Words for kisses and related words in Celtic languages.
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | póc [poːɡ] = kiss |
|---|---|
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | póc = kiss |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | póg [pˠoːɡ / pˠɔːɡ] = (to) kiss pógagh = kissing pógaire = kisser flaspóg smacking kiss |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | pòg [pɔːg] = (to) kiss pògach = pertaining to or abounding in kisses, given to kissing pògag = little kiss pògan, pòigean = little kiss, smack pòg Sgalpach = French kiss |
| Manx (Gaelg) | paag [ɡiː] = (to) kiss paagag = peck (kiss) paagagh = osculant, osculatory paagey = kissing, kiss, truss, osculate, osculation paageyr = kisser |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | pocyn, poccyn = kiss |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | pocyn = kiss, loud kissing noise impoc, impogpacs |
| Old Cornish | poccuil = kiss |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | pok = kiss pokat = to kiss |
Etymology: from the Latin phrases (dare) pācem (to give peace) – originally a kiss as a sign of peace during a mass, or from ōsculum pācis (kiss of peace) [source].
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | cussan, kussan, kusan = kiss |
|---|---|
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | cusan [ˈkɨ̞san/ˈkɪsan] = kiss cusanu = to kiss, touch lightly cusan bwbach = sore/scab on lip or cheek (“goblin’s kiss”) |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | kussyn = kiss |
Etymology: from the Old English cyssan (to kiss) – from the Proto-Germanic *kussijaną (to kiss), probably of onomatopoeic origin [source].
Other words for kiss include sẁs [sʊs] in Welsh, amm / abm and bay in Cornish, and bouch in Breton. Sẁs is onomatopoeic, and the origin of the other words is not known.
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, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, English – ProtoCeltic WordList (PDF), Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic
“bouch” looks like it could be related to the french word “bouche”, meaning mouth
Yes, that’s quite likely. The French word bouche comes from the Latin bucca (jaw, mouth) [source], which is thought to come from the Gaulish [source].