Hi Ron
Having studied the migration and development of languages as an evening course at the local University, Gaelic is particularely interesting. There are a few very closely related varieties:
South Welsh Large no of second speakers, small no of first speakers
North Welsh Large no of first speakers, very large no of second speakers
Sottish Gaelic Small no of first speakers, smaller no of second speakers
Irish Gaelic Small no of first speakers, small no of second speakers
Cornish Tiny no of speakers
Breton (North West France) Small no of first speakers, small no of second speakers
South Eastern Turkey Fairly widespread.
The theory is that Gaelic was once the universal language of Europe and the lands bordering the southern med. In the pre - classical period there was then a movement of peoples from central asia which split the native population, most being driven to NW Europe with some being isolated in Turkey. In the post Roman period there were then successive waves of invasion and settlement from the German tribes and Scandinavia which further pushed the NW Europeans into the marginal lands at the edges of their former range.
I'm told the dialect in South East Turkey is still intelligable to Welsh speakers.
Interestingly, Ancient Greek seems to have more in common with the Indian languages. Certainly the focus of ancient Greece was East rather than West. Even before Alexander there were Greek traders in what is now Northern Pakistan and Northern India. Alexanders' conquests in that area established the Indian caste system, which he used as a tool to cement the power of the governing Greek elite. It also spread Buddhism to the Levant just befoe the time of Christ. What I'd really like to study is any relation between Pashtun as spoken in Afghanistan and the Tribal Areas of Pakistan to Ancient Greek. Alexander left a considerable Greek legacy in Afghanistan including another city of Alexandria. The fighting behaviour, social etiquette, treatment of women etc etc of the Afghans today almost perfectly mirrors Macedonian society at the time of Alexander.
Chris
