Words for rivers & stars in Celtic languages.
| Proto-Celtic | *abonā / *abū = river *abonko- = beaver |
|---|---|
| Gaulish | ambe = river |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | ab [au̯v] = river |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | ab = river |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | abhainn [əunʲ / əun̠ʲ / oːn̠ʲ] = river craobh-abhainn = affluent, tributary tréig-abhainn = distributary |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | abhainn [a.ɪn̪ʲ] = river, stream abhainneach = fluvial, pertaining to or abounding in rivers abhainn-deighe = river of ice, glacier capall-aibhne = hippopotamus con-abhainn = confluence leas-abhainn = tributary tur-abhainn = seasonally dry river |
| Manx (Gaelg) | awin [aunʲ / ˈawənʲ] = river awiney = freshwater, riverside; of a river broogh awin = river bank, riverside beeal/cass awin = estuary, river mouth crouw-awin = confluence |
| Proto-Brythonic | *aβon [aˈβoːn] = river |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | afon, avon, auon = river |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | afon [ˈaːvɔn / ˈavɔn] = river, stream, brook afonfarch = hippopotamus afonig = rivulet, stream, book afonog = having (many) rivers or streams; fluvial |
| Old Cornish | auon = river |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | avon = river |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | avon, awon [ˈavɔn] = river |
| Middle Breton | aven, avon = river |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | aven [ˈɑː.ven] = river |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep-h₃ōn-, from *h₂ep- (water, body of water) [source]. The names of the river Avon in England and the river A’an (Avon) in Scotland were borrowed from Proto-Brythonic [source].
Words from the same PIE roots include aven (sinkhole, pot hole) in French, avenc (chasm, gulf sinkhole) in Catalan, abeneiro (black alder tree) in Galician, amieiro (alder) in Portuguese, अप् (ap – water, Virgo) in Sanskrit, and possibly words for ape in English and other Germanic languages [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *rēnos = river, waterway |
|---|---|
| Gaulish | Rēnos = River Rhein (?) |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | rían [r͈ʲiːa̯n] = sea, ocean, path, course, way, manner |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | rían = sea, ocean (poetic/archaic); course, route, path, way, manner, state |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | rian = course, path, mark, trace, track, vigour rianach = having tracks, paths rianaí = wayfarer, wanderer, tracker, tracer, genealogist rianaigh = to mark out, trace, indent, chart, track rianaíocht = wayfaring, wandering comhrian = corresponding course, contour trasrian |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | rian [r̪ʲian] = method, mode, system, arrangement, control, management, order, sense rianachd = administration rianadair = arranger, controller, governor rianail = orderly, methodical rianaire = administrator co-rian = system mì-rian = confusion, disorder |
| Manx (Gaelg) | rane = stanza, track, verse |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *h₃reyH-nós, from *h₃reyH- (to flow, stream) [source]. Names for the river Rhine in many languages come from the same roots, via the Latin Rhēnus and Gaulish [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, Online Manx Dictionary, Teanglann.ie, eDIL – Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language, In Dúil Bélrai English – Old Irish glossary, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise, English – ProtoCeltic WordList (PDF), Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic
If I’m not mistaken, the reconstructed Pictish word for river is “*aber” (like in *Aber*deen)
I’m sure you’re correct. And the word makes it’s way back to Scottish Gaelic as obar.
I don’t suppose we should consider Avon etc as borrowings from Brythonic, as the areas would have been Brythonic when that name was coined.