Words for ditches, trenches and related words in Celtic languages.
| Proto-Celtic | *klādos = trench |
|---|---|
| Gaulish | Vindo-cladia = place name |
| Old Irish (Gaoidhealg) | clad = ditch, dyke |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | clad, clod = hole dug in the ground, trench |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | cladh = ditch, trench cladhach = ridged, furrowed cladhaire = ditcher claidh = to dig, build (as dike) |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | cladh [kl̪ˠɤɣ] = burial ground, cemetery, graveyard; ditch cladh-uisge = (water) ditch |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | claud, clawd, clodyeu = mound, ditch, pit, bulwark |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | clawdd [ˈklaːu̯ð/ˈklau̯ð] = mound, dyke, earthwork, bulwark, boundary, hedge, fence; ditch, gutter, trench, pit, quarry, mine, moat, fosse clawdd aur = gold mine clawdd cerrig = stone wall clawdd llanw = sea-wall, embankment Clawdd Offa = Offa’s Dyke cloddio = to dig, delve, trench, ditch, excavate clodd(i)wr, clawddwr = ditcher, navvy, digger, miner, quarryman, hedger, excavator mwynglawdd = mine, pit, shaft mwyn i’r clawdd to be unsuccessful, fail (“to go to the ditch/wall”) |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | kleudh = ditch kleudhik = groove kleudhya to dig a trench, ditch, excavate |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | kleuz = embankment, earth bank, mound, slope kleuz (gwagennoù) = trough (of a wave) |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *kleh₂dos [source].
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | clais, class = trench, pit, hollow, groove; streak, stripe, impression |
|---|---|
| Irish (Gaeilge) | clais = water channel, gully, ditch, trench, furrow, rut, groove, gash, fosse, trough clais anála = gullet, throat clais an mhuiníl = hollow at nape of neck clais ghainimh = sand pit |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | clais [kl̪ˠaʃ] = furrow, groove, ditch, drain, gutter, rut, trench clais-mhara = sea channel clais-bhlàir = trench clais-mhór = gorge clais-uisge = drain, drainage channel |
| Manx (Gaelg) | clash = cleft, hollow, gorge, race, trench, vale, groove, channel, open furrow, rubbish tip clash hrustyr = rubbish tip clash ushtey = watercourse, moat |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | cleis, klais = bruise; groove, rut, ditch, trench |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | clais = bruise, wound; groove, rut, fissure, ditch, trench, rivulet clais clawdd = ditch alongside a hedge, road-side ditch clais dŵr = ditch, trench, watercourse, water edge clais (y) dydd = break of day, dawn, early morning |
Etymology: unknown. Possibly from the Proto-Celtic *klādos (trench).
| Irish (Gaeilge) | díog = ditch, trench, drain díogach = trenched, having trenches |
|---|---|
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | dìg [dʲiːg] = ditch, dyke, drain |
| Manx (Gaelg) | jeeg = ditch, moat, gutter, trench |
Etymology: unknown.
| Irish (Gaeilge) | fos = prop, buttress, wall |
|---|---|
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | fos [fɔs] = ditch, wall, buttress (archaic) |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | fos, foss = ditch, dike |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | ffos [fɔs] = ditch, dike, gutter, moat, trench, furrow, groove, pit ffos(i)af, ffosi(o) = to ditch, trench, furrow, chamfer ffosedig = trenched, moated, furrowed, lined ffos gaeedig = drain ffos y clawdd, ffos glawdd = roadside ditch ffos ddyfrio conduit ffos melin, ffos y felin = mill-race |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | fos = wall paper fos = wallpaper toll y’n fos = cash dispenser, ATM (“hole in the wall”) |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | foz = ditch, gap, sand trap foz disac’hañ = rift (valley), collapsed ditch foz-kronniañ = holding tank, retention pit |
Etymology: from the Latin fossa (ditch, trench, moat, gutter, furrow), from fossa terra (dug-up earth) [source].
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, Online Manx Dictionary, Teanglann.ie, eDIL – Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language, logainm.ie, In Dúil Bélrai English – Old Irish glossary, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, English – ProtoCeltic WordList (PDF), Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic
