Words for narrow and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
Proto-Celtic | *koilos = thin |
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Old Irish (Goídelc) | cáel, cóel = thin, slender, narrow, fine, delicate, strait cáelán = intestine |
Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | cáel, cóel, cóil = thin slender, narrow, fine, nice, delicate, subtle, exact cáelán, caolan = intestine, gut cáelas = narrows, strait |
Irish (Gaeilge) | caol [keːl̪ˠ / kiːlˠ] = thin, slender; fine; narrow; shrill; slender; palatalized; weak, dilute; slight; subtle caolach =osiers, twigs, wicker-/wattle-work caoladán = thin person, thing caoladóir = wicker-worker, basker-maker caolaigh = to become thin, narrow, reduce, dilute caolán = creek, small intestine, catgut caolas = strait, narrows, narrow place, bottleneck |
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | caol [kɯːl̪ˠ] = narrow, slender; slim, thin, lean, skinny; lanky caolan = colon, intestine, entrail(s), gut(s) caolanach = colonic, intestinal caolraid = alley, vennel, wynd caolaich = make slender, slenderise caolachadh = (act of) narrowing, slenderisation caolas = narrow(s), strait caoladair = wickerworker |
Manx (Gaelg) | keyl [keːl] = thin, fine, attenuated, lanky, lean, slim, slight, willowy, gracile, tapered, slender, hairline, narrow, spare, small, drawn out, watery (soup), weak (solution) keyllaghey = narrow (down), narrowing keyley = narrowing, slenderize, thin keylagh = to attenuate, attenuation, slenderize, thin, thinning |
Proto-Brythonic | *kʉl = narrow |
Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | cul, kul = narrow, lean culaidd, culedd = narrowish, restricted culhau, kulhau = to become narrow, shrink |
Welsh (Cymraeg) | cul [kɨːl / ˈkiːl] = narrow, lean, illibera,; bigoted, narrow-minded culaidd = narrowish, restricted culder, culdra = narrowness, leanness culdir = isthmus, narrow strip of land culfa = strait, narrow place, narrow passage culhaf, culhau = to become narrow, shrink, lose fat |
Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | cul = narrow, strait culurionein, kylyrion = the bowel |
Cornish (Kernewek) | kul [ky:l / ki:l] = narrow kuldremenva = corridor |
Breton (Brezhoneg) | kul = narrow |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *koyHlo- or *skey- (to dissect, split) [source].
The word kyle, which appears in placenames such as Kyle of Lochalsh (Caol Loch Aillse) is an English version of the Scottish Gaelic caol [source].
Another word for narrow in Breton is strizh [ˈstriːs], which comes from the Latin strictus (tightened, compressed). The English words strict and strait come from the same root [source].
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, Online Manx Dictionary, Teanglann.ie, eDIL – Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language, In Dúil Bélrai English – Old Irish glossary, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Gerlyvyr Cernewec, Lexicon Cornu-britannicum: A Dictionary of the Ancient Celtic Language of Cornwall, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, Le dictionnaire diachronique du breton, Geriafurch, English – ProtoCeltic WordList (PDF), Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic