McQueen

[neloon]

Jonathan,
This might be a start but, as I said, it's all very debatable.
https://www.electricscotland.com/his...scotsirish.htm

What seems to be agreed is that the p- and q-dialects diverged in Central/Southern Europe sometime around 1000BC and, whereas both p- and q-Celtic tribes came to mainland Britain, only q-Celts went to Ireland (some say via Iberia). Hence, Scots Gaelic, Manx and Irish were originally almost identical and nowadays are still mutually intelligible allowing for a greater variety of loan words in Gaelic borrowed from Pictish, Norse and Scots. Likewise, the p-Celtic Welsh, Cornish and Breton are very close to each other and have much in common with Gaelic/Irish.

Alan

[jthk]

Jonathan,
This might be a start but, as I said, it's all very debatable.
https://www.electricscotland.com/his...scotsirish.htm

What seems to be agreed is that the p- and q-dialects diverged in Central/Southern Europe sometime around 1000BC and, whereas both p- and q-Celtic tribes came to mainland Britain, only q-Celts went to Ireland (some say via Iberia). Hence, Scots Gaelic, Manx and Irish were originally almost identical and nowadays are still mutually intelligible allowing for a greater variety of loan words in Gaelic borrowed from Pictish, Norse and Scots. Likewise, the p-Celtic Welsh, Cornish and Breton are very close to each other and have much in common with Gaelic/Irish.

Alan

Alan,

I find the intellectual debates to be very interesting and entertaining -- trying to piece together histories based on linguistic analysis. I was aware of a lot of that but there's little bits here and there that I welcome to complete my own ever-evolving understanding.

Thanks! Do you speak Irish or Gaelic yourself?

Ádh mór,
Seanachán