Italo-Celtic hypothesis

The Italo-Celtic hypothesis suggests that the Italic and Celtic languages, both part of the Indo-European family, share a closer historical relationship with each other than with other branches. Linguists observed similarities in vocabulary, grammar, and sound patterns that imply these groups may have diverged from a common ancestral language after splitting from other Indo-European languages. This connection helps scholars understand how these ancient languages evolved and migrated across Europe, indicating that the ancestors of the Italic (including Latin) and Celtic peoples had shared cultural and linguistic features during early contact periods.