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:

+Ten Romance languages compared 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)

Category:Constructed languages