Caves, hollows and related words in Celtic languages.
| Proto-Celtic | *oumā = cave |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | úam = cave |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | uaimh [uəvʲ] = cave, souterrain, underground chamber, cellar, crypt, vault, den of thieves, pit uaimheadóireacht = exploration of caves, potholing uaimheolaí = speleologist uaimheolaíocht = speleology uaimheolaí = speleologist uaimh ifrinn = pit of hell uaimh ladrann = den of thieves |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | uamh [ũə̃v] / uaimh = cave, den, hollow, grave, grotto uamh-thalmhainn = souterrain, underground passage |
| Manx (Gaelg) | oghe = cave, oven ooig = den, cavern, grotto, antar, pit, stope, hotbed, cave ooig-oaylleeaght = speleology |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | guocof, guocob, gogof = cave |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | (g)ogof [ˈɔɡɔv / ˈoːɡɔv] = cave, cavern, grotto, cleft, cavity, den, lair ogof l(l)adron = den of thieves |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | gogow = cave, cavity |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *h₁ewn- (empty) [source].
| Proto-Brythonic | *fowyā = den, lair, cave |
|---|---|
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | ffeu = den, lair, cave |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | ffau = den, lair, burrow, set, covert, cave |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | fow = cave |
Etymology: from the Latin fovea (pit, hole in the ground, snare) the Proto-Indo-European *bʰow- (pit, hole) [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *kow-sto- / *kuwo- = hollow, cavity |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | cúas = hollow, cavity |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | cúa = hollow, cavity |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | cuas = cavity, hollow, recess, cove, creek cuasach = cavernous, hollow, concave cuasacht = concavity cuasfhuinneog = bow-window cuas-súileach = hollow-eyed |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | cuas [kuəs] = hollow, cavity, cave cuasan = hole, cavity |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | cev, keu, kau = hollow, closed |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | cau = hollow, empty, sunken, fig. false, deceitful; enclosing, shut, closed; vacuum, cavity, inwards, bowels yghau = closed, shut |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | kew = hollow |
| Old Breton | cau = covered |
| Middle Breton | queu = covered |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | kew = hollow |
Etymology from the Proto-Indo-European *ḱowh₁ós (hollow) from *ḱewH- (to swell) or *kewh₂- (vault, hole) [source].
The Breton word kavarn (cave, cavern, den, lair) comes from the same PIE root, probably via the Latin caverna (hollow, cavity, cave, cavern), from cavus (hollow, concave), frp, the Proto-Italic *kawos [source].
Other words in Breton for cave are groc’h, mougev and roc’h toull. There don’t appear to be any cave-related words that are cognate with the 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, logainm.ie, In Dúil Bélrai English – Old Irish glossary, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, English – ProtoCeltic WordList (PDF), Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic
