Words for blue / dark / dun in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *gurmos = dun, dark, blue |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | gorm = blue, dark, green |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | gorm = (deep) blue, green, dark, swarthy, black |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | gorm [ˈɡɔɾˠəmˠ] = blue, dyeing-blue; azure, dark-blue; livid, purple goirme = blueness gormaigh, gormú = to colour blue, become blue gormchló = blue-print gormghlas = blue-green, sea-green, aquamarine gormroscach, gormshúileach = blue-eyed |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | gorm [gɔrɔm] = blue; green, verdant; green, inexperienced, wet (behind the ears) gorm-ghlas = azure, cerulean, dapple grey (horse) gorm_shùileach = blue-eyed (person) gorm-uaine = blue-green gormachadh [gɔrɔməxəɣ] = making blue or grey gormailean = blue-eyed person, highly naive person muc-ghorm = blue whale |
| Manx (Gaelg) | gorrym = blue, black, dark-skinned gormaghey = blue, cyanosis gorrymaghey = blue gorrym dorraghey = dark blue bane-ghorrym = light blue doo-ghorrym = navy blue |
| Proto-Brythonic | *gurm = dun, dark, blue |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | gurum, gurim, gwrym, gurem = brown, dark-brown gwrymde, gurym de = dark-blue, greyish-blue, swarthy, wearing mourning gwrymseirch, gwrmseirch, gurumseirch = dark-blue armour or harness, horse-trappings, traces |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | gwrm, gwrwm = brown, dark-brown, reddish, greyish-brown, dark-grey, dark, dusky, black, dark-blue, blue gwr(w)mder = blackness, duskiness, murkiness, mist gwr(w)mdde = dark-blue, greyish-blue, swarthy, wearing mourning gwr(w)mddu = dusky, blackish, black garment gwr(w)mseirch, gwrymseirch = dark-blue armour or harness, horse-trappings, traces |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | gorm [gɔrm] = (dark/dull) brown |
| Old Breton | uurm-haelon = with dark brows |
Etymology: uncertain – possibly from a non-Indo-European substrate [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, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, English – ProtoCeltic WordList (PDF), Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic
