▁it ▁has ▁been ▁argued ▁by ▁Maur its ▁Gy ss eling ▁and ▁others ▁that ▁pla c ename ▁analysis ▁shows ▁that ▁a ▁German ic ▁language ▁was ▁being ▁spoken ▁in ▁this ▁region ▁by ▁the ▁ 2 nd ▁century ▁B CE , ▁and ▁there ▁are ▁also ▁signs ▁of ▁an ▁older ▁substr ate ▁language ▁in ▁the ▁Belg ic ▁region . ▁( See ▁Nord west block .) ▁So ▁C elt ic , ▁while ▁influ ential ▁cult ur ally , ▁may ▁never ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁main ▁language ▁of ▁the ▁area . ▁ ▁The ▁A du atu ci ▁and ▁the ▁Germ ani ▁c is r hen ani ▁participated ▁in ▁an ▁al liance ▁of ▁Belg ic ▁tribes ▁against ▁Ca esar ▁in ▁ 5 7   B CE , ▁which ▁was ▁defeated ▁at ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁the ▁Sab is . ▁Before ▁that ▁battle , ▁information ▁from ▁the ▁Rem i , ▁a ▁tribe ▁al lied ▁with ▁Rome , ▁stated ▁that ▁the ▁Germ ani ▁( the ▁Cond rus i , ▁the ▁E bur ones , ▁the ▁Ca era esi , ▁and ▁the ▁Pa em ani ; ▁but ▁apparently ▁not ▁the ▁Seg ni ) ▁had ▁collect ively ▁promised , ▁they ▁thought , ▁about ▁ 4 0 , 0 0 0 ▁men . ▁The ▁A du atu ci ▁had ▁promised ▁ 1 9 , 0 0 0 . ▁This ▁al liance ▁was ▁defeated ▁after ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁events ▁cul min ating ▁in ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁the ▁Sab is . ▁ ▁In ▁ 5 4   B CE , ▁the ▁E bur ones ▁and ▁the ▁A du atu