# Celtic or Celtic? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 14, 2002, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celtic-or-celtic/98199 "2002-03-14T03:41:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celtic-or-celtic/98199/1 "2002-03-14T03:41:03Z")
With St. Patrick’s Day approaching (and here in Savannah, that means a big parade and 500,000 drunken tourists!), I’d like to know when the word Celtic (pronounced KELL-tik) came to be pronounced SELL-tik, as in Boston’s basketball team? Or should the team’s name be pronounced KELL-tik? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celtic-or-celtic/98199/2 "2002-03-14T04:10:25Z")
When enough readers of the language who had not heard the word pronounced overwhelmed the few people who remembered how it should be pronounced. Why do Texans get upset when _rodeo_ is pronounced roe-DAY-o (the actual and original Spanish pronuciation), insisting on ROE-dee-o? Language and pronunciation are at the mercy of those who choose to speak it. The basketball team is SELL-tik and the culture and people are KELL-tik. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celtic-or-celtic/98199/3 "2002-03-14T04:41:36Z")
This is not an expert here, merely a 50+ year old who only ever heard the word pronounced as seltic until suddenly some time around 20 years ago I first heard the word pronounced keltic. ---
**Author:** ![BalmainBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@BalmainBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BalmainBoy)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celtic-or-celtic/98199/4 "2002-03-14T06:23:59Z")
The leading team in the Scottish Premier League (soccer) - the biggest winter sport in the U.K. - is Celtic United (pronounced SELLtik). This in a nation of Celts (KELtz) !! ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celtic-or-celtic/98199/5 "2002-03-14T06:28:38Z")
They’re not “Celtic United”, they’re just “Celtic”. And nobody knows why it’s pronounced with an /s/. Trust me, this subject comes up all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celtic-or-celtic/98199/6 "2002-03-14T08:20:07Z")
Somebody once told me a story about Richard Burton; I don’t know if it’s true: Somebody said to him “I’m a **S** elt, just like you”, he replied “I am a **K** elt, you sir, are a **S** unt”. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celtic-or-celtic/98199/7 "2002-03-14T08:26:18Z")
I saw this thread title, and clicked on it, knowing exactly what I was going to post. Damn you, **Mangetout** , you beat me to it! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celtic-or-celtic/98199/8 "2002-03-14T10:24:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BalmainBoy \* > \*\*The leading team in the Scottish Premier League (soccer) - the biggest winter sport in the U.K. - is Celtic United (pronounced SELLtik). \*\* Apart from it being Glasgow Celtic Football Club, no 'United, it’s pronounced “Sellick”. Well, by most of their supporters anyway. But they don’t like that pointed out, which is as good a reason as any to do it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Milton\_De\_La\_Warre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Milton\_De\_La\_Warre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milton_De_La_Warre)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celtic-or-celtic/98199/9 "2002-03-14T11:37:54Z")
In the Greek language and literature, the people known to the Romans as “Gauls” were called “Keltoi” generically, although in both Latin and Greek they are somtimes also distinguished by the names of the various tribes. I am unsure if they ever thought of themselves as a single entity, at least until Caesar launched a war of conquest. ---
**Author:** ![kokomo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f17d59/32.png) [@kokomo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kokomo)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celtic-or-celtic/98199/10 "2002-03-14T12:30:37Z")
I think it’s a fashion of the 80’s/90’s… In a couple of years we may find picts, jutes, etc ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celtic-or-celtic/98199/11 "2002-03-14T14:31:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tomndebb \* > **When enough readers of the language who had not heard the word pronounced overwhelmed the few people who remembered how it should be pronounced.** I suppose that makes sense in terms of people who only heard of the team, and never of the land. Personally, I was quite aware of the land, but its name never came up in conversation, or on the tv/radio news, so I never heard it pronounced, and simply followed the “e after c” rule, and presumed that the correct pronunciation was “seltik”. I think is it fair to say that most Americans never hear the name of the land of the Celts, and can be held innocent of knowing their error. But can the same be said of “Yukon”? It annoys me terribly when I hear the nickname of the University of Connecticut pronounced with the accent on the first syllable: “ **U** Conn”. It sounds exactly like Yukon, and I often misunderstand it when I hear it. Why can’t people call it “U **Conn** ”? ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celtic-or-celtic/98199/12 "2002-03-14T14:52:16Z")
I studied ancient history, and had a personal interest and focus on Celtic history. I always pronounced it Keltic, and never heard otherwise in scholarly circles. This was in reference to the people of ancient Gaul and Britain, not modern people. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celtic-or-celtic/98199/13 "2002-03-14T18:19:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Futile Gesture \* > **Apart from it being Glasgow Celtic Football Club** I’m being really pedantic here, but there is no “Glasgow” in the club’s full official name either. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celtic-or-celtic/98199/14 "2002-03-14T18:27:35Z")
The correct pronunciation is “Keltic” just as the correct pronunciation of cinema is “kinema” (derived from the Greek for “movement” where we also get “kinetic” and not “cinetic” … or is it “cinetic”? … never mind) ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celtic-or-celtic/98199/15 "2002-03-14T18:41:18Z")
Personally, I prefer the hard-c sound, but according to my Webster’s, either way is acceptable. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celtic-or-celtic/98199/16 "2002-03-14T18:45:35Z")
Quoth **Keeve** : > [@](#): > > It annoys me terribly when I hear the nickname of the University of Connecticut pronounced with the accent on the first syllable: “ **U** Conn”. > > ``` > It sounds exactly like Yukon, and I often misunderstand it when I hear it. Why can't people call it "U **Conn**"? > > ``` They pronounce it that way _because_ it sounds exactly like “Yukon”. What did you think was the rationale for calling the sports teams “Huskies”? ---
**Author:** ![Toaster52](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/50afbb/32.png) [@Toaster52](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toaster52)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celtic-or-celtic/98199/17 "2002-03-14T22:13:58Z")
Growing up in South Dakota, I always heard it as the KAR i be un. Now, it’s apparently Ku RIB eun. Carribean, for those phonetically challenged amongst us… ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celtic-or-celtic/98199/18 "2002-03-14T22:44:32Z")
Perhaps it’s part of the whole Church Latin vs. Classic Latin. Cicero - Sisero or Kikero? Scylla - Silla or Skyoula?