English is part of the Indo-European group of languages. We believe that the
Indo-European language originated in central Europe several thousand years ago.
Over time, the people who spoke this language migrated to the east and to
the west. Regional differences in the language developed among
speakers who lived in different areas.
The language of the Indo-European people who settled in the islands of Britannia came to be called Celtic. By about 400 BC Celtic was the most important language of the region. However, as different groups of people invaded Britain over the centuries, Celtic gave way to the languages spoken by the newcomers. Celtic culture was pushed to the far edges of the British islands.
Modern English has only a few traces of Celtic influence, but we can still hear Celtic languages in the speech of people who live in Wales, Cornwall, Ireland, Scotland, and northern France.