Today we’re looking at the words for heather and related things in Celtic languages.
| Proto-Celtic | *wroikos = heather |
|---|---|
| Gaulish | *wroika = heather |
| Celtiberian | *broikios = heather |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | froích, fróech = heather |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | fráech = heather |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | fraoch [fˠɾˠeːx / fˠɾˠiːx / fˠɾˠiːx] = heather, heath, moor fraochán = bilberry, whortleberry, ring-ouzel fraochlach = heath fraochmhá = heath fraochmhar = heathery fraoch bán = white heather fraoch coitianta = Scotch heather, ling píobaire fraoch = grasshopper |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | fraoch [frɯːx] = heather, ling fraoch-geal = white common heather (Calluna vulgaris alba fraoch-bheinn = heather-covered mountain fraochan = whortleberry, blaeberry, lingonberry, cranberry fraochach = heathy, heathery |
| Manx (Gaelg) | freoagh = heather, ling, heath freoagh bane = brier, white heather freoagh marrey = sea fern freoagh mooar = Scotch heather |
| Proto-Brythonic | *gwrʉg [ˈɡwrʉːɡ] = heather |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | gruc, gerug, gwrug = heather |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | grug [ɡrɨːɡ / ɡriːɡ] = heather, ling heath grug cyffredin = heather, ling, common heath, Calluna vulgaris grugiar = (red) grouse, willow grouse, heath-hen gruglus = heath-berries gruglwyn = bush of heather, sweet broom grugnythu = to nest or nestle in the heather grugog = heath-covered, heathery, abounding in heather |
| Cornish (Kernwek) | grug [ɡryːɡ / ɡriːɡ] = heath, heather, ling grugyar = partridge |
| Middle Breton | groegan = heather |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | brug = heather |
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
Etymology unknown, possibly from a non-Proto-Indo-European root [source]. It’s uncertain where the Breton word brug comes from, but it’s likey that it was borrowed from the Latin *brūcus (heather).
The Spanish word brezo (heath) comes from the Vulgar Latin *broccius, from the Proto-Celtic *wroikos, as does the Galician breixo (heather) [source].
Words from the Gaulish root *wroikos (heather), via the Latin *brūcus (heather), include brugo (heather) and brughiera (heath, moor) in Italian, bruc (heather) and bruguera (heath) in Catalan, and bruyère (heather, heath, brier) in French [source].
Eilean Fraoch (Heather Isle) is a nickname for the Isle of Lewis / Eilean Leòdhais in the Western Isles / Na h-Eileanan Siar. Here’s a song about it:
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
