Words for sweet and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
Proto-Celtic | *melissis, *melisti = sweet |
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Old Irish (Goídelc) | milis [ˈmʲilʲisʲ] = sweet |
Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | milis = sweet, fresh (water) |
Irish (Gaeilge) | milis [ˈmʲɪlʲɪʃ] = sweet, tender, tasty, fresh (water); honeyed (words), flattering milisbhriathrach = sweet-spoken, honey-tongued milisín = sweet morsel milseán = sweet, bonbon, candy; sweet dish, dessert milseog = dessert; sweetheart, darling milsigh = to sweeten uisce milis = sweet/fresh water teange mhilis = flattering tongue |
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | milis [milɪʃ] = sweet; melodious, musical; flattering aran-milis = gingerbread baine milis = sweet milk, condensed milk buntàta milis = sweet potato, yam coirce-milis = sweet corn, maize slaman-milis = jelly |
Manx (Gaelg) | millish = sweet, darling, sugary, dulcet, honeyed, luscious, fruity, balmy bee millish = sweetmeat, sweet feddan millish = recorder, fipple flute fooillagh millish = trifle slumm millish = jelly ushtey millish = fresh water focklyn millish = honeyed words |
Proto-Brythonic | *melɨs = sweet |
Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | melis, melys = sweet, pleasant-tasting, delicious meledic = sweetened with honey melysvwyt, melysvwyd, melys-fwyd = sweet food, sweet dish, delicacy, dainty food, sweetmeat, dessert melûsrwyth, melyssrwydd = sweetness, sweet or delicious taste |
Welsh (Cymraeg) | melys [ˈmɛlɨ̞s/ˈmeːlɪs/ˈmɛlɪs] = sweet, pleasant-tasting, delicious, tasty; not salty, fresh (water); delightful, agreeable, pleasant, charming; sweet-sounding, euphonious, melodious; sweet-smelling, fragrant dant melys = sweet tooth pethau melys = sweets tatws melys = sweet potato melysaf, meluso = to sweeten, mitigate, alleviate melysaidd, melusaidd = rather sweet, delightful, agreeable melyfwyd, melusfwyd = sweet food, sweet dish, delicacy, dainty food, sweetmeat, dessert melyfwyd, melusfwyd = sweet, delicious, delightful, agreeable, pleasant, melodious, fond of sweet food or drink, greedy, voracious melysrwydd, melusrwydd = sweetness, sweet or delicious taste, melodiousness, fondness for delicate food |
Cornish (Kernewek) | melys [‘mɛlɪs/’mɛləʃ] = very sweet, honeyed kleves melys = diabetes |
Old Breton (Brethonoc) | milis = honeyed |
Middle Breton (Brezonec) | milis = honeyed, sweetish, sneaky |
Breton (Brezhoneg) | melis, milis = honeyed |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *mélid (honey)), which is also the root of the English words mildew and mulch [source].
Proto-Celtic | *su̯eko-s = to smell (good) |
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Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | chwech = sweet wech, chweg, chwec = sweet, lucious, pleasant, comely |
Welsh (Cymraeg) | chwech [χweːχ/hweːχ] = sweet chweg = sweet, lucious, pleasant, comely chwegaidd = sweetish chwegrwydd = sweetness, lusciousness |
Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | hwec, hwecah, hweg, hwêg, whêk = sweet, pleasant, dear hwecter, whecter = sweetness, pleasantness, suavity, delight hwegol, whegol = dear |
Cornish (Kernewek) | hweg = sweet, dear, gentle, kind, nice, pleasant, pleasing hwegednow, hwegnnow = candy hwegen = darling, pet, lozenge, sweet hwegoll = darling, delightful, sweetest hwegys = sweetcorn, maize hweg-oll = darling, delightful, sweetest ys hweg = sweetcorn, maize |
Middle Breton (Brezonec) | huec = sweet, delicate |
Breton (Brezhoneg) | c’hwek [xweːk] = soft, suave, sugar, delicious, exquisite, pleasant c’hwekaat = to sweeten c’hwekted [ˈxwek.tet] = softness, suavity c’hwekter = delicacy mel c’hwek = sweet honey gwin c’hwek = sweet wine |
Etymology: unknown
The usual Breton word for sweet is dous, which probably comes from the Old French dous (soft, tender), form the Latin dulcis (sweet, fragrant, melodious), from the Proto-Indo-European *dl̥kú- (sweet) [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