who is closer: Celts and Germanics or Slavs and Balts?

[safinator]

Celts and Germanics

[Andrew]

Baltic and Slavic languages are closer to each other than Celtic and Germanic are to each other. Baltic and Slavic both evolved from Balto-Slavic, and like Stefan has mentioned, Celtic evolved from Celto-Italic.
As far as linguists know, Germanic is just a group on its own. It may have some connection to long extinct, forgotten language families, but we'll never know now.

As for culture, Balts and Slavs are pretty close. I'd say ancient Celts and Germanics were pretty similar too, although Celtic religion was drastically different from Germanic, Slavic or Baltic and ancient Germanics were probably closer overall to Slavs and Balts.

In a modern context though, the remnants of the Celts are closer to the Germanics due to English domination and isolation from the Romance (Italic) areas of Europe (Brittany being the exception). Modern Celts are closer to Germanics than Slavs and Balts are to each other, but overall, Germanics are quite a unique group and have had a large influence over their Celtic and Finnic neighbours.

Balts and Slavs.
Celtics and Germans seem to me pretty different, in terms of phenotypes, styles and general attitude.

Seem pretty similar to me.

I know there is this Celto-Germanic "friendship" propagated on this kind of forums, but I don't know much about it.

It sort of exists in real life, modern Celts are very much North Western. Scotland is trying to position itself as a Nordic country for example.

[Ianus]

Balts and Slavs

[justme]

Slavs and Balts.

[Grace O'Malley]

I think Celts and Germanics would be very close as the original Celts came for Middle Europe - Germany, Switzerland etc. Celtic is mostly a culture though and I am not sure how much genetics the modern Celts of Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Brittany share with the original Celts.

[Albion]

Slavs and Germanics (except for English - we're closer to Celts).

[Cail]

Closer in what? Linguistically, Germanics are closer to Balto-Slavs then they are to Celts. Anthropologically, it's impossible to give a straight answer since modern Germanic populations are too diverse, some are basically Celtic genetically, while others have a lot of Slavic blood, and yet others are relatively pure. Historically, ancient Germanic tribes were more closely related to the Balto-Slavic ones (same reason as for the language - shared Germano-Balto-Slavic ancestral origin).

[Äike]

Slavs and Balts for sure, there's a reason why some linguists still use the term "Balto-Slavic", as they split so recently.

Balto-Slavs are all Eastern-Europeans to me as they're about in terms of culture, mentality and language (with some deviations, like the Balts).

[Not a Cop]

Basicly ancient Germanics should be closer to Balto-Slavs, then to Celt, in modern terms - Balto-Slavs are closer

[JeanBaMac]

Baltic and Slavic languages are closer to each other than Celtic and Germanic are to each other. Baltic and Slavic both evolved from Balto-Slavic, and like Stefan has mentioned, Celtic evolved from Celto-Italic.
As far as linguists know, Germanic is just a group on its own. It may have some connection to long extinct, forgotten language families, but we'll never know now.

As for culture, Balts and Slavs are pretty close. I'd say ancient Celts and Germanics were pretty similar too, although Celtic religion was drastically different from Germanic, Slavic or Baltic and ancient Germanics were probably closer overall to Slavs and Balts.

In a modern context though, the remnants of the Celts are closer to the Germanics due to English domination and isolation from the Romance (Italic) areas of Europe (Brittany being the exception). Modern Celts are closer to Germanics than Slavs and Balts are to each other, but overall, Germanics are quite a unique group and have had a large influence over their Celtic and Finnic neighbours.



Seem pretty similar to me.



It sort of exists in real life, modern Celts are very much North Western. Scotland is trying to position itself as a Nordic country for example.

There is also a strong Celtic admixture in England, the Netherlands and Southern Germany.