Brythonic

Brythonic, also known as Brittonic, is a branch of the Insular Celtic family within the Celtic languages. It includes Welsh (Cymraeg), Breton (Brezhoneg), and Cornish (Kernewek), and historically Cumbric, once spoken in parts of northern England and southern Scotland. The Brythonic languages descend from Proto-Brythonic, the language of the Britons in post-Roman Britain, and are distinguished from the Goidelic (Gaelic) branch by genealogical development and geographic distribution.

Origins and evolution: After the end of Roman rule in Britain, speakers of Proto-Brythonic diverged from other Celtic groups. From the early medieval period, the living Brythonic languages consolidated into Welsh, Cornish, and Breton. Cumbric, once spoken in the Anglo-Scottish border area and southern Scotland, gradually disappeared by the medieval era, leaving only traces in place names and historical records.

Features and characteristics: Brythonic languages share typological traits with other Celtic languages, including a system of initial consonant mutations and a reliance on inflected prepositions and verb forms. They typically exhibit flexible word order, with a tendency toward verb-subject-object structures in certain constructions, and they use a Latin-based writing system adapted to each language.

Modern status and distribution: Welsh remains the most widely spoken Brythonic language, with official status in Wales and a robust language revival movement. Breton continues to be used in Brittany, though it faces ongoing decline. Cornish has undergone a revival since the late 19th and 20th centuries, with active learner communities and media. Together, Brythonic languages reflect a historically continuous presence in the British Isles and Brittany, with varying degrees of vitality today.