Words for doctor and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | dochtúir, doctúir = learned ma, teacher, professor, physician |
|---|---|
| Irish (Gaeilge) | dochtúir [d̪ˠɔxˈt̪ˠuːɾʲ / ˈd̪ˠʌxt̪ˠuɾʲ] = doctor dochtúireacht = doctorate, medical practice, doctoring |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | dotair [dɔhdɛrʲ] = doctor, surgeon, physician dotaireachd [dɔhdɪrʲəxg] = doctorate, knowledge of medicine, (act of) curing, healing dotaireas [dɔhdɪrʲəs] = doctorate, knowledge of medicine |
| Manx (Gaelg) | doghtoor = doctor doghtoorahgt = doctorate |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | doethur = doctor, teacher, sage, learned man |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | doethur, doethor = doctor, teacher, sage, learned man |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | doktour = doctor |
Etymology: from the Latin doctor (teacher, instructor), from doceō (teach), from the Proto-Italic *dokeō (tell, inform, teach, instruct), from the Proto-Indo-European *deḱ- (to take) [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *lī(φ)agi- = doctor |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | líaig = leech, doctor, physician fáithlíaig = doctor, physician leiges = healing, medicine, curing |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | líaig, liag, leaga, lega, lieig = leech, doctor, physician, adviser, healer leiges. leges, leighis = healing, medical treatment, cure, remedey, medicine, medicament, curing, healing leigesamail = medicinal, healing leigisid, leigiste = medicinal, healing, to cure, to heal |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | lia [l̠ʲiə] = healer, physician lia ban = gynaecologist lia súl = oculist leigheas = art of healing, medicine, medical treatment leigheasach = healing, curative, medicinal leigheasóir = healer, curer leigheasra = cures, medicines |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | lèigh [l̪ʲeː] = physician, surgeon lèighadair = pharmacist lèigheadairachd = pharmacy lèigheadh = (act of) healing leigheas [l̪ʲe.əs] = curing, healing, medicine lèigheil = medical lighiche [l̪ʲi.ɪçə] = healer, physician, surgeon |
| Manx (Gaelg) | (fer/ben) lhee = (male/female) doctor, physician lheihys = cure, curing, heal(ing), remedy lheihyssagh = curable, curative, healing |
Etymology: possibly from Proto-Germaic *lēkiz (healing, medicine, healer), or directly from the Proto-Indo-European *h₂leg- (to care for) [source]. Words from the same Proto-Celtic / PIE root possibly include leech in English, læknir (medical practitioner, doctor) in Icelandic, läkare (doctor, physician) and läka (to heal) in Swedish, lääkäri (phyisican, doctor) in Finnish, and læge (doctor, physician, surgeon) in Danish [source].
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | midach = physician |
|---|---|
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | midach, midech, midaig = physician |
| Proto-Brythonic | *meðïg = doctor |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | metic, medyc, med(d)ic, meddig = doctor, medical practitioner, physician, surgeon, healer methygaeth = (science of) medicine, surgery, drug medyges, meddyges female doctor or healer, female herbalist medegynyaeth, medeginyaeth, medegynyaeth = medicine, remedy, medical treatment, surgery, cure, healing |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | meddyg [ˈmɛðɪɡ / ˈmeːðɪɡ] = doctor, medical practitioner, physician, surgeon, healer meddyg(i)adwy = curable, treatable meddyg(i)aeth = (science of) medicine, surgery, drug meddygu = to practise medicine, to treat medically, to prescribe, to heal, to cure meddyges female doctor or healer, female herbalist meddygfa = surgery, clinic, pharmacy, hospital meddygin(i)aeth = medicine, remedy, medical treatment, surgery, cure, healing meddygol = medical, medicinal, healing, curative |
| Old Cornish | medhec = physician |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | methic, medhic = physician |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | medhek [mɛðɛk / ‘mɛðɐk] = doctor, physician medhegel = medical medhegieth = medical science, medicine medhegiethel = medicinal medhegneth = medication, medicine medhegva = clinic, (doctor’s) surgery medhegvael = clinical |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | mezec = doctor mezeyaff = to treat, to care for mezeyet, mezeguet = medicine mezegioez = medicine |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | mezeg [ˈmeː(z)ek] = doctor mezegañ [meˈ(z)eː.ɡã] = to care for (medically), to treat mezegiezh [me(z)eˈɡiːɛs] = medicine |
Etymology: from the Latin medicus (doctor), from medeor (I heal, cure, remedy), from the Proto-Italic *medēōr (to heal), from Proto-Indo-European *med- (to measure, give advice, heal). Words from the same roots include medico (doctor, physician, medical) in Italian, medicus (doctor, physician) in Dutch, medic, medical, medicine, meditate and remedy in English, and médico (doctor, physician) in Spanish [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
