Usage Note: Although many people pronounce this word with an initial (s) sound, an initial (k) sound is standard in historical, linguistic, and sociological contexts. Interestingly, the introduction of the (k) sound is a linguistic change started by scholars, contravening the historical development of the word. The c was probably pronounced (s), as is usual before e, when the word entered English from French and Latin in the 1600s. The later pronunciation with (k) imitates that of the original Latin word Celtae, a name for the Gauls, the ancient Celtic tribes of France. The (s) pronunciation has no doubt been reinforced by the success and popularity of Boston's professional basketball team, the Celtics, a name that is sometimes shortened to the Celts. Both are always pronounced with the (s) sound.