Words for rocks and stones in Celtic languages.
| Proto-Celtic | *klukā, *kluggā = stone, rock *klukaros = pile of stones |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | cloch [klox] = stone, rock, precious stone, gem, bead (in a rosary), something built of stone, castle, fortress, stronghold |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | cloch [klˠɔx, klˠʌx] = rock, large stone clochach = stony, rocky clochaid = stone, covered with stones clochamail = stony, unyielding clochán = paved road, causeway clochar = stony place clochda = made of stony, stony |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | clach [kl̪ˠax] = rock, stone, testicle, ball clach-stéidhe = foundation stone clach an teinntein = hearthstone clach-uaighe = gravestone, headstone clach-mheallain = hail(stone) clach-mhìle = milestone |
| Manx (Gaelg) | clagh [klaːx] = stone, testicle, stone monument clagh eayil = limestone clagh eayl = kidney stone clagh gheayil = coal clagh gheinnee = sandstone clagh hayrn = magnet, magnetite, lodestone |
| Proto-Brythonic | *klog = stone, rock |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | clok, cloc, clog = stone, rock |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | clog [kloːɡ] = rock, cliff, precipice; skull clegyr, clegr = rocks, stones, rock, crag, cairn, stony place clogfaen = boulder, large stone, rock clogfryn = cliff, steep rock, precipice clogyr = rock, crag clogwrn = cliff, rock, tump, knoll clogwyn = cliff, precipice, crag, boulder |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | clog = stone, rock |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | kleger = rock, rocky |
Etymology: unknown [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *karrikā, *karrikī = stone, rock |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | carrac = rock |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | carraig [ˈkɑɾˠɪɟ, ˈkaːɾˠɪɟ, ˈkaɾˠəc] = rock carraigeach = rocky carraigeolaí = petrologist carraigeolaíocht = petrology |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | carraig [kar̪ˠɪɡʲ] = rock, crag, cliff, pinnacle, hard mass |
| Manx (Gaelg) | carrick = cliff, crag, rock in the sea, fortress |
| Proto-Brythonic | *karreg = stone, rock |
| Old Welsh | carrecc, cerricc = stone |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | carrec, cerric, karreg = stone |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | carreg [ˈkarɛɡ/ˈkaraɡ] = stone; gall-stone; (fruit) pip; testicle carreg (yr) aelwyd = hearthstone carreg a thwll = gibberish, worthless thing (“stone with a hole”) carreg fedd/bedd = gravestone carreg (y) filltir = milestone carreg sarn = stepping-stone, causeway carreg sylfaen foundation-stone carreg werthfawr = precious stone |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | karrek = rock |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | karreg = rock, reef, shell karregoniel = petrographic karregoniezh = petrography karregoniour = petrograph |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *kh₂er- (hard) [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *maginos = stone, place |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | magan, maigen = a piece of open land, a spot, home, a place belonging to (someone) |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | maighean = place, steading |
| Proto-Brythonic | *maɣɨn = stone |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | maen, main, mein, mayn = stone |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | maen [maːɨ̯n/mai̯n] = stone (with a particular use), griddle stone, bakestone, griddle, precious stone maenaf, maenu = to stone, pelt with stones, petrify maenaidd = stony, like stone, full of stones maenwaith = stonework, masonry calchfaen, conglfaen = limestone gwenithfaen, ithfaen = granite llosgfaen = brimstone, sulphur sylfaen = foundation, base, basis tywodfaen = sandstone |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | men = stone |
| Old Breton | main = stone |
| Middle Breton | main, maen, men = stone |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | maen = stone |
Etymology: possibly related to the Proto-Celtic word *magos (plain, field), from the Proto-Indo-European *meǵh₂- (big, great) [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *ɸlikkā = (flat) stone |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | lecc = plate, stone, flat slab or rock |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | leac [l̠ʲak, l̠ʲæk] = flat stone or rock, flagstone, slab, lid leacach = area of flat rocks or flagstones; strewn with flat stones, flagged, stony leacán = small flat stone, slab, tile |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | leac [l̪ʲɛxg] = flagstone, slab; tile; cheek; callus leacag = small slab, tile leacan = small slab, flagstone |
| Manx (Gaelg) | leac = slab, sheet, flagstone, headstone, plaque, monolith, slate leacan = tile |
| Proto-Brythonic | *llex = (flat) stone |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | llech, lec = slate, slab of stone |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | llech [ɬeːχ] = slate, bakestone, griddle, slab of stone, paving stone, gravestone, rock, boulder, cliff cromllech = cromlech, dolmen llechfaen = slate, slab, flag, tablet, bakestone, griddle priddlech = tile, brick |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | legh = slates |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | lec’h = megalith. dolmen, flat rock |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *pl̥keh₂ (flat surface), from *pleh₂- (flat), which is also the root of English words such as floor, palm, piano, plain, plan and plane [source].
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, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, English – ProtoCeltic WordList (PDF), Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic