Today we’re looking at the words for mind, sense and related things in Celtic languages.
| Proto-Celtic | *kʷēslā = mind; sense, wisdom, intelligence; meaning |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | cíall [kʲiːa̯l͈] = sense, intelligence, mind; wisdom, good sense, skill; intention, cause, reason, idea; signification, meaning, function |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | ciall [kiəl̪ˠ/kʲal̪ˠ] = sense, sanity; normal state of mind; common sense; perception; meaning; reason, cause ciallaigh = to mean, signify; explain, interpret ciallchogar = confidential whisper ciallmhaireacht = sensibleness, reasonableness ciallmhar = sensible, reasonable, common sense aingiall = unreason fochiall = secondary meaning, connotation gan chiall = meaningless, misguided, unmeaning, callow, lunatic, senseless, silly |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | ciall [kʲiəl̪ˠ] = meaning, sense, significance, connotation, implication, understanding, reason ciallach = prudent, sensible, sane, tame ciallaich = to mean, signify, imply gun chiall = without sense, senseless, insane eu-céillidheachd = insanity, madness, irrationality, foolishness |
| Manx (Gaelg) | keeall = sense, significance keeaylagh = eloquent, prudent meecheeall = senselessness meecheeallagh = senseless, unadvisedly bun-cheeal = moral gyn keeall = unmeaning, senseless |
| Proto-Brythonic | *puɨll = mind; sense, wisdom, intelligence; meaning |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | puil, puilh = deliberation, consideration, care, caution |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | pwyll [puːɨ̯ɬ / pʊi̯ɬ] = deliberation, consideration, care, caution; discretion, prudence, wisdom, patience, understanding, intelligence, perception, judgement; nature, disposition; meaning, significance, sense pwyll(i)ad = intention, intent, goal, aim, design pwyllaf, pwyllo = to exercise discretion, deliberate, consider, contemplate pwyllgor = committee, meeting pwyllog = discreet, wise, intelligent, sane, rational, reasonable pwyllwr, pwyllwraig = discreet, sensible or wise person gan bwyll = gently, gradually, carefully, slowly iawnbwyll = sanity, saneness, sane, sensible o’i bwyll = out of one’s mind, beside oneself, insane |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | poll = intelligence, reason pollek = brainy, intelligent |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | poell = logical, logic poellata = to reason, argue poellakaat = to rationalize poellel = logical, logic poellelour = rationalist poellgor = committee |
Etymology from the Proto-Indo-European *kʷeyt- (to notice) [source].
Words from the same PIE root include číst (to read) and čítat (to count) in Czech, šķist (to seem, appear) and skaitīt (to count) in Latvian, skaitýti (to read) in Lithuanian, and चित्त [t͡ʃɪt̪t̪] (mind, heart) in Hindi [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
