Words for to search, track and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *lorgom, *lergo- = track, trace |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | lorg = path, track, trace |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | lorg = trace, vestige, mark, impression, track, trail, path, course |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | lorg [ˈl̪ˠɔɾˠəɡ / ˈl̪ˠʌɾˠəɡ] = to track, trace; seek, search for; trace, vestige, mark, impresssion, track, trail, path, course lorgaire = tracker, pursuer, detective, seeker, searcher, follower, adherent lorgaireacht = (act of) tracking, tracing, pursuing, seeking, searching, detection |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | lorg [ˈl̪ˠɔrɔg] = to trace, track, search, pursue, follow by scent or footprints air lorg = on the track of, in search of, found, located lorgadh [l̪ˠɔrɔgɪç] = (act of) discovering, finding lorgaich = track! trace! pry! ferret out! lorgadh [l̪ˠɔrɔgɛrʲə] = detective, detector, finder, tracker lorganach [l̪ˠɔrɔganəx] = sluggard, slowcoach, trail, track meur-lorg = fingerprint |
| Manx (Gaelg) | lorg = trace, track, trail, vestige, spoor lorgey = to trace, to track, to pursue, pursuit, tracing, trailing, urging lorgaghey = to drive (on/along), to urge on, urging |
| Proto-Brythonic | *llurɣ, ˈɬuːru = track, trail (?) |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | llwrw, llwry = track, trail, path, way, direction |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | llwrw, llwry [ˈɬʊru / ˈɬuːru] = track, trail, path, way, direction, course, career, manner, mode, form, semblance; tax, fee, fine, penalty; opportunity, convenince |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | lerch, lyrch, ler = trace, vestige, footstep war lerch = after |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | lergh = track, trail, trace a-lergh = lately, recently war-lergh = according to, after, behind |
| Old Breton (Brethonoc) | lerg = trace, sequel |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | lerch = trace, sequel |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | lerc’h [ˈlɛrx] = trace, sequel, continued lerc’h-ouzh-lerc’h = next, right away, successively lerc’henn = postposition dilercʼh = remainder, consequence, delay war-lercʼh = after, behind, because of |
Etymology: uncertain [source] or from Proto-Indo-European *lerg- (slippery, even) [source]
| Proto-Celtic | *swelos = to turn |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | sel = a turn, a while, a spell dessel = sunwise, clockwise túaithbel = anticlockwise, widdershins, lefthandwise |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | sel, seal = a turn, a time, a while dessel, deisell, dessiul = direction of the sun, right-hand course, sunwise, clockwise túaithbel, tuaithbil, tuaithbiul = against the sun, withershins, lefthandwise |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | seal [ˈʃal̪ˠ] = turn, while, spell, span sealad = turn, while, space of time sealadach = temporary, provisional sealaíocht = (act of) alternating, taking turns, alternation deiseal [ˈdʲeʃəlˠ] = righthand direction, direction of the sun, clockwise, sunwise tuathal [ˈt̪ˠuəhəl̪ˠ] = anticlockwise, counterclockwise |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | seal [ʃal̪ˠ] = while, space of time sealach [ʃal̪ˠəx] = temporary, transient, transitory sealad [ʃal̪ˠəd] = while, period of time sealadach [ʃal̪ˠədəx] = transitional, transitory, caretaker, provisional sealaidheachd [ʃal̪ʲɪjəxg] = course of time, transitoriness, relay sealan [ʃal̪ˠan] = a little/short while deiseal [dʲeʃal] = clockwise, facing south, finished, ready, poised, prepared, handy, dexterous tuathal [tuəhəl̪ˠ] = anticlockwise, counterclockwise, unlucky, ill-omened, confused, agitated, disorien(ta)ted |
| Manx (Gaelg) | shalee = design, intention, project, purpose, pursuit, quest shayll = piece of work, spell, turn shallidagh = provisional, provisory, temporary, transient, interim jeshal = clockwise |
| Proto-Brythonic | *hwel = (?) |
| Old Welsh (Kembraec) | chwel, cheil = turn, course, period |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | chwyl = turn of events, course, destiny whel = turn, course, period chwilyaw, chwiliaw, chwilio = to search, seek, trace, investigate, examine, rummage, ransack, try |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | chwŷl [χwɨːl / χwiːl] = turn of events, course, destiny chwyl(i)ad = a turning round, roation, revolution chwyl(i)o = to revolve, rotate, turn around chwêl = turn, course, period, while, commotion, disturbance chwilio [ˈχwɪljɔ / ˈχwɪljɔ] = to search, seek, trace, investigate, examine, rummage, ransack, try chwiliadur = search engine chwiliedydd = searcher, examiner, investigator chwiliwr = searcher, investigator, examiner, trier, inquirer, spy, inquisitor chwilys = inquisition chwilyswr = inquisitor chwiliota(f) = to rummage, pry, grope for, grabble, pilfer |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | chwila, whela(s), hwila(s), hwillaz = to seek, to seach for hwiliog a searcher, seeker, conjuror |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | hwilas [‘ʍilas / ‘ʍilɐz] = to seek, look for, attempt, try, search hwilerbownder, hwiler hyns = pathfinder hwilreseger = orienteer hwilresek = orienteering hwilva = laboratory |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | chouilia = to search, look for |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | hoal = age, ascendancy, attractiveness hoal-vat = happiness, prosperity hoalad = career, era, epoc, period hoaladur = delectation hoalat = to seduce, to delight holc’hiñ = to search |
Etymology: possibly from Proto-Indo-European *welH- (to turn, revolve). Words from the same roots in English include helicopter, helix, valve, wallow, whelk, and deiseal (clockwise, sunwise – borrowed from Irish) [source]
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, Geriafurch, TermOfis