Words for bad and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *drukos = bad |
|---|---|
| Gaulish | druco- = bad |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | droch [drox] = bad, ill |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | droch = bad |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | droch [drɔx] = bad, poor, evil, ill, un- drochbhéas = vice, bad habit drochmheas = contempt drochobair = bad work, mischief drochrath = ill luck, misfortune drochrud = bad thing, inferior thing, bad/evil person, devil drochrún = evil intention drochuair = evil hour, unfortunate occasion |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | droch [drɔx] = bad, evil, wicked, mischievous, sad, calamitous, dark, obscure, secretive droch-aigne = ill-will droch-allaidh = libel droch-chòrdadh = disagreement droch-fhàistinneach = ominous droch-mhèin = malice droch-thuarach = sinister |
| Manx (Gaelg) | drogh [drɔx] = evil, wicked, bad, abusive, unenviable, misfortune, badness, ill, sinister, vile drogh aghtalys = misbehaviour, misconduct drogh chaaynt = bad language, smut, swearing drogh chonagh = misfortune drogh hraghtey = to smuggle, smuggling drogh oor = bad luck, ill-times, misfortune |
| Proto-Brythonic | *drug = bad |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | druc, dryg, drỽc, drwc = bad drycaruer , drygarver, drycarver = bad habit, abuse, misuse drygdafod = scurrilous language, evil tongue |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | drwg [druːɡ] = bad, rotten, putrid; poor, piteous, wretched; sorry, grievous, sad; unfavourable, causing disquiet; injurious, harmful; unpleasant (taste); indecent, obscene (words); counterfeit, false; bad; harsh, cruel, severe, ruthless; corrupt, depraved, sinful, wicked, mischievous, naughty strong>drwgabsen = malicious defamation, slander drwgafer = bad habit, abuse, misuse drwgdafod = scurrilous language, evil tongue drwgenwog = infamous, notorious, disreputable |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | droc, drôg, drog = evil, wickedness, harm, injury, wrong, bad, wicked, hurtful, mischievous droca, droga = worst drocoleth = an evil deed, ill doing, injury, damage droga, droaga = to do harm, hurt, injure drogbrederys = evil-minded, malicious, envious drogbres = ill will, spite, grudge drogdavasec = ill-tongued, foul-mouthed, back-biting, reviling drogger = ill report, infamy, reproach droggeriit = infamous, reproachful droggras = revenge, requital drogober, drôk-ober = an evil deed, a crime |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | drog [drɔ:g / dro:g] = bad, harm, hurt, ill, wrong, evil, invalid, nasty, naughty, wicked, wrong drogdybi = to suspect drogedh = vice drogfara = to behave badly drogga = wrong droghandla = to abuse, mishandle droglam = accident, crash, mishap drogober = crime drogboeror, drogoberores criminal, culprit drogura = to smear drokoleth = widkedness drokter = wickedness |
| Middle Breton (Brezoneg) | drouc = bad, illness, anger drouc Ælez = the devil, bad angel drouc auantur = misfortune, bad luck droucyez, drouguyez = wickedness, malice, animosity drouc = drouc = |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | drouk [druːk] = bad, evil, naughty droug [druːk] = bad, wickedness drougiezh [druˈɡiːɛs] = wickedness, malice, animosity droukrañsus [druˈɡrãsːys] = angry, resentful droukaat = to become bad, make bad drouziwezh [dru.ˈziː.wɛs] = defeat, disaster dizrouk [ˈdi.zruk] = inoffensive, without anger |
Etymology: possibly from the Proto-Indo-European *dʰrewgʰ- (to deceive) [source]. Word from the same roots include dream in English, droom (dream) and driegen (to deceive) in Dutch, Traum (dream) and trügen (to deceive, be deceptive) in German [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *dognawos = badly grown (?) |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | dona [ˈdona] = unlucky, unfortunate |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | dona = unfortunate, unlucky, wretched donaide = ill-disposed, wretched donán = miserable creature, wretch donas = ill-luck, misfortune, calamity donogad = act of making wretched |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | dona [ˈd̪ˠɔn̪ˠə/ˈd̪ˠʌnˠə] = unfortunate, unlucky, bad, poor, wretched, ill donacht = badness, wretchedmess, misfortune, illness donagar = bad condition, misfortune donaigh = to make worse, aggravate, become word, deteriorate, injure, maim donaire = wretch donaireacht = wretchedness donaisín = little wretch, weakling donas = ill-luck, misfortune, affliction, misery, mischief |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | dona [dɔnə] = bad, not well donachas [dɔnəxəs] = mischief, harm, bad luck, mishap, devil donachd [dɔnəxg] = mischief, harm, bad luck, mishap donad [dɔnəd] = degree of badness, severity donadas [dɔnədəs] = badness, evil donas [dɔnəs] = mischief, harm, bad luck, devil donasag [dɔnəsag] = imp |
| Manx (Gaelg) | donney [ɔlk] = calamitous, ill-advised, inauspicious, unfortunate, unlucky, very ill, woeful, unhappy donnan = dolt, dunce, stupid person, worse donnys = affliction, bad luck, mischief, woe |
Etymology: possibly from the Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- (to recognise, know) [source]. Words from the same root include can, canny, gnome, ignore, know and quaint in English [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *ulkos = evil, bad |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | olc [olk] = bad, evil olcas = badness |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | olc, olcc = evil, bad, wrong, misfortune olcach = hurtful, injurious, harm, injury olcas = badness |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | olc [ɔl̪ˠk] = evil, harm, bad, harmful, poor, wretched, ill-disposed, hardly, scarcely olcach = causing evil, harmful, injurious. olcas = badness, evil, bad state, bad nature, spite |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | olc [ɔl̪ˠxg] = evil, wicked, bad, infamous, ill, iniquity olcag [ɔl̪ˠxgag] = little brat (female) olcair [ɔl̪ˠxgɛrʲ] = evildoer olcas [ɔl̪ˠxgəs] = wickedness, badness |
| Manx (Gaelg) | olk [ɔlk] = bad, evil, ill, injury, lousy, truculence, unfavourable, vicious, wicked, mischief, naughty, sinful olkeyr = criminal, culprit, evil-doer, offender, mischief-maker olkid = badness, evilness olkys = badness, evilness, iniquity, mischief olkyssagh = baleful, elfish, diabolical, iniquitous, malicious, malignant, mischievous, naughty, vicious, wicked |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *h₁elḱ- (bad [?]) [source]. Words from the same root include ill and possibly ulcer in English, illa (badly, poorly, not well) in Swedish, and ilkeä (bad, mean, wicked, evil) in Finnish [source].
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, Lexicon Cornu-britannicum: A Dictionary of the Ancient Celtic Language of Cornwall, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, Le dictionnaire diachronique du breton, Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic