Words for life and related things in Celtic languages
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *biwotūts = life |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | betha = life, lifetime, existence, sustenance bethamnas = life, livelihood ar·beir = to live |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | betha = life, to be alive; living, livelihood; food sustenance, property, estate bethadach = animal, creature bethaigid = to quicken, animate, feed, nourish, support bethamain = nourishment uisce beatha(d), uisge beatha = whiskey |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | beatha [ˈbʲahə] = life, to be alive; living, livelihood; food sustenance, property, estate beathachruth = life form beathaigh = to feed, nourish, rear beathaithe = fat, well-fed beathú = feeding, nourishment, living, culture beathúil = nourishing uisce-beatha = whiskey |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | beatha [bɛhə] = life, existence; victuals, food; livelihood; welcome, salutation beathach [bɛhəx] = animal, beast, head of cattle, brute beathachadh [bɛhəxəɣ] = living, feeding, nourishing beathachail [bɛhəxal] = nutritious, nutritional beathachair [bɛhəxɛrʲ] = animator beathadach [bɛhədəx] = animate beathalachd [bɛhəl̪ˠəxg] = liveliness, vitality uisge-beatha [ɯʃgʲəˈbɛhə] = whisky |
| Manx (Gaelg) | bea = animation, life, lifespan, vital (statistics) beaoil = moral, living beaghee = nutritious, edible beaghey = to feed, nourish, nurture, live, maintain; nourishment, foodstuffs, livelihood, nutrition, sustenance ushtey bea = whiskey |
| Proto-Brythonic | *bïwïd = life |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | byỽyt, bywyt, bowyt, bowyd= life, existence; liveliness; lifetime, living, livelihood, sustenance |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | bywyd [ˈbəu̯ɨ̞d/ˈbou̯ɪd] = life, existence; liveliness; lifetime, living, livelihood, sustenance; wealth, income; reward, gift bywydaf, bywydu = to animate, quicken bywydol = living, animate, lively, vital bywydoldeb = life, animation, vitality bywydus = full of life, lively, vigorous |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | bewnans, bewnas = life, existence |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | bewnans [‘bɛʊnans] = life, living |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | buez, buhez = life, to live |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | buhez [ˈbyːe(z)] = life buhezegezh = vitality, morals, ethics buhezek = vital, full of vitality |
Etymology: from the Proto-Celtic *biwos (alive, living, mortal), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷih₃wós (alive, living). Words from the same roots include words for food in Celtic languages, biology, quick, vitality and zoo in English, vida (life) in Spanish, and vie (life) in French [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