Today we’re looking at the words for soft and tender and related things in Celtic languages.
| Proto-Celtic | *buggos = soft, tender |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | boc = soft, gentle, tender |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | boc = soft, gentle, tender, tepid |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | bog [bˠɔɡ / bˠʌɡ] (noun) = soft, tender, flabby, indulgent, lenient, mellow (voice), mild (weather), loose, lukewarm bog (verb) = to soften, become soft, ease, warm, get milder, move, loosen, rock bogach = soft, boggy ground bogachar = softness, bogginess bogadh = softening, easement, movement, stir bogánta = soft, squelchy bogearraí = software an rud a fhaightear go bog caitear go bog é = easy come, easy go tóg go bog é = take it easy |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | bog [boɡ] = flabby, soft, limp, pulpy; moist, marshy, boggy, slopp; foolish; damp, humid; indulgent; spiritless; flat (in music); lax (in linguistics) bogach = bog, fen, marsh, swamp, morass, quagmire bogachadh = wetting, steeping, moistening, mellowing, softening, swilling bathar-bog = software |
| Manx (Gaelg) | bog = soft, easy, tender, flabby, pulpy, slack, limp, moist, soft-hearted, callow boggagh = to soften, steep strong>boggaghey = to soften, relax, ease, moisten, dissolve boggyr = soft boglagh = quagmire, morass, swamp, oozy, boggy bog-roauyr = podgy bog-vroiet = soft-boiled bog- vroojit = squashy |
| Old Breton (Brethonoc) | buc = soft, tender |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | boug = soft, tender |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | bouk [buːk] = soft, cozy, heavy, stifling (weather) boukaat [buˈkɑːt] = to soften, tenderize boukted = softness, weakness |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *bʰewgʰ- (to bend, curve, arch) [source].
The English word bog (wet spongy ground, marsh, swamp), was borrowed from the Irish or Scottish Gaelic bog [source]. English words from the same PIE root include badge, bagel, (to) bow, buck and bow (and arrow) [source].
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | muad = cloud, mist, fumes |
|---|---|
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | muad, muadh = cloud, mist, fumes |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | muadh = soft, moist |
| Manx (Gaelg) | meeley = soft, bland, smooth, yielding, soft-spoken, moisten, delicate, fine |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | medal, meddal [kam] = soft, yielding, tender, delicate, pliable |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | meddal [ˈmɛðal / ˈmeːðal] = soft, yielding, tender, delicate, pliable; mild, gentle, placid, tolerant, merciful, lax, inexperienced, foolish, weak meddalu = to soften, become soft, thaw; to lenite, cause lenition meddalaidd = soft, softish, tender, immature, foolish, weak meddalder = softness, soft spot, tenderness, sensitivity meddaledig = softened, soft, tender meddalwedd = software treiglad meddal = soft mutation |
| Middle Cornish | medhal, meddal = soft, mollient, tender medhalder = softness, tenderness, mildness, gentleness |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | medhel = soft medhelhe = to lenite, soften, absorb medhelheans = lenition medhelweyth = software |
| Middle Breton | mezell = malleable, mean |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | mezel = malleable, mean, leprosy |
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
Etymology: unknown
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
