Words for rivers & stars in Celtic languages.
| Proto-Celtic | *abonā / *abū = river |
|---|---|
| Gaulish | ambe = river |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | aub [au̯v] = river |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | abann = river |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | abhainn [əunʲ / əun̠ʲ / oːn̠ʲ] = river |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | abhainn [a.ɪn̪ʲ] = river, stream |
| Manx (Gaelg) | awin [aunʲ / ˈawənʲ] = river |
| Proto-Brythonic | *aβon [aˈβoːn] = river |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | afon = river |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | afon [ˈaːvɔn / ˈavɔn] = river, stream, brook |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | avon / awon [ˈavɔn] = river |
| Middle Breton | auon = river |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | aven [ˈɑː.ven] = river |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep-h₃ōn-, from *h₂ep- (water, body of water) [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *sterā = star |
|---|---|
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | ser = star |
| Proto-Brythonic | *ster = stars |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | sêr [seːr] = stars |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | ster = stars |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | ster [ˈsteːr] = stars, river |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *h₂stḗr (star), from **h₂eh₁s- (to burn) [source]. It’s possible that the Breton word for ster comes from two different roots, and the river one is not cognate with words for star in other Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, teanglann.ie, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Dictionnaire Favereau
If I’m not mistaken, the reconstructed Pictish word for river is “*aber” (like in *Aber*deen)