Legs & Feet

Words for legs, feet and related things in Celtic languages.

Legs

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

Proto-Celtic *koxsā = foot, leg
Old Irish (Goídelc) cos(s) [kos] = foot, leg
Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) cos, cas = foot, leg, stem, support, handle, shaft, infantry
cosach = pertaining to feet or legs, long-legged
Irish (Gaeilge) cos [kɔsˠ] = leg, foot; handle, shaft, stem; lower end
cosán = path, footway, track, way, passage, direction
cosarálaí = trampler, clumsyfooted person
coiscéim = footstep
coisí = pedestrian
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) cas [kas] = foot, trotter; leg; handle, shaft shank (of a fishing hook
casach [kasəx] = (many-)footed, legged, abounding in feet
casachan [kasəxan] = pedal, treadle
cos [kɔs] = foot, leg, handle, shaft
Manx (Gaelg) cass [kaːs] = leg, barrel, foot, shaft, peg, bottom, outlet, mouth of river, stalk, hilt, stem of a pipe, crop of a whip
cassagh = footed, pedal, spiral, objective
kass = foot
Proto-Brythonic *koɨs = leg, shank, stem
Middle Welsh (Kymraec) coes = leg, shank
koescyn = leg, shank, stalk, stem
Welsh (Cymraeg) coes [koːɨ̯s / kɔi̯s / koːs] = leg, shank; handle, haft, stem, stalk
coes = little leg
coesgyn = leg, shank, stalk, stem
coesi(o) = to run away, leg it, walk, stride
Cornish (Kernewek) koos = leg

Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *koḱs- (joint) [source]. Words from the same PIE root include cushion in English, Hachse (hock, shank, knuckle, leg) in German, coxa (thigh, drumstick) in Portuguese, and cuisse (thigh) in French [source].

Proto-Celtic *tregess = foot
Gaulish treide = foot
Old Irish (Goídelc) traig [traɣʲ] = foot (part of body / measurement), step
Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) traig = foot, step
Irish (Gaeilge) troigh [t̪ˠɾˠɪɟ / t̪ˠɾˠɔ / t̪ˠɾˠiː] = foot (part of body / measurement), step
troitheach = foot-soldier, pedestrian
troitheán = pedal, treadle
troithíocht = sound of footsteps
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) troigh [trɔç] = foot (part of body / measurement), sole of foot
troighean = pedal
Manx (Gaelg) trie [strɛin] = foot, sole, twelve inches
Middle Welsh (Kymraec) troed, troet = foot
troeduet, troetued, troydvedd = foot (measurement)
troedaỽc, troedauc, troediog, troedyavc, troydawc = having a foot, footed, walking, ambulant, nimble-footed, sure-footed
Welsh (Cymraeg) troed [troːɨ̯d / trɔi̯d] = foot, shaft, handle, bottom, base, pedestal, foundation, extremity, end, stalk, foot-joint
troed-droed, troetroed = step by step, in step (with)
troedfa = pavement, foundation, base
troedfedd = foot (measurement)
troedfys = toe
troedffordd = footpath, footway
troediad = step, pace, walk, gait, kick
troed(i)o = to tread, step, walk, tample (on), plod, trudge
troed(i)og = having a foot, footed, walking, ambulant, nimble-footed, sure-footed
Old Cornish truit = foot
Middle Cornish trois, tros, trôs = foot
troishys = foot (length)
Cornish (Kernewek) troos [tro:z / tru:z] = foot, on foot
troos-hys, troos-hes = foot (length)
Old Breton treit, treyt = foot
Middle Breton troat = foot
troatet = foot (length)
Breton (Brezhoneg) troad [trwɑːt] = foot, handle
troadeg = with big feet, infantryman, pedestrian
troadek [ˈtrwɑː.dɛk] = having big feet, having a foot
troadikell [trwa.ˈdikː.ɛl] = pedal
troadikellañ [trwa.di.ˈkɛlː.ã] = to pedal
troadikeller [trwa.di.ˈkɛlː.ɛr] = pedalboard. pedaler
troatad [ˈtrwatː.at] = foot (length)

Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *tregʰ- (to run, walk), apparently a variant of *dʰregʰ- (to run, drag, pull) [source]. Words from the same roots include drag, draw, train and treaty, and droichead (bridge) in Irish [source].

Proto-Celtic *garros = shank, leg, calf
Gaulish *garra = leg
Old Irish (Goídelc) gairr = calf of the leg
Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) gairr, gair = calf of the leg
Proto-Brythonic *garr = shank, calf of the leg
Middle Welsh (Kymraec) garr, gar = leg, shank, thigh, ham, hough
Welsh (Cymraeg) gar [ɡar] = leg, shank, thigh, ham, hough
gar(r)an = leg, shank, shaft, axle
garanu = to fix a shank or handle, to fit with a shaft or axle, to crane
Middle Cornish (Cernewec) gar = shank, leg
Cornish (Kernewek) garr [ɡarː/ɡɒr] = leg, stem
garren = calf, stalk
Middle Breton (Brezonec) gar, garr = leg, paw
Breton (Brezhoneg) gar [ɡɑːr] = leg, paw
garegenn = leg (of trousers)
gargen = leg warmer
gallek [ˈɡa.rːɛk] = (having) long legs

Etymology: possibly from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰs-r- (hand), from *ǵʰes- (hand, to take, give in exchange) [source]. Words from the same Proto-Celtic root include garra (shank, claw, talon) in Catalan, jarret (hough, hock) in French, garter (a band worn around the leg to hold up a sock or stocking) in English, and garra (claw, talon, paw, hook, passion, dedication) in Spanish [source].

Words from the same Proto-Info-European roots include dorë (hand) in Albanian, paže (arm) in Czech, and host (the consecrated bread of the Eucharist) in English [source].

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Sources: Wiktionary, Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic, In Dúil Bélrai English – Old Irish glossary, eDIL – Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language, Teanglann.ie, Am Faclair Beag, An etymological dictionary of the Gaelic language, Fockleyreen: Manx – English Dictionary, Online Manx Dictionary, Gaelg Corpus, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Lexicon cornu-britannicum : a dictionary of the ancient Celtic language of Cornwall, Gerlyver Kernewek, Devri : Le dictionaire diachronique du breton, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis

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2 thoughts on “Legs & Feet

  1. re: *koxsā = foot, leg
    The etymology, as currently displayed, reads:
    “From Proto-Indo-European *koḱs- (joint), which is also the root of the English words buldge, budge and budget”
    I think a gremlin or two must have crept in here
    1) because there is AFAIK no word “buldge” in English, and
    2) I would be amazed if “budge” and “budget” have any connection to *koxsā!

  2. Gremlins have indeed been at work. All traces have now been removed.

    *koḱs- is in fact the root of the Latin coxa (hip, hipbone, thigh), the French cuisse (thigh), and related words in other Romance languages [source].

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