Words for water and related words in Celtic languages.
There are several words for water in Proto-Celtic: *akʷā-, *boglo-, *dubro-, *iskā-, *lawo-, *udeskio-, *utso-, *φeno-, *φono- and *stagro-. Only a few of them have descendents in the modern Celtic languages.
| Proto-Celtic | *dubros = water, dark *dubrokū = otter (“water dog”) *dubro-jarā = water-hen |
|---|---|
| Gaulish | uerno-dubrum = name of a river |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | dobur [ˈdovur] = water, river doburchú [ˈdovurˌxuː] = otter (“water dog”) |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | dobrán = water |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | dobhar = water; flood, torrent; darkness, dullness, obscurity dobhartha = watery, wet; dull, gloomy. dobharchú = otter (“water dog”) dobharchlog = water clock dobhardhroim = watershed dobhareach = hippopotamus dobharlí = water-colour dobhrán = otter; dull-witted, stupid, person |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | dobhar [do.ər] = water (archaic) dobhar-chù [do.ərxu] = otter, beaver (“water dog”) dobhar-lus [r̪ˠɔːhdəx] = (water)cress dòbhran [dɔːran] = otter |
| Manx (Gaelg) | dooarchoo = otter, beaver (“water dog”) doour = reservoir, dam |
| Proto-Brythonic | *duβr = water *düβrgi = otter |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | dwfyr [ˈduvər] = water |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | dŵr [duːr], dwfr [dʊvr] = water; urine; pus dyfrgi, dwrgi = otter (“water dog”) dyfrgiad = watering, irrigation, urination dyfrio, dyfru = to water, to irrigate, to run, to urinate dyfrig = dripping, foaming (of a horse) dyfraidd = aqueous, waterish, aquatic |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | dowr [doʊɹ] = water; river dowrgi = otter (“water dog”) dowra = to water dowrhe = to irrigate dowrvagh = hippopotamus dowrliw = water-colour |
| Middle Breton | dour = water |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | dour [ˈduːr] = water; rain, tears, sweat, saliva dourgi = otter (“water dog”) douraerouant = hydra dourliv, dourlivadur = water-colour dournijerez = seaplane, flying boat, hydroplane |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *dʰubrós (dark) from *dʰewb- (deep) [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *udenskyos = water |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | uisce [ˈusʲkʲe] = water |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | uisce [ˈɪʃk̟ɪ] = water; rain, tears, saliva uisceadán = aquarium uiscebhealach = waterway uiscedhath = watercolour uiscedhíonach = waterproof uisce-obach = watertight uiscerian = aqueduct uiscigh = to water, irrigate uisciú = irrigation |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | uisge [ɯʃgʲə] = water; rain; river (in place names) uisgeadan [ɯʃgʲədan] = aquarium; body of water uisge-dhath, dath-uisge = watercolour uisge-dhìonach = waterproof, impervious; watertight uisgrian = aqueduct fuar-uisge = cold rain, cold water slighe-uisge = waterway uisgich [ɯʃgʲɪç] = to water, irrigate uisgeachadh [ɯʃgʲəxəɣ] = watering, irrigation |
| Manx (Gaelg) | ushtey [ˈuʃtʲə] = water ushteydane = aquarium bollagh ushtey, coorse ushtey, raad ushtey = waterway ammyr ushtey, droghad ushtey = aqueduct ushtaghey = to water, irrigate, steep, watering irrigation |
Etymology from the Proto-Indo-European *udén, from *wódr̥ (water) [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *sālos = saltwater |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | sál [saːl], sáile [ˈsaːlʲe] = salt water, brine, seawater; sea, ocean (poetic) |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | sáile [ˈsˠɑːlʲə] = sea water, sea, salt water, brine |
| Manx (Gaelg) | sailley = salt water |
| Proto-Brythonic | *salī = salt, sea water |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | hâl [haːl] = salt, salty, saline, akaline heli = brine, salt water, pickle, sea-water, sea |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | hyli = salt water |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | hal = salt water, salt hili = brine, strong sauce |
Etymology from the Proto-Indo-European *séh₂ls (salt) [source].
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | bùrn [buːr̪ˠn̪ˠ] = (fresh) water, amount of water, (act of) raining bùrn-éirigh = spring water bùrn-iarainn = mineral water bùrn mìn = fine drizzle |
|---|
Etymology from the Scots burn (a small river), from the Middle English bourne (small stream), from the Old English burne, burna (spring, fountain), from Proto-Germanic *brunnô (stream, brook). the Proto-Indo-European *bʰrun- (a bubbling forth; a fountain, wellspring, source) [source].
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, Online Manx Dictionary, Teanglann.ie, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Dictionaire Favereau
All the words for ‘otter’ (or ‘otter/beaver’) in the first box above
(those coming from the stem dhubrós) literally mean ‘water-dog’