Brithenig

**Brithenig** is constructed language that was made up by **Andrew Smith** from New Zealand in 1996. The idea behind it is the question what the Welsh language would have looked like if it had been a Romance instead of a Celtic language: a sister language to French, Spanish and Italian, but one that looks much like Welsh. It plays a key-role in the made-up world of Ill Bethisad, where Latin took the place of Old Celtic as the spoken language of the people in Great Britain, thus giving way to the development of Brithenig.

Brithenig is the best known example of the so-called group of "alternative languages", languages that could have existed if history had been different. Another well-known example is Wenedyk, which does the same with Polish as Brithenig does with Welsh.

## Words

The following list of 30 words shows what Brithenig looks like compared to a few other Romance languages:

|English|Latin|Portuguese|Spanish|French|Italian|Rhaeto-Romance|Romanian|**Brithenig**|Wenedyk|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|**arm**||||||||**breich**|brocz|
|**black**|nĭger|negro|negro|noir|nero|nair|negru|**nîr**|niegry|
|**city, town**|cīvĭtas|cidade|ciudad|cité|città|citad|_oraş_|**ciwdad**|czytać|
|**death**|mŏrs|morte|muerte|mort|morte|mort|moarte|**morth**|mroć|
|**dog**|canis|cão|_perro_|chien|cane|chaun|câine|**can**|kań|
|**ear**|auris|orelha|oreja|oreille|orecchio|ureglia|ureche|**origl**|urzykła|
|**egg**|ovum|ovo|huevo|œuf|uovo|ov|ou|**ew**|ów|
|**eye**|ŏcŭlus|olho|ojo|œil|occhio|egl|ochi|**ogl**|okieł|
|**father**|pater|pai|padre|père|padre|_bab_|_tată_|**padr**|poterz|
|**fire**|_ignis_, fŏcus|fogo|fuego|feu|fuoco|fieu|foc|**ffog**|fok|
|**fish**|pĭscis|peixe|pez, pescado|poisson|pesce|pesch|peşte|**pisc**|pieszcz|
|**foot**|pĕs|pé|pie|pied|piede|pe|picior|**pedd**|piedź|
|**friend**|amīcus|amigo|amigo|ami|amico|ami|_prieten_, amic|**efig**|omik|
|**green**|vĭrĭdis|verde|verde|vert|verde|verd|verde|**gwirdd**|wierdzi|
|**horse**|_ĕquus_, cabăllus|cavalo|caballo|cheval|cavallo|chaval|cal|**cafall**|kawał|
|**I**|ĕgo|eu|yo|je|io|jau|eu|**eo**|jo|
|**island**|īnsŭla|ilha|isla|île|isola|insla|insulă|**ysl**|izła|
|**language, tongue**|lĭngua|língua|lengua|langue|lingua|linguatg, lieunga|limbă|**llinghedig, llingw**|lęgwa|
|**life**|vīta|vida|vida|vie|vita|vita|viaţă|**gwid**|wita|
|**milk**|lac|leite|leche|lait|latte|latg|lapte|**llaeth**|łoc|
|**name**|nōmen|nome|nombre|nom|nome|num|nume|**nôn**|numię|
|**night**|nŏx|noite|noche|nuit|notte|notg|noapte|**noeth**|noc|
|**old**|vĕtus|velho|viejo|vieux|vecchio|vegl|vechi|**gwegl**|wiekły|
|**school**|schŏla|escola|escuela|école|scuola|scola|şcoală|**yscol**|szkoła|
|**sky**|caelum|céu|cielo|ciel|cielo|tschiel|cer|**cel**|czał|
|**star**|stēlla|estrela|estrella|étoile|stella|staila|stea|**ystuil**|ścioła|
|**tooth**|dĕns|dente|diente|dent|dente|dent|dinte|**dent**|dzięć|
|**voice**|vōx|voz|voz|voix|voce|vusch|voce|**gwg**|wucz|
|**water**|aqua|água|agua|eau|acqua|aua|apă|**ag**|jekwa|
|**wind**|vĕntus|vento|viento|vent|vento|vent|vînt|**gwent**|więt|

## Sample

The Lord's Prayer:

## References

- Higley, Sarah L., M/C Journal  Vol 3 Issue 1.

## Other websites

- The page of Brithenig
- The cultures of Ill Bethisad
- Romance glossary (a list of common words in all Romance languages, also Brithenig and Wenedyk)

## Infobox (language)

- **name**: Brithenig
- **creator**: Andrew Smith
- **created**: 1996
- **setting**: A thought experiment in alternate history (fiction), alternate history, Ill Bethisad, if Latin had replaced Celtic languages, Celtic
- **fam1**: Indo-European
- **fam2**: Italic languages, Italic
- **fam3**: Romance languages, Romance
- **fam4**: British Romance
- **posteriori**: constructed languages
 a posteriori languages
(Romance languages, Romance language based on Celtic languages, Celtic)
- **iso3**: bzt
- **linglist**: bzt