Proto-Celtic

This work with Proto-Celtic, a reconstructed forbear to the still existing Celtic tongues of Irish Gaelic, Scots Gaelic, Welsh, Manx, Cornish and Breton, has come to me through the skillful hands of Carolyn Hillyer. A weaver of threads, words and magic, she has done a lot of work to bring these ancient words back into the light. I have worked with her at her land in Dartmoor, through her books, and through her online course.

Through painstaking work, these words have been traced back from their descendants to ancient roots, and they may well have been spoken in the British Isles and all along the Atlantic western front 4000 years ago, arriving from our Proto-Indo European ancestors from the Caspian Steppe. They settled into the land and waters and flourished, giving us words to speak to nature and spirit around us. 

If you are interested in exploring this ancient language, I highly recommend Her Bone Bundle, and Carolyn’s online course The Braided River. Celtiadur website and this word list from the University of Wales have also proved useful and interesting.