Brythonic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to a branch of the Celtic language family spoken in parts of Britain, especially Welsh and Cornish
2. Describing the languages or cultural aspects associated with ancient Brythons, the Celtic tribes of Britain
3. Pertaining to the historical linguistic and cultural heritage originating from the Brythonic-speaking regions of the British Isles

Etymology: The adjective "Brythonic" is simply "Brython" with the suffix "-ic" attached, and the suffix has a long road into English. The "-ic" ending comes from Latin "-icus", which passed into Old French as "-ique" and reached English through Middle English "-ik" before settling into the modern "-ic" form. Its job is to turn a noun into an adjective meaning "relating to" or "characteristic of" that noun. The base word, "Brython", is the English name for the Welsh "Brython", and it links the adjective to the Celtic-speaking peoples of Britain before the Anglo-Saxon settlements. The word "Brythonic" is used specifically for the ancient British Celtic languages, such as Welsh, Cornish and Breton, as distinct from the Goidelic branch that includes Irish and Scottish Gaelic. Its ancestor, the Proto-Brythonic form, is the reconstructed parent language from which those tongues descend.

Synonyms: brittonic, celtic

Antonyms: germanic, latin