Words for right & south in Celtic languages.
| Proto-Celtic | *dexswos = right (side), south |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | dess = right (side), right-hand; south; right, just; convenient, agreeable desse = right side, rightness andess = (from the) south |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhleag) | dess = right, right hand (side), south, just, meet, well-arranged, neat, pretty, fine desse = the right side, right hand, rightness, fairness dessebar = the south, southern aspect dessel = direction of the sun, right-hand course, sunwise andess = from the right, from the south |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | deas [dʲasˠ / dʲæsˠ] = south, southerly, to the south; right, right-hand deasach = right-handed, suitable for use with right hand deaslámh = right hand deaslámhach = right-handed, dexterous, handy deaslámhaí = handiness, dexterity deasóg = right hand, right fist, right-handed punch |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | deas [dʲes] = south; southern; right (side); ready, finished; accomplished, expert, skilful; active, alert, quick, snappy; to hand, handy; clever, sharp; deft, dexterous deasach [dʲesəx] = southerly, southern, southerner deasag [dʲesag] = right hand deasail [dʲesal] = clockwise deasad [dʲesad]= neatness, readiness deasalt [dʲesəl̪ˠd] = clockwise/sunwise turn deasalachd [dʲesəl̪ˠəxg] = readiness, convenience, dexterity |
| Manx (Gaelg) | jesh = rightwing, righthand, starboard, nice, smart, felicitous, elegant, ready, tidy, groomed, adept, neat, seemly, becoming, suitable, fancy, trim jiass [d͡ʒas] = south, southern, southerly, southward jeshag = righthander, right-handed blow jeshagh = illumination, right-handed blow jeshid = applicability, elegance, neatness, propriety, right-handedness, seemliness, smartness, suitability, tidiness neearass = southwest niar ass = southeast niass = southerly cheu-jiass = southward |
| Proto-Brythonic | *dexow = right, southern |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | dehev, deheu, deau = right, south, southern, right (hand, side) dehau ddwyrain = southeast deau-’orllewyn, deheûorllewin = southwest Dehaubarth = the medieval kingdom of South Wales dehevbôl = south pole deheuec = dexterous, skilful, adroit, right dehevawl = south, southern, of the south, austral, facing southwards |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | deau = right, south, southern de [deː] = south; dexterous, skilful, clever; ready; useful, handy; suitable, appropriate, proper, right, just; favourable, auspicious de(au)-ddwyrain = southeast de(au)-orllewin- = southwest Dehaubarth = South Wales, the medieval kingdom of South Wales, southern part Dehaubarth Cymru (Newydd) = (New) South Wales deheubol = south pole deheuder, deheudra = dexterity, adroitness, cleverness deheueg = dexterous, skilful, adroit, right; South Welsh dialect deheuol = south, southern, of the south, austral, facing southwards |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | dehou, dyhow, dyow = right, south dehoules = southernwood |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | dyghow [dɪ’hɔʊ / də’hɔʊ] = south, right-handed, southern, right dyghow dhuryen = southeast dyghow orlewin = southwest dyghowbarth = south |
| Old Breton | dehou, deou = right, south |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | dehou, deho, dehaou = right, south dehouyat, deouiad = right-handed |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | dehou [ˈde(h).u] = right, south dehouiad = right-handed dehoubarzh = southern zone a-zehou = to the right |
Etymology
From Proto-Indo-European *deḱswo-, from *deḱs- (right-hand side) [source].
Words from the same PIE root include dexterity, dextrose and (ambi)dextrous in English, diestro (right, right-handed, skillful, dextrous) in Spanish, and destro (clever, able, right, right-hand) in Italian [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
You could add that in Gaelg (Manx), the word jiass means south, and is presumably cognate with jesh (which I’d not thought of previously).