Today we’re looking at the words for wing, feather and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *ɸeto/*feto- = to fly *fatar/*fatanos/*fetnos = wing, bird |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | ette [ˈetʲe] = wing, pinion, fin, feather, plume ettech/ittech = winged, finned, flying, fluttering |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | eite [ˈɛtʲə] = wing, pinion, wing feather, fin, vane eiteach = winged, pennate, plumed, feathered, finned eiteog = wing, (little) wing feather, (little) fin, wing-like |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | ite [içdʲə] = feather, plume, fin, overlap, blade iteach [ihdʲəx] = feathery, feathered, finned itealach = winged, flying, hovering, fluttering |
| Manx (Gaelg) | fedjag [ˈfaiaɡ] = feather, plume, quill, pinion fedjagagh = pinnate, feathery |
| Proto-Brythonic | *atanī = wing |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | adain = wing, fin |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | adain [ˈadai̯n/ˈadɛn/ˈaːdɛn] = wing, fin, arm, sleeve adeiniog = winged |
| Old Cornish | aden = leaf of a book |
| Old Breton | attanoc = wing |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *peth₂- (to fly, to spread out) [source]. The English words such as feather, petal, pinion and helicopter come from the same PIE root [source].
Words for birds and larks come from the same Proto-Celtic roots.
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | ascall = armpit |
|---|---|
| Irish (Gaeilge) | ascaill [ˈasˠkəl̠ʲ/ˈasˠkəl̪ˠ] = armpit, recess, avenue, axil asclán = something carried under arm, armful, gusset |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | asgall [asgəl̪ˠ] = breast, bosom, armpit |
| Manx (Gaelg) | aghlish = axil, armful, armpit |
| Proto-Brythonic | *askell = wing |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | asgell, askell = wing |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | asgell [ˈasɡaɬ / ˈaskaɬ] = wing, feather, fin, flank, side asgellog = winged, feathered, flying, finned, scaly, barbed asgellwr = winger, wing-forward (in sports) asgellu = to feather (an arrow), put wings on, grow wings, shelter/protect (with wings) |
| Old Cornish | ascall = wing |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | askel = wing |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | askell [ˈas.kɛl] = wing, fin, flipper |
Etymology: from the Latin ascella (wing), from axilla (little wing, axilla, armpit), a diminutive of āla (wing, armpit, shoulder blade) from the Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱs- (axis) [source].
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | clúm = feathers, down, plumage, fur |
|---|---|
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | clúm, clúim, clúmh = feathers, plumage, down, hair, vegetation, foliage clúmach, clumhach, clumach = plumage, feathers, down clúmdae = downy clúm(th)ach, clúmhach = downy, soft, hairy |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | clúmh [kl̪ˠuːvˠ / klˠũː] = down, feathers, hair, fur, coat, foliage clúmhach fluff, fuzz, hairy, flurry, coated, fluffy, fluzzy, fleecy clúmhadóir = feather dealer clúmhúil = downy, mildewed clúmhúlacht = downiness |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | clùimh, clòimh [kl̪ˠũːĩv / kl̪ˠɔːj] = wool, down (feathers), moult clùimhteach [kl̪ˠũːĩdʲəx] = down (feathers) mop of hair clòimhneag [kl̪ˠɔ̃ːin̪ʲag] = small feather, snowflake clòimhteach [kl̪ˠɔ̃ːĩdʲəx] = down, downy, mop of hair clòimhteachan [kl̪ˠɔ̃ːĩdʲəxan] = eiderdown |
| Manx (Gaelg) | clooie = down, feather, plumage, bloom (on fruit), fluff, fur, fuzz clooieagh, clooiagh = downy, feathered, feathery, woolly, fleecy clooiesag, clooisag = pillow |
| Proto-Brythonic | *plʉβ̃ = feathers *plʉβ̃ọg = cushion, pillow |
| Old Welsh (Kembraec) | *plum = feathers plumauc = pillow, cushion |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | pluawr, plu, pluf, plvf = feathers, plumes plufaw, pluo = to pluck, despoil, fleece pluoc = feathered, feathery plyvog = pillow, cushion |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | plu(f) [plɨː / plɨː] = feathers, plumes, (fishing) flies, quills, birdies (in golf) plu(f)en = feather, plume pluad = plumage plu(f)aidd = feathery, feathered pluo, pluf(i)o = to pluck, despoil, fleece pluog = feathered, adorned or covered with feathers, feathery |
| Old Cornish | *pluf = feathers plufoc = bolster |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | plûv, plyv = feathers pluven, plyven = feather, plen |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | pluv = plumage pluven = feather, pen, quill pluven blomm/blobm = pencil pluvennek, pluvednek = feathered pluvek = cushion, pillow |
| Old Breton (Brethonoc) | *plum = feathers, plumage plumoc = bolster |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | pluff, plü = feathers, plumage pluuenn, pluffenn, pluenn, plüen = feather pluffec = bolster |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | pluñv [ˈplỹː] = feathers, plumage pluñvenn = feather pluñvaat = to feather oneself, to enrich oneself pluñañ = to pluck pluñvek = feathery, covered in feathers pluñvet = feathered, fledged, feathery plueg [ˈplyː.ek] = cushion, bolster, pillow |
Etymology: from Latin plūma (feather, plume), from Proto-Italic *plouksmā, from Proto-Indo-European *plewk-smeh₂, from Proto-Indo-European *plewk- (to fly flow, run) [source]. Words from the same PIE roots include flea, flee, flight, flock, fly, fowl, and plume in English, flèche (arrow, spire, needle) in French, pluma (plume) in Portuguese, and pláukas (hair) in Lithuanian [source].
Sources: Wiktionary, Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic, In Dúil Bélrai English – Old Irish glossary, eDIL – Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language, Teanglann.ie, Am Faclair Beag, An etymological dictionary of the Gaelic language, Fockleyreen: Manx – English Dictionary, Online Manx Dictionary, Gaelg Corpus, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Lexicon cornu-britannicum : a dictionary of the ancient Celtic language of Cornwall, Gerlyver Kernewek, Devri : Le dictionaire diachronique du breton, Geriafurch, TermOfis