Words for land, parish, enclosure and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *landā = (open) land |
|---|---|
| Gaulish | landa = land |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | land, lann = building, house, land, plot, plate |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | land, lann = building, house, land, plot, plate íarlann = pantry ithlann, ithla = threshing floor, barn, granary, storehouse; garden, orchard |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | lann = land, ground, plot, house, building (especially a church) bialann = canteen, restaurant leabharlann = library longlann = dockyard réadlann = observatory saotharlann = laboratory |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | lann [l̪ˠaun̪ˠ ~ l̪ˠan̪ˠən] = enclosure, enclosed area, precinct; repository; house, church amharc-lann = observatory biadh-lann = canteen, dinning hall, refectory broc-lann = badger’s den, sett long-lann = dockyard fasg-lann = shelter lann-eaglaise = church precinct leabhar-lann = library obair-lann = laboratory suin-lann = dormitory ur-lann = esplanade, green |
| Manx (Gaelg) | lann = enclosure, habitation lhonglann = dockyard lioarlann = library seyrlann = laboratory reayrtlann = observatory |
| Proto-Brythonic | *llann [ˈl͈anː] = land, area, plot, sacred place, churchyard |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | lánn, lann, lan, llann = land lannerch, llanerch, llennyrch = a clearing, glade |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | llan [ɬan] = (parish) church, monastery, heaven, churchyard llan gadeiriol = cathedral llan (y) gwyryfon = nunnery llan y plwyf = parish chuch llandref = village, small town, church village llandy = parsonnage, glebe-house llangeidwad = churchwarden llanaidd = glade-like, open, clear; ecclesiastical, (of a) church llannerch = a clearing, glade, oasis, pasture, court, empty space, patch, place, area |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | lan = a church, an inclosure, yard, church-yard lanherch = glade |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | lann [lan:] = yard lannergh = glade |
| Old Breton (Brethonoc) | lann = moor, heath, moorland |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | lann = moor, heath, moorland lanneg, lannek, lannell = land covered with moor landonenn = swath lann = monastery, church |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | lann [ˈlãnː] = moor, heath, moorland lanneg = land covered with moor |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *lendʰ- (land, heath) [source].
Words from the same Proto-Celtic root, via Gaulish and Latin, include lande (moor, moorland, heath) in French, landa (a (sandy) plain) in Spanish, landa (country, field, piece of land) in Basque [source].
The (archaic) English word laund [lɔːnd] (a grassy plain or pasture, especially surround by woodland; a glade) possibly comes from the same Proto-Celtic root, via Middle English, Old French and Gaulish, or from the Proto-Germanic *landą (land), which comes from the same PIE root [Source].
Words from the same PIE roots include land and lawn in English, land (land, country) in Dutch, Land (country, state, province, land) in German, land (land, country, nation, state, ground, earth) in Swedish, land (country, land) in Danish, lado (uncultivated, wild land) in Czech, and ледина [ˈlɛdina] (untilled land) in Macedonian [source].
| Proto-Brythonic | *pluɨβ = countryside, parish, common people, parishoners |
|---|---|
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | plwyf, plwy = parish, parishioners, people plwyvog = parishioner, parochial plwyfol = parochial, lawfully settled in a parish |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | plwy(f) [pluːɨ̯(v) / plʊi̯(v)] = parish, poor relief, parishioners, people plwyfo = to settle in a parish plwyfog = parishioner, parochial plwyfol = parochial, lawfully settled in a parish plwyfoldeb = parochialism |
| Old Cornish | plui = parish |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | plew, plui, plu = parish |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | pluw = parish pluwek = parishioner (m), parochial pluwoges = parishioner (f) |
| Old Breton (Brethonoc) | pluiu, plueu, ploeu, ploi, ploe = country, countryside |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | ploeou, ploe, ploé = country, countryside plouisyen = peasant, rural |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | ploue [pluːe] = parish (historical – appears in placenames), countryside (literary) plouead = country, earthy plouezad = peasant, rural plouk [pluːk] = yokel |
Etymology: from Latin plēb(ē)s (common people, plebians), from Old Latin plēbēs, from Proto-Italic *plēðwēs Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₁dʰwḗh₁s ~ *pl̥h₁dʰuh₁és, from *pleh₁- (fill) [source].
The French word plouc [pluk] (hick, country bumpkin, yokel) was borrowed from Breton plouk in the late 19th century [source].
Other words from the same roots include fill, folk, pleb (a commoner, a common, unsophisticated, cultureless person), plenty, plural, plus and public in English [source].
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | parráiste = parish pairche = parish, diocese |
|---|---|
| Irish (Gaeilge) | paróiste [ˈpˠaɾˠæʃtʲə] = parish paróisteach = parishioner, presentable person, parochial paróisteachas = parochialism |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | parasite [parɪʃdʲə] = parish eaglais parasite = parish church neach-parasite = parishioner |
Etymology: from Anglo-Norman paroche (parish), from Late Latin parochia (parish), from Ancient Greek παροικίᾱ (paroikíā – a dwelling abroad), from πάροικος (pároikos – neighboring, foreigner), from παρά (pará, beside) + οἶκος (oîkos – house). [source].
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | sgìre [sgiːrʲə] = district, parish sgìreachd [sgʲiːrʲəxg] = parish |
|---|---|
| Manx (Gaelg) | skeerey = parish skeeragh = parochial skylley = parish |
Etymology: from Old English sċīr (office, district, region, shire), from Proto-West Germanic *skīru (office, district), from PIE *(s)ker- (to cut). The English word shire comes from the same roots [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, An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, English – ProtoCeltic WordList (PDF), Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic
Lan(-a) in basque means “work”. Landu (verb) means to work (something) = lantzen dut – I work (the land, stone, wood…) / labour / cultivate, thereby lan-da = a tract of workable land or field.
whereas Landare = plant (veg.) a very primary word in the basque language like ur=water.
It strikes me as curious to see the same stem figure in celtic languages.