Editing Brittonic languages (section)

==Characteristics==
The Brittonic branch is also referred to as ''[[P-Celtic]]'' because [[linguistic reconstruction]] of the Brittonic reflex of the Proto-Indo-European phoneme {{lang|ine-x-proto|*kʷ}} is ''p'' as opposed to [[Goidelic]] ''k''. Such nomenclature usually implies acceptance of the P-Celtic and Q-Celtic hypothesis rather than the Insular Celtic hypothesis because the term includes certain Continental Celtic languages as well.
Other major characteristics include:
* The retention of the Proto-Celtic sequences {{lang|cel-x-proto|am}} and {{lang|cel-x-proto|an}}, which mostly result from the Proto-Indo-European syllabic nasals.
* Celtic {{IPA|/w/}} (written ''u'' in Latin texts and ''ou'' in Greek) became ''gw-'' in initial position, ''-w-'' internally, whereas in Gaelic it is ''f-'' in initial position and disappears internally:

{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: 1.6em"
|+
!Proto-Celtic
!{{lang|cel-x-proto|windos}}<br/><span style="font-weight: normal">‘white’</span>
!{{lang|cel-x-proto|wastos}}<br/><span style="font-weight: normal">‘servant’</span>
|-
|Proto-Brythonic
|{{lang|cel-x-combrit|*gwɨnn}}
|{{lang|cel-x-combrit|*gwass}} 
|-
|Breton
|{{lang|br|gwenn}}
|{{lang|br|gwas}}
|-
|Cornish
|{{lang|kw|gwynn}}
|{{lang|kw|gwas}}
|-
|Welsh
|{{lang|cy|gwyn}} m., {{lang|cy|gwen}} f.
|{{lang|cy|gwas}}
|-
|(contrast Irish)
|{{lang|ga|fionn}}
|MIr. {{lang|mga|foss}}
|}

=== Initial ''s-'' ===
* Initial ''s-'' followed by a vowel was changed to ''h-'':

{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: 1.6em"
|+
!Proto-Celtic
!{{lang|cel-x-proto|senos}}<br/><span style="font-weight: normal">‘old’</span>
!{{lang|cel-x-proto|sīros}}<br/><span style="font-weight: normal">‘long’</span>
!{{lang|cel-x-proto|samalis}}<br/><span style="font-weight: normal">‘similitude’</span>
|-
|Proto-Brythonic
|{{lang|cel-x-combrit|*hen}}
|{{lang|cel-x-combrit|*hir}} 
|{{lang|cel-x-combrit|*haβ̃al}} 
|-
|Breton
|{{lang|br|hen}}
|{{lang|br|hir}}
|{{lang|br|hañval}}
|-
|Cornish
|{{lang|kw|hen}}
|{{lang|kw|hir}}
|{{lang|kw|haval}}
|-
|Welsh
|{{lang|cy|hen}}
|{{lang|cy|hir}}
|{{lang|cy|hafal}}
|-
|(contrast Irish)
|{{lang|ga|sean}}
|{{lang|ga|síor}}
|{{lang|ga|samhail}}
|}

* Initial ''s-'' was lost before {{IPA|/l/}}, {{IPA|/m/}} and {{IPA|/n/}}:

{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: 1.6em"
|+
!Proto-Celtic
!{{lang|cel-x-proto|slimonos}}<br/><span style="font-weight: normal">‘polished, smooth’</span>
!{{lang|cel-x-proto|smēros}}<br/><span style="font-weight: normal">‘marrow’</span>
!{{lang|cel-x-proto|sniyeti}}<br/><span style="font-weight: normal">‘to turn, twist’</span>
|-
|Proto-Brythonic
|{{lang|cel-x-combrit|*llɨvn}}
|{{lang|cel-x-combrit|*mer}} 
|{{lang|cel-x-combrit|*nɨðid}} 
|-
|Breton
|{{lang|br|levn}}
|{{lang|br|mel}}
|{{lang|br|nezet}}
|-
|Cornish
|{{lang|kw|leven}}
|{{lang|kw|mer}}
|{{lang|kw|nedha}}
|-
|Welsh
|{{lang|cy|llyfn}}
|{{lang|cy|mêr}}
|{{lang|cy|nyddu}}
|-
|(contrast Irish)
|{{lang|ga|sleamhain}}
|{{lang|ga|smior}}
|OIr. {{lang|sga|sníid}}, Mod. {{lang|ga|sníomh}}
|}

* The initial clusters ''sp-, sr-, sw-'' became ''f-, fr-, chw-'':

{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: 1.6em"
|+
!Proto-Celtic
!{{lang|cel-x-proto|sɸerā}}<br/><span style="font-weight: normal">‘heel’</span>
!{{lang|cel-x-proto|srognā}}<br/><span style="font-weight: normal">‘nose’</span>
!{{lang|cel-x-proto|swīs}}<br/><span style="font-weight: normal">‘you (pl.)’</span>
|-
|Proto-Brythonic
|{{lang|cel-x-combrit|*fer}}
|{{lang|cel-x-combrit|*froɨn}} 
|{{lang|cel-x-combrit|*hwi}} 
|-
|Breton
|{{lang|br|fer}}
|{{lang|br|froen}}
|{{lang|br|c’hwi}}
|-
|Cornish
|{{lang|kw|fer}}
|{{lang|kw|frig}}
|{{lang|kw|hwi}}
|-
|Welsh
|{{lang|cy|ffêr}}
|{{lang|cy|ffroen}}
|{{lang|cy|chwi}}
|-
|(contrast Irish)
|{{lang|ga|seir}}
|{{lang|ga|srón}}
|OIr. {{lang|sga|síi}}, Mod. {{lang|ga|sibh}}
|}

=== Lenition ===
* Voiceless plosives become voiced plosives in intervocalic position.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: 1.6em"
|+
!
!{{IPA|/t/}}
!{{IPA|/k/}}
|-
|Lenited
|{{IPA|/d/}}
|{{IPA|/g/}}
|-
|(contrast Old Irish)
|{{IPA|/θ/}}
|{{IPA|/x/}}
|}

* Voiced plosives became soft spirants in intervocalic position and before liquids:
{{Table alignment}}
{| class="wikitable defaultcenter col1left" style="margin-left: 1.6em"
|+
!
!{{IPA|/b/}}
!{{IPA|/m/}}
!{{IPA|/d/}}
!{{IPA|/g/}}
|-
|Welsh
| colspan="2" |{{IPA|/v/}}<br/>{{lang|cy|f}}
|{{IPA|/ð/}}<br/>{{lang|cy|dd}}
| rowspan="2" |∅<br/>(earlier {{IPA|/ɣ/ /j/}})
|-
|Cornish
| colspan="2" rowspan="2" |{{IPA|/v/}}<br/>{{lang|kw|v}}
|{{IPA|/ð/}}<br/>{{lang|kw|dh}}
|-
|Breton
|{{IPA|/z/}}<br/>{{lang|br|z}}
|{{IPA|/ɣ/}}<br/>{{lang|br|c’h}}
|-
|(contrast Old Irish)
|{{IPA|/β/}}<br/>{{lang|ga|bh}}
|{{IPA|/β̃/}}<br/>{{lang|ga|mh}}
|{{IPA|/ð/}}<br/>{{lang|ga|dh}}
|{{IPA|/ɣ/ /j/}}<br/>{{lang|ga|gh}}
|}

=== Voiceless spirants ===
* Geminated voiceless plosives transformed into spirants:

{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: 1.6em"
|+
!
!{{ipa|/pp/}}
!{{ipa|/tt/}}
!{{ipa|/kk/}}
|-
|Breton
| rowspan="3" |{{ipa|/f/}}
|{{ipa|/z/}}
| rowspan="3" |{{ipa|/x/}}
|-
|Cornish
| rowspan="2" |{{ipa|/θ/}}
|-
|Welsh
|-
|(contrast Irish)
|{{ipa|/p/}}
|{{ipa|/t/}}
|{{ipa|/k/}}
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: 1.6em"
|+
!
!{{lang|la|cippus}}
!{{lang|cel-x-proto|cattos}}
!{{lang|cel-x-proto|bucca}}
|-
|Breton
|{{lang|br|kef}}
|{{lang|br|kazh}}
|{{lang|br|boc’h}}
|-
|Cornish
|{{lang|kw|kyf}}
|{{lang|kw|kath}}
|{{lang|kw|bogh}}
|-
|Welsh
|{{lang|cy|cyff}}
|{{lang|cy|cath}}
|{{lang|cy|boch}}
|-
|(contrast Irish)
|{{lang|ga|ceap}}
|{{lang|ga|cat}}
|—
|}

*Voiceless stops become spirants after liquids:

{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: 1.6em"
|+
!Proto-Celtic
!{{lang|cel-x-proto|ufor‑kʷenno}}<br/><span style="font-weight: normal">‘end’</span>
!{{lang|cel-x-proto|nertos}}<br/><span style="font-weight: normal">‘strength, force’</span>
|-
|Proto-Brythonic
|{{lang|cel-x-combrit|*wo'''rp'''enn}}
|{{lang|cel-x-combrit|*ne'''rt'''o}}
|-
|Breton
|{{lang|br|gourfenn}}
|{{lang|br|nerzh}}
|-
|Cornish
|{{lang|kw|gorfen}}
|{{lang|kw|nerth}}
|-
|Welsh
|{{lang|cy|gorffen}}
|{{lang|cy|nerth}}
|-
|(contrast Old Irish)
|{{lang|sga|forcenn}}
|{{lang|sga|nert}}
|}

=== Nasal assimilation ===
* Voiced stops were assimilated to a preceding nasal:

{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: 1.6em"
|+
!Proto-Celtic
!{{lang|cel-x-proto|amban}}<br/><span style="font-weight: normal">‘butter’</span>
!{{lang|cel-x-proto|landā}}<br/><span style="font-weight: normal">‘open land’</span>
|-
|Proto-Brythonic
|
|{{lang|cel-x-combrit|*llann}}
|-
|Breton
|{{lang|br|amann}}
|{{lang|br|lann}}
|-
|Welsh
|{{lang|cy|(y)menyn}}
|{{lang|wlm|llann}}, {{lang|cy|llan}}
|-
|(contrast Old Irish)
|{{lang|sga|imb}}
|{{lang|sga|land}}
|}

* Brittonic retains original nasals before {{ipa|/t/}} and {{ipa|/k/}}:

{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: 1.6em"
|+
!Proto-Celtic
!{{lang|cel-x-proto|kantom}}<br/><span style="font-weight: normal">‘hundred’</span>
!{{lang|cel-x-proto|ankus}}<br/><span style="font-weight: normal">‘death’</span>
|-
|Breton
|{{lang|br|kant}}
|{{lang|br|Ankou}}<br/>(personification)
|-
|Welsh
|{{lang|cy|cant}}
|{{lang|cy|angau}}
|-
|(contrast Irish)
|{{lang|ga|céad}}
|{{lang|ga|éag}}<br/>‘to die’
|}