celtic
celtic Lexical Profile
• adjective
Relating to the Celts, their languages, or the cultural traditions of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man, and Brittany.
"The museum's new exhibition features intricate Celtic metalwork and jewelry dating back to the Iron Age."
• noun
A branch of the Indo-European language family that once spanned much of western and central Europe and today includes Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Manx, Welsh, Cornish, and Breton.
"Scholars of historical linguistics divide Insular Celtic into the Goidelic and Brittonic language groups."
Word Nuance & Usage
The initial 'c' is pronounced as /k/ (/ˈkɛltɪk/) in almost all historical, linguistic, and cultural contexts, whereas the pronunciation /s/ (/ˈsɛltɪk/) is reserved for specific sports clubs such as the Boston Celtics basketball team and Celtic F.C. in Scotland.
• Rhymes for celtic
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 16th century from Latin 'Celticus', from Ancient Greek 'Keltikos' (Κελτικός), derived from 'Keltoi' (Κελτοί), the name used by ancient Greek geographers for the tribes inhabiting central and western Europe.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.