Where does “Proto-Celtic” come from?
Proto-Celtic (English) comes from English Celtic, from French celtique, from Latin Celticus, from Latin Celta, from Latin Celtae, from Ancient Greek Κελτοί, from Proto-Celtic kel-to, from Proto-Indo-European ḱelh₂- — to pierce, strike; to stick; prick; stab.
Ancestry of “Proto-Celtic”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | Celtic | Of the Celts; Of the style of the Celts |
| 2 | French | celtique | Celtic |
| 3 | Latin | Celticus | Celtic; the Celtic language |
| 4 | Latin | Celta | a Celt |
| 5 | Latin | Celtae | the Celts |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | Κελτοί | the Celts |
| 7 | Proto-Celtic | kel-to | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱelh₂- | to pierce, strike; to stick; prick; stab |