kelti

Kelti, or Celts, refers to a broad assemblage of Iron Age and Roman-era peoples who spoke Celtic languages. The term is used in several European languages to designate these groups and their descendants. Rather than a single nation, Kelti describe an ethnolinguistic grouping whose communities stretched across much of western and central Europe from roughly 1200 BCE to the early centuries CE.

Language and culture: Celtic languages form a branch of the Indo-European family. They diversified into Goidelic (Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Manx), Brythonic (Welsh, Breton, Cornish), and Continental Celtic tongues such as Gaulish, Celtiberian, and Lepontic, most of which declined after Roman expansion. The Kelti are associated with distinctive art and material culture, including La Tène metalwork, and with social institutions such as warrior elites and, in some regions, druids or priestly classes. Settlements often featured hill forts and fortified sites.

Geography and history: Celts first rose to prominence in central Europe during the Hallstatt and La Tène horizons, then expanded into Gaul, the British Isles, and parts of Iberia and northern Italy. In the British Isles, Celtic-speaking cultures influenced languages and toponyms for centuries, contributing to the Goidelic and Brittonic traditions that remain in use today. Following Roman conquest and later migrations, many Celtic communities were absorbed into larger polities, though Celtic languages survived in pockets and were revived in some regions. In the 3rd century BCE, Celtic-speaking Galatians established a presence in Anatolia (modern Turkey).

Legacy: Today, Celtic language communities endure in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Cornwall, and the Isle of Man, with ongoing revival efforts in others. Celtic art, music, and symbolism continue to influence cultural identities across Europe.