Hi,
I've heard two arguments to account for the Celtic speach and personal
names among the Cimbri:
1. That they were originally Germanic speakers from Jutland, but when
they moved south and stayed among Celtic speakers (which is where we hear
of certain Romans having to learn Celtic to communicate with them) they
picked there language and much of their clothing and equipment.
2. That they were originally Celtic-speakers, and can be associated with
the Gundestrop cauldron, which seems to portray Celtic themes, but became
Germanic-speaking by the time Tacitus recorded them.
Regarding the latter, Ammianus of Marcellinus (quoting Timagenes) and
Ephoros of Cyme (quoted by Strabo) mention the Celts as having originally
come from the outermost
Isles beyond the Rhine. Regarding this, there was the Baltic island
Abalum, and this seems to be a word of Celtic origin.
-Michael
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