuff that nobody's even gonna use 
. What's the point of having an online dictionary when you can't even look up words in real-time like Google? And don't even get me started on how it's only gonna shed light on ancient history... like we didn't already know that 
. Can they just make a fun, interactive app with some decent features for once? 
️ I love how they're gonna try to get all the similarities between modern Celts languages too. Like Welsh and Irish sharing the same root for sea? 
that's just wild! And using Roman Britain's admin records and Ogham stones? That's like digging up ancient secrets 
can't wait to see what patterns emerge! 
. I mean, we already know that languages evolve over time and words get lost or change meanings. It's not like they're discovering new concepts or anything 
. And 1,000 words is just a drop in the bucket considering how many languages have been spoken throughout history.
. I get it, there are similarities and all that, but it's not like we didn't know that already 
. I mean, I'm all for accessibility, but can't they do better than this? 
a 1000 yrs old dictioary lol thats amazin 
and now we get to no what they said 
cant w8 2 c this come 2 life 
. I mean, who would've thought that the word for sea in Welsh (môr) was connected to Old Irish (muir)? It's like, our ancestors were way more clever than we give them credit for 
Like, how many words did people actually use back then? 
that's gonna be so helpful for historians and stuff. 
And having both online and printed versions will make it so accessible to everyone, not just scholars. I'm all for preserving our history and language, and this project is an amazing step in that direction 
. Like, who knew Welsh and Irish shared a root for sea? It's wild how much history is hidden in these old languages.
. Plus, the fact that they're making it both online and printed is genius 
I mean, think about all the cool words we've been missing out on learning, like "môr" for sea in Welsh and Irish. It's crazy to see how many languages are actually connected, you know? Like, Scottish Gaelic and Breton, they're basically cousins or something 
. i also love how it highlights the similarities between modern Celtic languages, like welsh and irish...its crazy to think that despite them changing over time, they share common roots 