Celts descended from Spanish fishermen, study confirms

[authun]

Caesar implied the Belgae were Germanic? Can you find the quotes for that?

Hi Vortigern,

It is based on Caesars line:

"When Caesar inquired of them [the Remi] what states were in arms, how powerful they were, and what they could do in war, he received the following information: that the greater part of the Belgae were sprung from the Germans, and that having crossed the Rhine at an early period, they had settled there, on account of the fertility of the country, and had driven out the Gauls who inhabited those regions."

However, he is likely speaking geographically. During the La Tene period, place name evidence is between the Rhine and the Neckar, south of the Main, a celtic language was spoken. Indeed, all three river names have celtic etymologies. Roman Rhenus is a latinisation of Celtic Renos for example.

North of the Main, there is uncertainty as to the language spoken. Various theories exist for this group between the celtic speaking world in the south and the germanic speaking groups further north. These are:

# Theo Vennemann suggests that the loans in Northern European and Greek come from an Afro-Asiatic language he calls Atlantic, and from Vasconic, the ancestor of the modern Basque language.

# Hans Krahe uses the term "Old European" to identify the source of ancient European river names.

# Hans Kuhn identifies a Nordwestblock language from Northwest European placenames and from words in Celtic, Italic and Germanic which violate Indo-European root rules. He also uses the term "Old European," or the ar-/ur- language for a wider substratum source.

# Peter Schrijver refers to a "language of geminates" in words from Celtic, Italic, Germanic and Finnic with roots of a certain form. A language of bird names is also associated with this substrate.

Additionally, Torsten Pedersen has given a new theory that these influences may come instead, at least partly, from an Austronesian source. Again, he sees many of the words involved as related to the "waterfront" including words for fish hooks, fishing poles, bailers and the like.

cheers

HA

[ambrosius]

When o when will people learn to distinguish between race, culture and language? A separate Celtic culture – sure. Language – OK. Race? I thought we left all that behind after the Nazis were crushed.

Yes, Robert, we did. Unfortunately - and this is extremely relevant
for the purposes of this discussion - the Anglo-Saxons predated the
Nazis by about 1,500 years. That would be why they were still enacting
racist laws, like that of Ine, as they didn't have the benefit of our own
modern, enlightened way of thinking. 8)

Cheers,

Ambrosius (the Saxon slayer) / Mike