What if the Celts in continental Europe hadn't adopted Roman languages?

[Grace O'Malley]

"Celt" was a term used by Romans to refer only to those from Continental Europe, it was never used by them to name the peoples from Britannia and Hibernia.

Well, if the Celts hadn't been Romanized today's regions corresponding to France, Northern Italy, Portugal and Spain, as well as a handful of territories in Eastern Europe and Anatolia would be speaking a Celtic language.

These States as we know would not exist. Instead of Spain, Portugal and France we would have lots of Celtic states, and maybe a "United Gaul" (France and Northern Italy). But maybe some of them wouldn't have survived to the Germanic inavsions and we would have lots of England-like nations, Celto-Germanic.

Uhtred I personally think that the Celts only survive in Ireland, Scotland and Wales especially Wales and Ireland. We are the only populations that have any connection to Celtic languages and also Celtic genetics. Is there any similar populations than the Welsh and Irish? Look at Dylan Thomas and Brendan Behan two peds in a pod. The populations I feel closest to as an Irish person are Welsh, Scottish, English and then Breton, Galician and Spanish.

[Smaug]

Uhtred I personally think that the Celts only survive in Ireland, Scotland and Wales especially Wales and Ireland. We are the only populations that have any connection to Celtic languages and also Celtic genetics. Is there any similar populations than the Welsh and Irish? Look at Dylan Thomas and Brendan Behan two peds in a pod. The populations I feel closest to as an Irish person are Welsh, Scottish, English and then Breton, Galician and Spanish.

I agree, Welsh, Irish and Scots, mainly Hebrideans, are the only Celts left. I'd also include Bretons, since their Celtic language is still alive. There are Celticist movements that are working on the revitalization of Manx and Cornish, as well as some Continental Celtic languages. Lusitanian from Central Portugal has been completely reconstructed and I know they are already working on Gallaic, the Q-Celtic language of Northern Portugal and Galicia, that is related to Irish. I'm looking forward to see the reconstruction of Gaulish and Celtic languages from Northern Italy. Perhaps one day the number of Celtic Nations will increase!

As for the populations I feel closest to as a Welshman are Irish, Scots, English (mainly Southern), Manx, Bretons, Iberians, French and Northern Italians.

[Grace O'Malley]

I agree, Welsh, Irish and Scots, mainly Hebrideans, are the only Celts left. I'd also include Bretons, since their Celtic language is still alive. There are Celticist movements that are working on the revitalization of Manx and Cornish, as well as some Continental Celtic languages. Lusitanian from Central Portugal has been completely reconstructed and I know they are already working on Gallaic, the Q-Celtic language of Northern Portugal and Galicia, that is related to Irish. I'm looking forward to see the reconstruction of Gaulish and Celtic languages from Northern Italy. Perhaps one day the number of Celtic Nations will increase!

As for the populations I feel closest to as a Welshman are Irish, Scots, English (mainly Southern), Manx, Bretons, Iberians, French and Northern Italians.

Yes I agree. The closest populations are Welsh, Irish, Scots, Manx,Bretons, French, Iberians and Northern Italian. These are the closest populations to the Celts. We are surviving in outposts like Australia, United States and South America but the Irish and Welsh have a very close connection in language and genetics.

[Wolf]

Yes I agree. The closest populations are Welsh, Irish, Scots, Manx,Bretons, French, Iberians and Northern Italian. These are the closest populations to the Celts.

How can you be so sure about that? Non of these lands is located in the historical Celtic area of origin.

[Damião de Góis]

How can you be so sure about that? Non of these lands is located in the historical Celtic area of origin.

I don't know much about the history of the Celts. But didn't germanics chased them away from those areas, which made them move elsewhere?

[CordedWhelp]

Ah, the celtic controversy...

I think celtic blood is to be found in southern Germany going westward, and of course, the British Isles. Now, it may be appropriate to think of two main genetic stocks under the celtic umbrella: Monolith builders, and Gaels.

And who says the English are 100% Germanic? I thought genetic testing over the last decade has made it clear that most of the genes among most English are inherited from the Pre-Roman populations?

[Smaug]

Yes I agree. The closest populations are Welsh, Irish, Scots, Manx,Bretons, French, Iberians and Northern Italian. These are the closest populations to the Celts. We are surviving in outposts like Australia, United States and South America but the Irish and Welsh have a very close connection in language and genetics.

Aye, Irish and Welsh in USA, Canada, Australia and NZ. There are also some Irish in Chile and Welsh in Argentina and Southern Brazil.

[Grace O'Malley]

Yes Wolf that is true. Being Celtic is a very disputed category. No one can deny the Celtic legacy of countries like Ireland and Wales though. We are the countries where Celtic language and mythology is measured. Where would the Celts be without Ireland and Wales? No matter what anyone says the Irish and Welsh do share a genetic connection and also a lot of Celtic practices and culture would not have survived without Irish and Welsh literature. If there is not a genetic connection between the original celtic region of South Germany and Switzerland the Celtic culture and all it is would not have survived without the influence of Ireland and Wales.

[WOOHP]

Uhtred I personally think that the Celts only survive in Ireland, Scotland and Wales especially Wales and Ireland. We are the only populations that have any connection to Celtic languages and also Celtic genetics. Is there any similar populations than the Welsh and Irish? Look at Dylan Thomas and Brendan Behan two peds in a pod. The populations I feel closest to as an Irish person are Welsh, Scottish, English and then Breton, Galician and Spanish.

Celtic genetics? Irish score higher North Euro than the Germanic English. The Northwestern European component peaks somewhere in Ireland or in Norway/Sweden/Denmark, the latter three being probably the most Germanic people of today whilst Ireland is almost purely Celtic with minor Norwegian/North Germanic input. Celts where(and possibly are if we count modern day Frenchmen, Iberians, Germans, Austrians, Swiss and so on as Celts) very diverse. The British Celts are closely related to Germanics, if we look at it from a genetical perspective.

[Wolf]

I don't know much about the history of the Celts. But didn't germanics chased them away from those areas, which made them move elsewhere?

The Celts were already migrating before they had been engaged with Germanic peoples.