From: cockburn@edieng.enet.dec.com (Craig Cockburn)
Subject: Re: Learning languages
Organization: Digital Equipment Co. Ltd., Reading, England
Distribution: soc.culture.celtic
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1992 13:53:12 GMT


In article <1992Nov7.060636.22478@news.acns.nwu.edu>, soren@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Barratt Moy) writes...
>Hi
>   I have beeen very interested in Celtic History for a long time and recently 
>I decided to start trying to read things in the original languages.  So what my
>question is I guess it what languages do you advise and what books do you advise
>to help me learn them.  Genreally I don't care for the spoken part, as this is
>sort of just for the intellectual side of it, which I suppose is bad, but now
>is not the time to deal with it. :(
>Well thankyou
> 
This really ought to be on a FAQ list, but here goes.

Celtic languages today are all termed "insular Celtic" and fall into 
two groups. There was another branch called "Continental Celtic", but
this has long since died out. Of the two groups spoken today, there
is P-Celtic or Brythonic and Q-Celtic or Gaelic. The members of the

P-Celtic group are:
 Welsh
 Cornish
 Breton (this came to Brittany from Britain and so is not "Continental
  Celtic")

and the Q-Celtic: 
  Irish
  Scottish Gaelic (includes the Gaelic in Nova Scotia)
  Manx - written using English style alphabet and phonetics

The P/Q classification was because a number of original "Q/K" sounds
in Indo european changed into P-sounds

 e.g. Ceann (Head) in Gaelic is "Pen" in Welsh.

There are organisations which use all 6 languages (eg. The Celtic congress
and the Celtic league) and there are many organisations which support
individual languages.

The GAELIC-L list may be of interest if you are interested in the Q-Celtic
group. I can send you details of this if you like.

A similar group, called WELSH-L is being planned and may be running in a 
few weeks. It is planned to support the P-Celtic group.

My speciality of knowledge is in Scottish Gaelic materials, and I have a
list of all the widely available materials and what tutors think of them.

Here is some info on CLI (pronounced KLEE) which may be of use:

Comann an Luchd-ionnsachaidh Ltd (CLI) is the Gaelic Adult learners 
association. CLI is a national non-political association with Charity
status. Their primary aims are the development of Gaelic courses and
production of learning materials, maintenance of a Gaelic information
service and publicising the Gaelic language and culture to non-Gaelic
speakers. Their annual membership is #7 (UK). It's more if you join
from outside the UK (to cover postage I expect)

CLI can be reached at:

5 Caolshraid Mhicheil,		5 Mitchell's Lane
Inbhir Nis			Inverness
IV2 3HQ,			IV2 3HQ
Alba				Scotland

CLI Tel: 0463 711792

please post a reply here if you need any more info

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Craig Cockburn, Digital Equipment Co. Ltd, Reading, England.     Suas
  Internet: cockburn@edieng.enet.dec.com                           leis
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                                                                   Gha\idhlig!
  Views here are my own, and are not necessarily those of Digital
Newsgroups: soc.culture.celtic