Re: Lepontic

<<Lepontic is routinely classed as Celtic mainly because it was
assigned to the Celtic branch in M. Lejeune's pioneering and
influential Lepontica (1971). It does show affinities with that branch
(such as similar case endings beside dissimilar ones, or a preterite in
-tu), but its phonology is "Celtoid" rather than Celtic. It doesn't
display some of the diagnostically Celtic developments, such as the the
change of the PIE syllabic liquids into ri, li, or the loss of PIE *p.
It has been grouped together with Gaulish (or more generally
Gallo-Brythonic) on account of being a P-Celtic language (with
Proto-Celtic *kw > p, which is assumed to be a Gallo-Brythonic
innovation). This feature, however, is so commonly found as an
independent development among the kentum languages (Oscan, Greek) that
its diagnostic value is close to nil.>>

So, could we be looking at a Celtic language that broke off early
enough from the rest of the Celtic dialects in order to appear
para-Celtic by the time the first inscriptions appear, the differences
possibly being the results of outside influences upon the language,
whether from an IE language or a non-IE language? Or could we be
looking at a non-Celtic language, but IE nevertheless, that was in
close contact with Proto-Celtic before splitting off, thus explaining
the Celtic innovations that are present within it as well as the
differences? Also, are the differences, such as case endings related
to any other branch of IE, or do they appear non-IE?

Chad Brown