Right & South

Words for right & south in Celtic languages.

Right & South

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.
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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

One thought on “Right & South

  1. 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).

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