Q-Celtic

The Celtic nations where most Celtic speakers are now concentrated

Q-Celtic, according to one schemata of categorization , is a node of the Celtic languages incorporating the following language groups:

• Celtiberian
• Goidelic
  • Primitive Irish
  • Old Irish
  • Middle Irish
    • Irish
    • Scottish Gaelic
    • Manx

There are two main competing schemata of categorization of Celtic languages. The older P-Celtic/Q-Celtic hypothesis groups Gaulish with Brythonic as P-Celtic. The difference between P and Q languages is the treatment of Proto-Celtic *k^w, which became *p in the P-Celtic languages but *k in Goidelic.

The other scheme, defended for example by McCone (1996), links Goidelic and Brythonic together as an Insular Celtic branch.