Today we’re looking at the words for longing, yearning and related things in Celtic languages.
| Proto-Celtic | *sīraxto- = roof |
|---|---|
| Gaulish | siraxta = longing |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | sírecht = lack, longing, sadness |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | síreacht = wistfulness, longing, plaint, plaintive music síreachtach = wistful, longing, plaintive (music) |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | sireachd [ʃirʲəxg] = (act of) searching, seeking |
| Manx (Gaelg) | shirrey = seeking, solicitation |
| Proto-Brythonic | *hiraɨθ = nostalgia, longing, yearning, homesickness |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | hiraeth, hyreyth = longing, yearning, nostalgia |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | hiraeth [ˈhɪraɨ̯θ/ˈhiːrai̯θ] = grief or sadness after the lost or departed, longing, yearning, nostalgia, wistfulness, homesickness, earnest desire hiraethgar = full of longing, yearning, wistful hiraethiad = a yearning hiraethol = sad, longing, yearning, hankering, wistful, nostalgic hiraethu = to long, yearn, be earnestly desirous, sorrow, grieve hiraethus = yearning, hankering, longing, wistful, sorrowful, eager, ardent, longed for, desired |
| Middle Cornish | hireth, hyreth, hereth = longing, an earnest desire, regretting, regret |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | hireth [ˈhɪrɛθ] = loneliness, longing, nostalgia, yearning hirethek = homesick, lonely, longing, yearning |
| Old Breton | hiraez = yearning, desire |
| Middle Breton | hirrez, hirez, hireh, hireah = yearning, desire |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | hiraezh = yearning, desire, aspiration hiraezhiñ (da) = to yearn (for), desire, aspire (to) |
Etymology: from the Proto-Celtic *siros (long), from the Proto-Indo-European *seh₁- (long, lasting), and the Proto-Celtic *anxtu (slaughter), from the Proto-Indo-European *neḱ- (perish, disappear) [source].
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | cuma = grief, sorrow |
|---|---|
| Irish (Gaeilge) | cumha [kuː / kuə] = loneliness, homesickness, parting sorrow cumhach = lonesome, homesick, wistful, nostalgic miancumha = longing, yearning |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | cumha [kũ.ə] = lament, (act of) lamenting cumhach [kũ.əx] = mournful, sorrowful |
Etymology: possibly from the Proto-Indo-European *qem/qom (hum) [source].
| Irish (Gaeilge) | fadaíocht [kuː / kuə] = lengthiness, longsomeness |
|---|---|
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | fadachd [fadəxg] = longing, yearning; length |
| Manx (Gaelg) | foddeeagh = homesick, longing, nostalgic foddeeaght, foddiaght = distance, fervent, desire, hankering, longing, nostalgia |
Etymology: from the Old Irish fota (long) [source].
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, Gerlyvyr Cernewec, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, Le dictionnaire diachronique du breton, Geriafurch, English – ProtoCeltic WordList (PDF), Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic
