The language of the ancient Celtic Britons was oral and has left few written traces but after the Roman conquest a few examples exist; along with a few gravestones there are a few charms and pendents one of which is believed to have a curse;
a) Original version;
"Adixoui Deuina Deieda Andagin Uindiorix cuamenai"
b) Possible translation;
"The affixed - Deuina, Deieda, Andagin, (and) Uindiorix - I have bound"
An alternate translation being:
"May I, Windiorix for/at Cuamena defeat the worthless woman, oh divine Deieda"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Picts were the inhabitants of Scotland during the Roman conquest of Britain who withstood Roman domination. Very little is known about them although they are believed to have been Celts who spoke a separate language. Aside from a few place names the only one known surviving example of Pictish comes from a probable eighth or ninth century grave marker found in the Shetland Islands called The Lunnasting stone. There is not enough to enable a full translation but when translated into the Latin alphabet the original appears to say;
"ttocuhetts: ahehhttmnnn: hccvvevv: nehhton"
or "ettecuhetts: ahehhttannn: hccvvevv: nehhtons"
It has been suggested that the last words translate as "the vassal of Nehtonn" and the word "Ahehhttannn" is also a name.
All of which shows how fiendishly difficult it is to discipher a long dead language when faced with a serious lack of info to work with. It can not even be stated with certainty whether Pictish is even Celtic at all although the available evidence suggests a relationship with Welsh rather than Gaelic.
