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 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)