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From: deb5@ellis.uchicago.edu (Daniel von Brighoff)
Subject: Re: Pictish words?
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References: <3o83h9$loo@mordred.cc.jyu.fi> <799966384snz@meden.demon.co.uk> <D8Fzr2.B6p@critpath.org>
Date: Fri, 12 May 1995 05:17:33 GMT
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In article <D8Fzr2.B6p@critpath.org>,
Tony West (masquerading as Diane Cloutier) <cloutier@critpath.org> wrote:

>"P-Celt" and "Q-Celt" are fine descriptive categories for the living
>Celtic tongues of 1800 A.D. They are probably less useful for describing
>the taxonomic relationships of Celtic speeches in the time of Christ, as
>the Q>P shift is of late origin and partial penetrance and does not
>necessarily reflect corresponding divergences in vocabulary or grammar.

I don't consider them useful at all.  First of all, most people are
clearly referring to "Brythonic and Goidelic" when they use them and
not "Brythonic and Gaulish, and Goidelic."  The only use I can see for
a vague term like "P-Celtic" is as a cover term for lumping together 
Gaulish and Brythonic (which is not something one would want to do much
anyway).

Second, what other language family's branches are referred to by a
single isogloss like this?  Who talks of "R-Germanic and Z-Germanic"
or "P-Italic and Q-Italic"?

Third and most importantly, "P-Celtic" and "Q-Celtic" are ugly words.
I think my case could stand on aesthetic grounds alone.

Sorry to take issue so strongly with such a minor part of an otherwise
quite good post.  I've just seen these cruddy terms too often lately
for my own good.

Dohmnall mac Liaim/Deiniol ap Gwilym


-- 
	 Daniel "Da" von Brighoff    /\          Dilettanten
	(deb5@midway.uchicago.edu)  /__\         erhebt Euch
				   /____\      gegen die Kunst!
