Starlings

Words for starling (sturnus vulgaris) in Celtic languages.

Proto-Celtic *trozdis = starling
Old Irish (Goídelc) truit = starling
Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) truit = starling
Irish (Gaeilge) druid [d̪ˠɾˠɪdʲ] = starling
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) druid [drɯdʲ] = starling, thrush
Manx (Gaelg) truitlag = starling
Middle Welsh (Kymraec) trydw, drydwen, drudwy, drydw, drudw = starling
Welsh (Cymraeg) drudw [ˈdrɨ̞dʊ/ˈdrɪdʊ], drudwy, drydwy, drydw = starling, stare
Old Cornish troet = starling
Cornish (Kernewek) trojen = starling
Middle Breton (Brezonec) tret = starling
Breton (Brezhoneg) tred [ˈtʁeːt], tridig = starling

Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *trosdos (thrush) [source].

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

Starlings

Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, MacBain’s Dictionary, In Dúil Bélrai English – Old-Irish Glossary, teanglann.ie, On-Line Manx Dictionary, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Dictionnaire Favereau

Herons

Words for heron and related creatures in Celtic languages.

Heron

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

Proto-Celtic *korxsā / *korxsiyos = heron
Celtiberian *cárcia = heron
Gaulish curcio- = heron
Old Irish (Goídelc) corr = crane, heron, stork, crane
Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) corr = (grey) heron, stork, crane, leg-necked person
Irish (Gaeilge) corr [kəuɾˠ] = (grey) heron, stork, crane, leg-necked person
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) corra [kɔr̪ˠə] = heron, stork, crane
Manx (Gaelg) coar = heron, stork, crane
Proto-Brythonic *krɨxɨð = heron
Middle Welsh (Kymraec) crychyd, krechydd, crechydd = heron
Welsh (Cymraeg) crychydd [ˈkrəχɨ̞ð / ˈkrəχɪð] = heron
Old Cornish cherhit = heron
Middle Cornish (Cernewec) cerhidh = heron
Cornish (Kernewek) kerghydh = heron
Old Breton corcid = heron
Middle Breton (Brezonec) quercheiz, querch-eïz, querc’heiz, qarc’hleyz kerc’heiz = heron
Breton (Brezhoneg) kercʼheiz [kɛrˈɣɛjs] = heron

Etymology: possibly immitative in origin. Words for heron in Spanish (garza) and Portuguese (garça) come from the Celtiberian root [source].

Gaulish crehyr = heron
Proto-Brythonic *krexVr = heron
Middle Welsh (Kymraec) crehyr, creir, cr(e)yr = heron
Welsh (Cymraeg) crëyr [ˈkrɛ.ɨ̞r / kreː.ɪr] = heron
Middle Breton (Brezonec) querhair = heron

Etymology: possibly from the Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱrey- (to scream, screech) [source].

Proto-Celtic *garanos = crane
Gaulish garanus = crane
Proto-Brythonic *garan = crane, heron
Middle Welsh (Kymraec) caran, garan = crane, heron
Welsh (Cymraeg) garan [ˈɡaran] = crane, heron
Old Cornish garan = crane
Middle Cornish (Cernewec) garan = crane
Cornish (Kernewek) garan = crane
Old Breton (Brethonoc) garan = crane
Middle Breton (Brezonec) garan = crane
Breton (Brezhoneg) garan [ˈɡɑː.rãn] = crane (bird, tool), groove, gallery
garanadur = grooving
garanan = to groove

Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *gérh₂n-o-s, from *gerh₂- (crane, to cry hoarsely) [source]. Words from the same roots include crack, croon, crow and possibly grouse in English, kraai (crow) in Dutch, Krähe (crow) in German [source].

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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, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis

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Pigeons and Doves

Words for pigeon and doves in Celtic languages.

Old Irish (Goídelc) columb [ˈkolumb] = dove
colmán = wood-pigeon, ring-dove
Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) colum [ˈkolumb] = dove
Irish (Gaeilge) colm [ˈkɔl̪ˠəmˠ / ˈkʌl̪ˠəmˠ] = dove, pigeon
colmán = (little) dove, pigeon
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) calman [kal̪ˠaman] = dove, pigeon
colman [kɔl̪ˠɔman] = dove, pigeon
Manx (Gaelg) calmane / colmane = pigeon, dove
Welsh (Cymraeg) colomen / clomen = dove, pigeon, culver; symbol of peace
Old Cornish colom = dove, pigeon
Middle Cornish colomen = dove, pigeon
Cornish (Kernewek) kolom = dove, pigeon
Breton (Brezhoneg) koulm / koulom = dove

Etymology: from the Latin columbus (dove, pigeon), from Ancient Greek κόλυμβος (kólumbos – a diver), from κολυμβάω (kolumbáō – dive, plunge headlong, swim) [source].

Breton (Brezhoneg) pichon = pigeon

Etymology: unknown

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

Our Doves

Here’s a tune I wrote called The Curious Pigeon / Y Colomen Chwilfrydig:

Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, MacBain’s Dictionary, In Dúil Bélrai English – Old-Irish Glossary, teanglann.ie, On-Line Manx Dictionary, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Dictionnaire Favereau

Hawks and Falcons

Words for hawk / falcon in Celtic languages.

Old Irish (Goídelc) sebac [ˈsʲevak] = hawk
Irish (Gaeilge) seabhac [ʃəuk] = hawk; warrior
seabhac gorm/seilge = peregrine falcon
seabhac buí/gaoithe = kestrel, windhover
seabhac mara = sea-hawk, skua
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) seabhag [ʃo.ag] = falcon, especially peregrine falcon
seabhag na seilge / seabhag-ghorm / seabhag-shealgair = peregrine falcon (falco peregrinus)
seabhag-ghorm an fhraoich / seabhag-bheag ghlas = merlin (falco columbarius)
seabhac mara = sea-hawk, skua
seabhag nan uiseag = hobby (falco subbuteo)
Manx (Gaelg) shawk = hawk, falcon
shawk eeastee = osprey
shawk ny sperriu = goshawk
shawk sperriu = sparrow hawk
shirragh = buzzard, falcon, seeker, bird of prey, kite
shirragh ny bogleeyn = marsh harrier
shirragh ny giark = hen harrier
shirragh ny ree = peregrine falcon
Welsh (Cymraeg) hebog = hawk, lanner falcon; noble chieftian, brave fighter, hero
hebog chwyldro = gerfalcon
hebog yr ehedydd = hobby
hebog (g)las = hen harrier
hebog y weru = marsh harrier
hebog tramor = peregrine falcon
gwlach = hawk, falcon; fine soldier, brave fighter, nobleman, hero; wily knave, rascal, rogue, wag
gwalch bach = merlin
gwalch banred = sparrow-hawk
gwalch glas = peregrine falcon
gwalch gweilgi = osprey
Cornish (Kernewek) hok = hawk
Breton (Brezhoneg) gwalc’h = falcon, hawk, sea bream

Etymology: from the Old English heafoc/hafoc (hawk), from Proto-Germanic *habukaz (hawk). The English word hawk comes from the same root [source].

The Welsh gwalch and the Breton gwalc’h come from the Old English wealh-hafoc / *wealc-hafoc (foreign hawk) [source]

Old Irish (Goídelc) faucon = falcon
Irish (Gaeilge) fabhcún = falcon
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) faolchon = falcon
Welsh (Cymraeg) ffaw(l)cwn = falcon
Cornish (Kernewek) falghun = falcon
Breton (Brezhoneg) falc’hun = falcon, hawk

Etymology: from the Old French faucon (falcon), from Latin Latin falcō (falcon). The English word falcon comes from the same root [source].

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

Notes
A falcon is a bird of prey of the genus falco. Kestrels, hobbys, merlins and peregrine falcons are all in this genus.

Falcon

A hawk is a bird of prey of the genus accipitridae. These include buzzards, kites, harriers, eagles, goshawks and sparrowhawks.

Sparrowhawk

Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, MacBain’s Dictionary, In Dúil Bélrai English – Old-Irish Glossary, teanglann.ie, On-Line Manx Dictionary, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Dictionnaire Favereau