Today we’re looking at the words for tin and related things in Celtic languages.
Botallack tin mine in Cornwall
| Proto-Celtic | *stagnos = tin |
|---|---|
| Gaulish | *stagnom = tin |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | stán [mʲeːnʲ] = tin, tin vessel |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | stán = tin, tin vessel stánach = tin-bearing, stannic stánadóir = tinner, tinsmith stánadóireacht = tin-work, (act of) tinkering stánaigh = to tin, to coat with tin, to pack in tin(s) stáncheárta = tinworks stánphláta = tin-plate stántáirgeach = tin-bearing stánúil = tinny, stannous feadóg stáin = tin whistle |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | staoin [sdɯːn̪ʲ] = tin, pewter stàin [sdɯːn̪ʲ] = tin stànadair = tinsmith, tinker staoinseil = tinsel fìdeag-staoin = tin whistle muileann-staoin = tin mill sgragall-staoine = tinfoil |
| Manx (Gaelg) | stainney = tin, can, tin-plate stainnagh = tin-bearing stainnaghey = to tin-plate stainneyder = tin-miner stainnit = tin-plated stainn-oshleyder, fosleyder stainney = tin-opener feddan (stainney) = tin whistle, flageolot gaaue stainney = tinner, tinsmith |
| Proto-Brythonic | *staɨn = tin |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | stain, ystain, staen, ystaen = tin, pewter |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | ystaen, staen = tin, pewter ystaenaid, staenaid = tinned, tin ystaenwr, ystaeniwr = pewterer, tinsmith |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | sten [stɛːn / steːn] = tin stenek = tin ground, stannary stenor = tinner sten du = tin ore poll sten = tin pit |
| Middle Breton | sten, stean, staen = tin |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | staen = tin staenañ = to tinplate staenek = stannic (of or containing tin) staenus = stannous (of or containing tin) |
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
Etymology: probably from the Proto-Indo-European *sth₂gʰ-nó-s (standing, firm), from *steh₂-gʰ- + *-nós, from *steh₂- (to stand) [source].
The Latin word stannum (an alloy of silver and lead; tin) was borrowed from the Gaulish *stagnom, and words for tin in Romance languages developed from this, including étain in French, stagno in Italian, and estaño in Spanish [source].
The scientific abbreviation for tin is Sn, from the Latin stannum. The old Latin name for tin was plumbum candidum (white lead) [source].
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | tiona = tin (container, metal) á tiona = tinned, from a tin crogan-tiona = tin can/td> |
|---|---|
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | tynn, tin, tinn = tin, tin plate |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | tun, tyn = tin (metal / container), tin plate, tin can tunio, tuniaf = to tin, coat with tin, seal in a tin tun tân = blower, metal plate placed before an open fire to increase the draught tun te = tin used by workmen to carry leaf tea (and sugar) to work |
Etymology: from the English tin, from the Middle English tin, tyn(e), tynne (tin), from the Old English tin (tin), from the Proto-Germanic *tiną (tin), probably from a pre-Indo-European language [source].
Words for tin in Germanic languages come from the same Proto-Germanic root, including tin in Dutch, Zinn in German, tenn in Swedish, and tinn in Norwegian, as do words for tin in some Slavic and Finno-Ugric languages [source].
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
