Kelten in Europa und geographische Namen als ihre Zeugen. Betrachtungen zu Herbert Pilch, Die keltischen Sprachen und Literaturen, im Kontrast zur 'Entdeckung' keltischer Namen in Ostdeutschland

Abstract

The article gives a survey about a new manual to the Celtic languages in Western Europe. Its author is the German linguist Herbert PILCH (university of Freiburg). As a book of reference the title is especially recommended to students of Onomastics as well as to readers with interests in Celtic names or names of Celtic origin in other languages. It stands in sharp contrast to a pseudo-scientific tendency of explaining anthroponyms and toponyms in Eastern Germany with the help of “Celtic roots' based on an old obsolete publication with a large following in recent times. The main argument there is the statement German people spoke Celtic based dialects up to the Middle Ages and thus all names have only been horribly bent by adapting to the modern German language. The book Die keltischen Sprachen und Literaturen is therefore of especial importance to refute unscientific opinions and intentions.