Structural similarities like VSO word order may be typological coincidences rather than proof of direct contact.
While provocative, Vennemann's theories are highly debated and generally rejected by the mainstream linguistic community. Critics often argue that: Europa Vasconica-Europa Semitica
The comparative method , the gold standard for determining language relationships, does not strongly support these deep-time connections. Structural similarities like VSO word order may be
He identifies structural similarities between Insular Celtic languages (like Irish and Welsh) and Semitic/Hamitic languages, such as Verb-Subject-Object (VSO) word order. Europa Vasconica-Europa Semitica
This "substrate" influenced the vocabulary and structure of the languages that eventually replaced them.