Histoire des Celtes

xxx

German words, conforming to some Latin words, are not themselves derived from Latin? For example, who can say if Vallum rampart/wall comes from Wal, or Wal from Vallum. Despite this objection, the author's opinion would not be devoid of likelihood if Tudesque Old Germanic were originally a dialect of Celtic, as he claims. The Latins, to signify the "arm," said Bracchium, formed from the Greek βραχίων; and Armus to signify the "shoulder," formed from Arm, which, in Tudesque, means the "arm." Piscis fish does not come from the Greek ἰχθύς; but rather from Fisch. It is a "P" changed to "Ph" referring to the linguistic relationship between P and F sounds. Pellis seems derived from Fell skin/hide, etc. Thus, without examining if Tudesque is derived from ancient Celtic, it is very likely that a part of the Latin language is derived from Tudesque and Celtic, as well as from Greek. I also believe that Celtic borrowed words from either Greek or Latin: for example Gouin, which, in Celtic, means "wine," is derived from Οἶνος Oinos or from Vinum; for the Greeks and the Latins knew wine before the Celts. It is the same for the German word Ouin Wein.

Regarding the author's opinion, which supposes almost all of Europe was formerly inhabited by the Celts based on passages from ancient authors, one can oppose many reasons to him. Certainly there were many peoples originating from the Gauls spread throughout Europe under the name of Celts or Gauls; but one must not believe that all those to whom the ignorance of Greek or Latin geographers and historians gave this name were for that reason Celts. Can one not say that it was a general name they gave to a great number of nations whose particular name they were ignorant of? And even if they had known their name, they could have used this general denomination (). It is thus that we call the "Indies" a great number of vast countries and islands very distant from what is properly India. One day perhaps some mind, fertile in conjectures, will conclude from this denomination that the inhabitants of the banks of the Indus River originally populated the Kingdoms of the Mogul, Madurai, Siam, etc. In the Levant, the name of Franks is given to all Europeans: does that mean that the Germans and the English are Franks or French? () This reasoning of the Abbé des Fontaines does not appear very solid. The peoples spread throughout Europe under the name of Celts originally spoke the same language, had the same customs, and the same way of living and dressing. They were therefore originally the same people; they were Celts. Such is the author's system which the critic has not destroyed. (See hereafter the first letter of Mr. Pelloutier to Mr. Jordan.)

As the Romans borrowed many words from the language of neighboring peoples, Celts or others, it is not surprising that they also adopted some of their customs. All peoples imitate one another and mutually steal practices. Thus, although the profound erudition the author displays on this subject is very curious, I find that one can conclude nothing solid from it to prove the existence of Celts in almost every country in Europe. For our author sees Celts everywhere, and if he finds the slightest relationship in a word or a custom, it is enough for him to conclude that the people who used that word, or who had that custom, were Celtic; which is not, it seems to me, reasoning with accuracy. The French are today quite imitated throughout Europe, and a great number of words from their language are even adopted there. Will that prove

to posterity that all Europeans are originally French? It seems that in the past, in Europe, regarding the Celts and the Gauls, people acted as they do today regarding those who inhabit the same country of the Gauls (*). A part of their opinions, their customs, and their language was adopted in different countries.

Dis, the God of the Gauls, appears to be the same as Teut, Tis, or Tuiston, the God of the Germans. The Germans, says Tacitus (De Moribus Germanorum, II), celebrate in ancient verses the God Tuiston (§) issued from the earth, and his son Mann, to whom they attribute the origin of their nation. It is known that Mann in Tudesque means "man." Thus the Germans believed that all men were descended from Tuiston. The Germans and the Celts, whatever Tacitus may say, did not believe this God was issued from the Earth; they regarded him as a spiritual being, and mocked the Greeks who represented their Gods as men and celebrated their birth. The Celts and the Germans therefore originally adored the Supreme Being who drew Man from the Earth.

The true name of the Gauls was that of Celts. Pausanias says that "the custom of calling these peoples Gauls was only introduced very late, and that their ancient name is that of Celts. It is the name," he adds, "that they took themselves, and that foreigners also gave them." Caesar also says at the beginning of his Commentaries: "The third part of the Gauls is occupied by the Celts. It is thus that they name themselves in their language, whereas we call them Gauls." Our author suspects that the word Galli comes from Waller, which, in Tudesque, means "to travel"; thus the Greeks and Latins gave the name of Γαλαται Galatai and Galli to the Celts who, apparently, gave themselves the name of Wals, because they had left their country to settle elsewhere. Others have claimed that the name of Γαλαται and Galli is a Greek word taken from γάλα gala, "milk," because the Celts were Galactophages milk-eaters, that is to say, they loved dairy very much and made it their food. Thus the name of Gaul would originally be a nickname. The Germans were called Teutons from the name of the God Teut or Tuiston, whom they adored, as has been said.

The most curious and important chapter of this first book is the last, concerning the language of the ancient Celts. The author claims, as seen above, that all Celts had the same language, which differed only by dialects; thus Celtic reigned in Europe from the Strait of Gibraltar to Sweden and Norway, and from the shores of our Lower Brittany to the Black Sea. The proofs of this paradox are set forth here in a detail I cannot enter. If this thesis were well proven, there would be no more difficulty in believing that almost all of Europe was anciently populated by Celts. But the author's proofs are not very conclusive.

(*) And who will be persuaded that barbarian peoples, who had almost no commerce with one another, who despised the sciences, adopted the customs of another barbarian people and passed words from that people's language into their own, in the same way that most European peoples today imitate the French? It is doing too much honor to the ancient inhabitants of Europe to believe them gallant, polite, and jealous of the purity and nobility of language. (§) One can notice the conformity between the names of Tis, Dis, Teut, Tuiston, etc., and those of Θεός Theos, Ζευς Zeus, Διός Dios, Deus God.