Today we’re looking at the words for salt and related things in Celtic languages.
| Proto-Celtic | *salanos = salt |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | salann [ˈsalan͈] = salt |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | salann [ˈsˠɑl̪ˠən̪ˠ / ˈsˠalˠən̪ˠ / ˈsˠɔlˠən̪ˠ] = salt saill = to salt, cure, season sailleadh = salting, curing saillteacht = saltiness saillteoir = salter, curer sáiltéar = salt-cellar |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | salann [sal̪ˠən̪ˠ] = salt salainneach [sal̪ˠɪn̪ʲəx] = salty salainneachadh [sal̪ˠɪn̪ʲəxəɣ] = (act of) salting, (act of) curing with salt, salinisation |
| Manx (Gaelg) | sollan [ˈsolan] = salt sailjey = brackish, briny, corned, pickled, saline, salt, salty |
| Proto-Brythonic | *haluɨn = salt |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | halaen, halen = salt |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | halen [ˈhalɛn / ˈhalan] = salt, sodium chloride; brine; moral élite, the excellent of the earth, wit, eloquence halenu = to salt, become salt halenaidd = saline, salty, brackish halenydd = salt, saline, brackish halenog = salt, saliferous, saline, salty halenwr = salt dealer, salt maker hâl = salt, alkali, salty, saline, alkaline hallt = salt, salty, briny, brackish, sharp, preserved in salt, pickled; bitter, sharp, harsh, severe; sea, the brine, the briny halltog = salt, salty |
| Old Cornish | haloin = salt |
| Middle Cornish | halan, halen = salt |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | holan = salt holanen = grain of salt |
| Middle Breton | halon = salt |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | holen = salt holener = salt cellar holenañ = salt dealer/seller |
Etymology from the Proto-Indo-European *séh₂ls (salt) [source].
The English words salt, salary, salad, sauce and salsa come from the same PIE root [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
