The English and the Celts - no genocide?

[ambrosius]

Well this is precisely the point, isn't it. :lol: What Coates is comparing
is the adoption of the native Celtic language by the conquerors.
What he compares is how Franks and Romans in Gaul adopt Gallic with how Anglo-Saxons in Britain adopt Brittonic. It's the relative hostility towards (or disinterest in) the native population by the invader which
is being quantified, here; using linguitsics as a measuring-stick. You
introduce the question of Gauls not being required to forego their native
tongue and speak Latin (exclusively, you mean). But that's not the
question being asked by Coates. It's the hostility of the invader
towards the natives. 8) There's a difference, you know. So, clearly,
there was less hostility from Romans to Gauls (as measured by this linguistic paradigm) than from Anglo-Saxons to Britons.

No no no, I'm not talking about that, I talk indeed about the invader and their adoption of words from the language of the conquered people.

No, really, Robert. You did try including the question of whether the
Gauls adopted Latin (or the Britons English) when what we (and Coates)
have been discussing has been the relative adoption by Roman and
Anglo-Saxon invaders of Gallic and Brittonic, respectively.

And then I ask why there were still so few words from Celtic (and I add the Celts from Italy and Spain and other areas to that) entered Latin.

Still ten times as many as the Brittonic words adopted into English! :lol:

When you see less hostility from Romans to all these Celts, over a much longer period, then why not even 200 Celtic words in Latin.

:lol: But it isn't a much longer time (for Roman rule in Gaul, as
compared to Anglo-saxon rule in England) is it. :lol: Anglo-Saxon rule
in England lasted 600 years from the Adventus (c. 450) till the
next external conquest by the Normans - 1066! :lol:

What percentage are we even speaking of?

Okay. Well a total of three British words adopted into English
over 600 years works-out to about half a word a century! 8) :wink:

A very low one.

You're darn tootin'! :lol: :lol: :lol:

That it's more that tenfold the amount of British words that made it to English is ceratinly true

I like this new Vortigern. He makes a lot of sense! 8)

Ambrosius / Mike[/quote]