From: Torsten
Message: 67902
Date: 2011-07-06
> > There is a discussion in the cybalist archives (inconclusive) trying to make sense of Caesar's famous statement. The best I could come up with is that Caesar's initial description of the Belgae fits the Nervii very well (they are thus his prime "Belgan" reference point). If we then add the fact that the Belgae crossed over from Germania, chased out the locals, and had Germanic associates (some mentioned directly as such others (the Nervii et al.) possible by implication) the idea dawned that the "3rd" language of Gallia (for Caesar) besides Gaulish and Aquitanian was simply...Germanic. Despite the fact that many Belgae were actually Gaulish-speaking (including those who conquered portions of Britain). Cf. also final query below after your other analyses.*****If we define Germanic as those related languages who have been subject to the process known as Grimm's law, the NWBlock area is excluded since in that area we observe that process in action in historical times
>
> Caesar tangled with the Germans several times. He needed Germanic interpreters to learn about the business of coordinating attacks with lunar phases, and some of his own lieutenants spoke Gaulish. That he was aware of the difference between Germanic and Gaulish is also shown by his comment about Ariovistus acquiring fluent Gaulish during his years occupying part of Gaul. Had Belgic been a Germanic dialect, it would be astonishing if Caesar were unaware of it.
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> Caesar regarded the distinction between British and Gaulish as unimportant; whatever difference existed at the time was, to him, merely dialectal. Thus we cannot regard Belgic as a Gaulish dialect either.