Where does “Celtic” come from?
Celtic derives from Latin celticus, formed with the Latin suffix -icus, ultimately from Ancient Greek Κελτοί, a people whose name may derive from Proto-Indo-European kelh₂-.
Celtic (English): Of the Celts; Of the style of the Celts
Definitions
- Of the Celts; Of the style of the Celts
Ancestry of “Celtic”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | celtique | Celtic |
| 2 | Latin | Celticus | Celtic; the Celtic language |
| 3 | Latin | Celta | a Celt |
| 4 | Latin | Celtae | the Celts |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | Κελτοί | the Celts |
| 6 | Proto-Celtic | kel-to | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱelh₂- | to pierce, strike; to stick; prick; stab |
Words derived from “Celtic”