My friend told me that Welsh and Irish are not Indo-European. I can actually understand that because they don't sound or look anything like Indo-European languages. And we all know that Welsh and Irish are not related to English, which is an Indo-European language. While the Anglo-Saxons arrived in Britain, the original Celtic Britons could not understand anything of what they said, and that shows that Celtic languages and Anglo-Saxon language are not in the same family. I know that Welsh and Irish belong to the Celtic language family, but are they related to other languages?
I find Welsh and Irish among the most beautiful languages in the world, and there is no wonder why Tolkien based the elven languages on Welsh, Irish and Finnish. I think Finnish looks a lot like Celtic languages. Is there any relationship between Welsh, Irish and Finnish?

Wales is a small country of mountains and sea-coasts in the west of Britain.The Cambrian mountains form its backbone.In 2005 the population of Wales was 2,900,000 people.The majority of them live in the southern valleys and in the coastal areas where the main urban centres are situated.Cardiff is the capital city,while other major towns are Swansea and Bangor.
Even if everyone in Wales speaks english, 20 per cent of the inhabitants speak Welsh as their first language.Welsh is one of the six Celtic languages of Europe, together with Scottish Gaelic,Irish,Breton,Cornish and Manx.In Welsh tha name of the region is Cymru whic means "land of brotherhood".
In 1999, after a referendum, a National Assembley for Wales was set up in Cardiff.This body examines and decides all the matters that regard the people of Wales,like the social services, education,transport,the environment,etc..Like the Scots,Welsh people are very pround of their identity,their way of life and their traditions.Singing is almost a way of life for them.At rugby matches,crowds spontaneously start singing the national anthem "Land of My Fathers" particulary if Wales is playing against England!

THANK YOU HI

particularly*

The Celtic languages are . Irish, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic. Manx. Cornish and Breton.

I speak Welsh it's my first language native language, I have a cupla folca in Irish, i am a beginner at Cornish but i can understand Cornish fluently when spoken due to it's similarity to Welsh
I am fully fluent in German, Welsh, English and Afrikaans, Can get by quite well with Spanish and Dutch also with cornish.

How come you are fluent i 7 languages before your own that makes no sense to me what so ever?

Ble mae dy barch am dy iaith? Where's your respect for your language?
Diolch pudleddu o ble yng Nghymru wyt ti?

Other than standard English, Gaelic (in Ireland) and Welsh (in Wales), what Celtic languages still survive ion the UK and Ireland? What is the most ancient language in Scotland that is still spoken? Is there a ancient language other than English spoken in England? Thanks

Celtic nationalism. But Scots, Welsh, Cornish and Irish people are not Celts, this has been proven with genetics and lack of archaeological evidence (no suggestion of a mass invasion of Celts).

These people have rich cultures and rich history. They want to revive their archaic languages because English is seen as the language of people who invaded them in the past.

First of all, Lowland Scots spoke a form of English through their relations with Northern England. Highland Scots spoke Scottish until the 18th century.

Secondly, the Celtic languages are also languages of invaders.

So what is the point? just stick with English, which should really be called British because the modern English language evolved through out the British isles.
No their languages died out, now they are trying to revive them.

Is that tradition? don't think so.
The Gaelic languages of the British isles are slightly different to eachother, that is why I say Scottish, Irish, Welsh and Cornish.

NO they are not descendant from Celts. As I said in the question genetic studies and archaeological evidence shows they are not celts... NOT CELTS

I've always wanted to learn one of the old English or Celtic languages since i knew that they were gradually dieing out and as i have always visited relatives in Wales and heard them speak Welsh i was thinking of learning Welsh but i found out about 3 years ago that my surname is Irish and found out how it's spelled in Irish etc. and i found it very fascinating. Now that i know i have Irish heritage and that at some point my ancestors spoke the Irish language i would like to go back to my roots, so to speak, and learn Irish. I also would like to learn it cause there we'll be one more person in the world who knows one of the old Celtic languages that are at threat from not being spoken any more.

I know that surrounding yourself in the language is the best way BUT for one i'm 20 years old and don't have a secure job so i can't afford to go to Ireland for that length of time and second as not many people speak it i'll prob be speaking English more than Irish; oh and i live in the South-East of England, near London. I see Rosetta Stone advertised on TV and they do Irish but it costs like £100-300 which i guess would be worth it if i knew those things actually work, i can't really go by what they say, of course. I was wondering if anyone who has learnt Welsh, Irish, Cornish etc. etc. has found a method that works, i don't know what i'm expecting everyone else to come up with lol i'm just hoping someone might mention something that i have not thought of.
Thank Cody you were a lot fo help, and you got the same name as my dog hehe.

Hi Eire
I'm not sure what you mean by which dialect i'd prefer, i thought Irish was Irish, that there's only one Irish dialect lol shows how much i know.
er.. have not a clue, but if i have to choose one, maybe whatever dialect they speak in Northern Ireland. I found out my Surname is from these counties: Roscommon, Fermanagh and Offaly (i doubt the site i found that from is correct)
what dialect do they speak in the area those counties are in?
Hi cantilen
I sing along to Celtic Woman a lot but not many of their songs are in Irish. Can you suggest any tradtional Iirsh singers?

(just letting you know Eire i'm still waiting for your reply ^^)
Oh wow thanks so much Eire, you've have told me everything that i've been confused about for years. Nice to find someone who's so helpful. I'll look into those books more and see how much they will be in pounds (£) and where else i can buy them from, like a shop or something.

I still would like more replies to my question, incase someone else has more info they would like to share with me
Oh okay so i might find them in my town's library then, it's a bran new library too so it should be all up-to-date and have a varity of books, i hope i'll be able to find them. Thanks again!!

I love listening to people speak Welsh ( reading it is another story) and they other Brythonic and Goldelic Languages ( celtic languages for those confused that were native to Britain and Ireland
I also like listening to someone speak French - it so so more refined then english

I know that most languages start with many changes based on region and other languages influencing; but once a language has been established, what language hasn't changed much?

For instance, a branch of the Celtic languages like Welsh, or a branch of the Romance languages like the Catalan language. Have these changed much since they were established as a spoken language? Have any others?

Any languages that you know of that haven't changed much?

The Celtic Languages are:

Welsh
Breton
Manx
Irish
Scottish
Cornish
Scottish is only spoken by 60,000 people though.
I just looked it up, Irish has 400,000 speakers. With 1,000,000 with limited Knowledge. Welsh has 750,000 speakers and 1,500,000 knowledgeable people.

Celtic languages are

Welsh,Irish,Scottish Gaelic,Manx,Cornish and Breton!

My favorite is welsh because it's my mother tongue my first language and i love it's poetical rhythm! Also i think it's just a beautiful language.

I know that most languages start with many changes based on region and other languages influencing; but once a language has been established, what language hasn't changed much?

For instance, a branch of the Celtic languages like Welsh, or a branch of the Romance languages like the Catalan language. Have these changed much since they were established as a spoken language? Have any others?

Any languages that you know of that haven't changed much?

I am a welsh speaker and it's my first and primary language and welsh is making a revolutionary come back even in the English speaking ares within wales. What about all the other Celtic languages what is the future of these. Which one is in the strongest position today?. And also why can't we post in welsh and Irish and Scottish Gaelic, Manx and Cornish on here as it is Yahoo Uk and Ireland?. Dwi ddim yn hapus gyda hyn pam na allaf gofyn cwestiwn yn fy mamiaith sydd yn iaith frodorol yn Nghymru ?
Pwy sydd am ymuno mewn ymgyrch i gael Yahoo Cymraeg ??

Dewch nawr a gwasgarwch y gair o gwmpas i dangos eich cefnogaeth i'n Iaith ,

I know that most languages start with many changes based on region and other languages influencing; but once a language has been established, what language hasn't changed much?

For instance, a branch of the Celtic languages like Welsh, or a branch of the Romance languages like the Catalan language. Have these changed much since they were established as a spoken language? Have any others?

Any languages that you know of that haven't changed much?

How is it that the welsh language sounds so different to Irish?

I never heard welsh till weeks ago on the channel S4C on a docamentary on Rhydian. Fabulous singer by the way. I was surprised that Welsh language sounded so different to the Irish language. How is this they are both Celtic languages. There is no comparison in the sounds.

I think it is great that ye have a channel for Welsh. How long do ye have it for? It came up on Sky in Ireland about a year ago, not sure.

We have channel for Irish in Ireland called TG4.
Thanks that makes sense. Ye have had that T.V station ages so. Tg4 only around about 11 or 12 years.

Do many of ye speak welish?

I am English, but I can speak all the Celtic languages, including Welsh....In South Wales, barely anyone speaks it, but towards the North, don't a lot of people speak it?