Celtic Germanic relationship

[Ray Hendon]

I am confused about the linguistic relationship, if any, between Celt and
German.  I think I read somewhere that Celtic was an Italic language, and that
German was a daughter language of Celtic, developing after Celtic became
distinguished from other Italic languages.

Also, if there is a relationship, has anything of a time-line been established
for the periods of transition?

[ Moderator's comment:
  The traditional Indo-European family tree (to use the model most familiar to
  non-specialists) has Germanic, Celtic, and Italic as three separate branches.
  Some, but by no means all, Indo-Europeanists believe that the Italic and
  Celtic branches should be considered to form a sub-unit of the tree, based on
  certain morphological developments; this branch is called Italo-Celtic.

  The Germanic branch shares some developments and vocabulary with Italic and
  Celtic, and others with Balto-Slavic.  This has recently led a few people to
  posit an early separation of Germanic from the rest of the family (but from
  a branch that later led to Balto-Slavic), then massive influence from Celtic
  and Italic.

  No authoritative Indo-Europeanist to my knowledge has suggested the branch
  structure you outline.
  --rma ]