Is the proper way to say Celtic, kel-tic or sel-tic?

McGruff

Kel-tic, unless you are talking about the basketball team, the Boston Celtics, which for reasons unknown to me, is pronounced Sel-tic. http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=celtic Mar 15 06, 1:32 AM

lettawench

Always Keltic. From the Greek word for us: keltoi. The "c" is never soft - it is always hard in Irish. Mar 15 06, 1:34 AM

McGruff

The Glasgow Celtic football (soccer) team is also pronounced "sel-tic". http://www.faqfarm.com/Q/Is_Celtic_pronounced_seltic_or_keltic Question Why do we pronounce the Boston Celtics with an "s" sound instead of the normal pronunciation of Celtic with a "k" sound? Answer The word "Celts" is derived from ancient Greek "Keltoi" which meant to define the barbarian tribes living between the Danube and the Rhone rivers. The Romans took the word as "Celtae" (pronounced Keltae) and later suffered a semantic phenomenon called "palatalization": the K became a C and in English was pronounced like an European S (confront with Latin "kellarium" - German "keller" but English "cell"; or Latin "Kaesar" - German "Kaiser" but English "Caesar"). So, to me, both Keltic and Celtic are ok. It is just a matter of what kind of word you decide to use: the arcaic form, or the "current" one. "Keltic" may be more historically accurate, but languages are never idle, they keep changing each and every day. http://experts.about.com/q/Boston-Celtics-301/Pronunciation.htm Mar 15 06, 1:47 AM

Kccq940

This is the definition of Keltic: A subfamily of the Indo-European language family comprising the Insular and the Continental branches. And this it the definition of Celtic (not very helpful): Of or relating to the Celtic people and languages. Mar 15 06, 7:24 AM