Words for sky and heaven in Celtic languages.
| Proto-Celtic | *nemos = sky, heaven |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | nem [n͈ʲeṽ] = heaven, sky, radiance |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | neamh [nʲavˠ / n̠ʲavˠ / n̠ʲaw] = heaven, sky, firmament neamhaí [n̪ʲial̪ˠ] = heavenly, celestial; droning, monotonous, apathetic |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | nèamh [n̪ʲɛ̃ːv] = heaven; firmament, the skies nèamhaidh [n̪ʲɛːvɪ] = heavenly, celestial |
| Manx (Gaelg) | niau = heaven niauagh = heavenly, celestial niauoil = divine, heavenly |
| Proto-Brythonic | *neβ̃ [ˈnɛːβ̃] = heaven, sky |
| Old Welsh | nem = heaven |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | new, nym, nef = heaven |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | nef [neːv] = heaven, paradise; God, providence; sky, firmament nef a daear = heaven and earth |
| Old Cornish | nef = heaven |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | nev = heaven |
| Old Breton | nem = heaven |
| Middle Breton | neff = heaven |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | neñv [ˈnẽ(w)] = sky, heaven |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *nébʰos (cloud, mist, moisture) [source].
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | spéir [ˈsˠkamˠəl̪ˠ] = sky, |
|---|---|
| Irish (Gaeilge) | spéir [spʲeːɾʲ] = sky, air; airiness, brightness, light; sphere, circle, orbit spéirbhean = beautiful woman, fair lady (‘sky-woman’) spéirghealach = ‘sky-brightness’, starry light spéirghlan = clear-skied spéirghorm = sky-blue spéirléas = skylight |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | speur [sbiər] = the sky, firmament, heavens, heights speur-bhean = beautiful woman (usually in myths) speur glan = clear skies speur-eòlas = star-gazery speur-shiubhal = space travel bàta-speur = airship bun-speura = skyline sgoil-speur = astronomy |
| Manx (Gaelg) | speyr = sky, climate speyr-ghorrym = sky-blue, cerulean speyr-oaylleeaght = aerology speyr voorjeenagh =angry (sky) speyr vreck = mackerel sky corpane speyr(ey) = heavenly body |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | sffêr [neːv] = sphere, ball, globe, heavely body, sphere (of the sky) |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | sphère, sfer = sphere, globe |
Etymology from the Latin sphēra / sphaera (ball, globe, sphere), from the Ancient Greek σφαῖρα (sphaîra – ball, globe) [source].
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | aer [ˈa.er] = air, sky |
|---|---|
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | aidhéar, aer = air, atmosphere, sky, breath, amusement, sport |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | aer [eːɾˠ / eːɾˠ] = air, sky, climate, gaiety, pleasure, (musical) air, tune aerach = airy, light-hearted, gay, lively, frolicsome aerfort = airport aerghiotár = air guitar aertha = light-headed, giddy, simply-minded, silly |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | adhar [a.ər] = air, sky, heaven adharag = light breeze, aerial being adharail = ethereal, airy, aerial port-adhair = airport |
| Manx (Gaelg) | aer [eːə] = aeronautical, air, pneumatic, atmosphere aerag = aerial, antenna aeragh = aerated, airy, atmospheric, ethereal aeroil = airy, jaunty, volatile |
| Proto-Brythonic | *auɨr = air |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | awyr [ˈa.uɨ̯r] = air |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | awyr [ˈau̯.ɨ̞r, ˈau̯.ɪr] = air, atmosphere, sky, firmament, (the) heavens awyraidd = aerial, celestial, atmospheric, airy, well-ventilated awyrell = balloon, airship, vent, ventilation shaft, airway awyren = aeroplane, aircraft, balloon, meteor, fan awyrennu = aviation awyro = to ventilate, air, aerate maes awyr = airport |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | ayr, auuit, aer = air, sky |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | ayr = air ayrborth = airport ayrbost = airmail ayredh = climate ayrek = aerial ayrell = ventilator ayrella = to ventilate ayrellans = ventilation ayren = aeroplane |
| Old Breton | aer = air, strong smell, sky, appearance |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | aer, ær, ear, éér = air, strong smell, sky, appearance |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | aer [ɛʁ] = air aeraer = ventilator, aerator aerañ = to ventilate, aerate aerlu = airforce |
Etymology: from the Latin āēr (air), from the Ancient Greek ᾱ̓ήρ (āḗr – mist, air, wind, space, volume), from the Proto-Hellenic *auhḗr (morning mist), from the Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewsḗr, from *h₂ews- (dawn, east) [source].
Words from the same PIE root include east, Easter, aura, aurora and Australia [source].
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | wybr, ybrev = air |
|---|---|
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | wybr [ʊɨ̯br, ʊi̯br] = sky, firmament, heaven, cloud, cataract wybraf, wybro, wybran = to wander (aimlessly), rove, look up at the sky wybraidd = pertaining to the sky or firmament, celestial, aerial. cloudy wybrwr, wybrydd = astronome, astrologer, traveller, wanderer, vagabond, rover wybryddiaeth = astronomy, astrology, meteorology |
| Old Cornish | huibren = sky, firmament |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | ebron, ybron, ybbern = sky, firmament |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | ebron = sky |
| Old Breton | noabreen = sky, cloud |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | oabr = sky, cloud |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | oabl [ˈwɑːpl] = sky, cloud |
Etymology: unknown
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, Gerlyvyr Cernewec, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, Le dictionnaire diachronique du breton, Geriafurch, English – ProtoCeltic WordList (PDF), Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic
‘Wybren’ is another not entirely uncommon word for sky in Welsh (it is also the basis of ‘wybrennol’ = celestial.