A team of linguists from Aberystwyth University has embarked on an ambitious project to compile what's believed to be the first complete dictionary of ancient Celtic languages. Spanning over 1,000 years, the dictionary will include words from around 325BC to AD500, a period when Celtic languages were spoken in parts of the UK and Ireland.
Experts say that despite the passage of time, remnants of these ancient languages have survived, albeit in fragments. To create this comprehensive dictionary, researchers are drawing on a range of sources, including Julius Caesar's account of his conquests, ancient memorial stones, and administrative records from the Roman era.
One of the key figures behind this project is Dr Simon Rodway, who explains that by combining these disparate sources, the team hopes to gain insights into the nature of Celtic languages spoken in Britain and Ireland at the dawn of history. "The picture of the linguistic landscape of Britain and Ireland will be of interest not only to linguists but to historians, archaeologists, and archaeogeneticists," he says.
Interestingly, modern Celtic languages such as Welsh, Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Breton, and Cornish retain roots in their ancient counterparts, with similarities between words that reflect this shared heritage. For instance, the word for "sea" in Welsh is "môr", while in Old Irish it's "muir". This connection can be seen in placenames like Moridunum, an ancient name for Carmarthen in south-west Wales.
The team is working to uncover patterns and relationships between these ancient words, using documents written in Latin or Greek that contain Celtic names. Dr Rodway notes that the majority of these sources come from Roman Britain, with lesser amounts from Ireland during the same period. However, they also have a wealth of material from inscriptions on stones in Cornwall and Ireland, including the Ogham alphabet.
Despite the challenges, the team is optimistic about their project, which plans to produce both online and printed versions of the dictionary. By bringing together fragmented sources and analyzing them, they hope to shed new light on the history and evolution of ancient Celtic languages.
Experts say that despite the passage of time, remnants of these ancient languages have survived, albeit in fragments. To create this comprehensive dictionary, researchers are drawing on a range of sources, including Julius Caesar's account of his conquests, ancient memorial stones, and administrative records from the Roman era.
One of the key figures behind this project is Dr Simon Rodway, who explains that by combining these disparate sources, the team hopes to gain insights into the nature of Celtic languages spoken in Britain and Ireland at the dawn of history. "The picture of the linguistic landscape of Britain and Ireland will be of interest not only to linguists but to historians, archaeologists, and archaeogeneticists," he says.
Interestingly, modern Celtic languages such as Welsh, Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Breton, and Cornish retain roots in their ancient counterparts, with similarities between words that reflect this shared heritage. For instance, the word for "sea" in Welsh is "môr", while in Old Irish it's "muir". This connection can be seen in placenames like Moridunum, an ancient name for Carmarthen in south-west Wales.
The team is working to uncover patterns and relationships between these ancient words, using documents written in Latin or Greek that contain Celtic names. Dr Rodway notes that the majority of these sources come from Roman Britain, with lesser amounts from Ireland during the same period. However, they also have a wealth of material from inscriptions on stones in Cornwall and Ireland, including the Ogham alphabet.
Despite the challenges, the team is optimistic about their project, which plans to produce both online and printed versions of the dictionary. By bringing together fragmented sources and analyzing them, they hope to shed new light on the history and evolution of ancient Celtic languages.
like, mor in welsh is literally "sea" and muir in old irish is also "sea" I mean, that makes sense but what about other words how do they compare? 
are we gonna learn some new slang from our ancient ancestors lol 
The fact that they're using stuff like Julius Caesar's account and old memorial stones is insane! And it's crazy how modern Celtic languages still have roots in the ancient ones... I mean, "môr" for sea in Welsh and Old Irish is literally mind-blowing 
. But what really gets me excited is the potential to uncover patterns and relationships between these ancient words 
. Like, we're talking about a whole new level of understanding about the history and evolution of Celtic languages! 
. And the fact that they're using all these different sources like Julius Caesar's accounts and ancient stones is genius 
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. And can you imagine the insights they'll get into the linguistic landscape of Britain and Ireland at that time? It'll be like having a glimpse into history through language itself 
!
A COMPLETE DICTIONARY OF ANCIENT CELTIC LANGUAGES WOULD BE AMAZING! I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FATHERLAND OF WALES AND IRELAND HERE, WHERE THE ANCIENT CELTS SPARKED SO MUCH HISTORY AND CULTURE!!! 
THE FACT THAT MODERN CELTIC LANGUAGES LIKE WELSH AND IRISH STILL HAVE ROOTS IN THEIR ANCIENT ANCESTORS IS MIND-BLOWING. I MEAN, CAN YOU IMAGINE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE WORD FOR "SEA" IN ANCIENT WELSH? 
This dictionary project is like a puzzle that's been waiting to be solved for centuries! I mean, think about it - we're talking about a language that's over 2,000 years old and still has roots in modern Celtic languages like Welsh and Irish. It's crazy to see how words like "môr" (sea) have similar meanings across different ancient languages 
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, but the fact that it's helping linguists and historians piece together the puzzle is just amazing. And it's not just about the words themselves, but how they're connected to the people who spoke them - it's like, a window into their daily lives and culture.
. I'm excited to see what they come up with - maybe we'll learn something totally new about our own language history too 
. I love how words like "môr" for sea in Welsh and Old Irish are connected. And can you imagine the patterns and relationships they're gonna uncover? It's like putting together a giant puzzle, but with language and history as the pieces.
. And they've got a ton of material from inscriptions on stones in Cornwall and Ireland. It's like they're digging up secrets from the past.