Today we’re looking at the words for sun, eye and related things in Celtic languages.
| Proto-Celtic | *sūle = suns, dual of *sūlos, genitive of *sāwol = sun |
|---|---|
| Primitive Irish | *sūli = eye |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | súil [suːlʲ] = eye, hope, expectation |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | súil [sˠuːlʲ / sˠuːl] = eye; expectation, hope; something resembling or suggesting an eye |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | sùil [suːl] = eye; glance, look; expectation; fancy, notion; opening; (rope) eye |
| Manx (Gaelg) | sooill [suːlʲ] = eye, eyepiece, ocellus, sheath of bud, hole of strap |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | haul [haɨ̯l / hai̯l] = sun, sunlight heulo = to shine, be sunny, expose to the sun, air (clothes), display heulog = sunny, solar, cheerful, smiling torheulo, bolaheulo = to sunbathe |
| Middle Cornish | houl = sun |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | howl [hɔʊl] = sun howldrevel = sunrise, east howllen = parasol howlleski = to tan howlleskys = sunburnt, tan howllosk = sunburn howlsedhes = sunset, west |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | heol = sun, sunny place, censer |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *sóh₂wl̥. (sun) [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *sawenos = sun |
|---|---|
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | haun, hvun = sun, sunlight, sunshine |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | haun [ˈhɨ.an / ˈhiː.an] = sun, sunlight, sunshine, bright, radiant, sunny |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | huon = sun |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *sh̥₂uén, from *sóh₂wl̥ (sun) [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *lukato- = eye |
|---|---|
| Proto-Brythonic | *lugad = eye |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | llygad [ˈɬəɡad] = eye; iris of the eye; region around the eye; look, gaze; sight, vision; viewpoint |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | lagas [‘lagas / lægɐz] = eye |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | lagad [ˈla.ɡat] = eye, look, light, eyelet, sleeve, mesh |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *lewk- (to shine) [source].
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *grēnā / *gʷrensnā = sun |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | grian [ɡʲrʲiːa̯n] = sun |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | grian [ˈgɾʲiənˠ] = sun; paragon grianach = sunny, cheerful, pleasant grianadh = sunning, basking grianán = sunny upper room , solar; person of sunny disposition, loved one, darling grianbhuí = mellow, golden, sunlight grianchlog = sundial grianchóras = solar system |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | grian [grʲian] = sun grainach [grʲianəx] = sunny grainan = sunny spot; place for drying (esp. peat); sundog, mock sun (parhelion) grian-stad = solstice |
| Manx (Gaelg) | grian [ɡriːn / ɡriᵈn] = sun, sunlight, sunshine grian-vroit = sunbaked |
Etymology: possibly from Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰer- (to be warm, hot) [source].
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
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, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, Le dictionnaire diachronique du breton, Geriafurch, English – ProtoCeltic WordList (PDF), Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic
