Word
celtic
Phoneticsceltic
/ˈkɛɫtɪk/
Definitions
01relating to people or culture
adj. relating to the people, history, or culture of places like Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
adj. pertaining to the Celts or their culture, particularly in the context of the British Isles and Western Europe.
“The museum has a beautiful collection of ancient Celtic jewellery.”
“Scholars continue to debate the extent of Celtic cultural influence across mainland Europe during the Iron Age.”
Usage
Often capitalized in all contexts.
Teaching tip
Note that the pronunciation varies: usually /kɛltɪk/ for history and language, but /sɛltɪk/ for specific sports teams like the Boston Celtics or Celtic FC.
Synonyms
02the language group
n. a group of languages that includes Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Welsh.
n. a branch of the Indo-European language family, including Goidelic and Brittonic sub-groups.
“She decided to study Celtic to better understand her family's history in Wales.”
“The phonology of Celtic differs significantly from the Germanic languages that eventually surrounded it.”
Academic · Technical
Usage
Usually treated as an uncountable noun when referring to the language family.
Teaching tip
In modern linguistics, it is more common to say 'the Celtic languages' than just 'Celtic'.
Synonyms
03sports teams
n. a name used by several famous sports teams, especially in Glasgow and Boston.
n. a proper noun designating specific athletic organisations, most notably Celtic F.C. and the Boston Celtics.
“He has been a loyal fan of Celtic since he was a young boy.”
“The rivalry between Celtic and Rangers is one of the most intense and storied in professional football.”
Usage
In this context, it is almost always pronounced with a soft 's' sound.
Teaching tip
When referring to the Boston basketball team, the plural 'Celtics' is used; for the Glasgow football club, the singular 'Celtic' is standard.
Etymology
Borrowed from French celtique or Latin celticus, equivalent to Celt + -ic. First attested in the 17th century.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
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englishreference.com/q/celtic