Today we’re looking at the words for sieve and related things in Celtic languages.
| Proto-Celtic | *krētros = sieve |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Gaoidhealg) | críathar = sieve |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | críathar = sieve, riddle críatharach = marsh, morass, boggy wasteland críathrad = act of winnowing, sifting, riddling críathraid = sifts, riddles, spreads |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | criathar [ˈcɾʲiəhəɾˠ / ˈcɾʲiːhəɾˠ] = sieve, riddle criathach = pitted, perforated, swampy criathrú = winnowing, sifting, honeycombing criathradóir = winnower, sifter, maker of sieves criathraigh = to sieve, winnow, riddle, sift, honeycomb criathróir = animal surefooted on boggy ground criathar meala = honeycomb criathar mín = fine sieve |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | criathar [krʲiə.ər] = riddle, sieve criathar-tomhais = bushel (measure and implement) criathar-garbh = riddle (implement) criatharair [krʲiəhərɛrʲ] = sieve-maker criathradh [krʲiarəɣ] = (act of) filtering |
| Manx (Gaelg) | creear = sieve, riddle creearey = sieve, pan, sift, riddle creear meein = fine sieve creear garroo = rough sieve jannoo creear = to honeycomb |
| Proto-Brythonic | *kruɨdr = wandering, sieve |
| Old Welsh | cruitr = winnowing shovel |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | cruidir, crwydr = sieve |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | crwydr [ˈkrʰʊɨ̯dr̩ / ˈkrʰʊi̯dr̩] = a wandering, a roaming; misfortune, trouble, confusion, rout, dispersion; a straying, aberration, error; winnowing-fan, winnowing-shovel, sieve crwydro = to wander, roam, stroll, gad about, stray, go astray, deviate, digress crwydredig = wandering, vagrant, roving, stray crwydro = barn, granary, farm building crwydrwr = wanderer, vagrant, vagabond, rover, nomad |
| Old Cornish | croider = sieve, riddle |
| Middle Cornish | croider, crodar = sieve, riddle |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | kroder = coarse sieve, strainer, riddle kroder kroghen = bodhrán, hold-all |
| Old Breton | croitir = sieve, riddle |
| Middle Breton | croezr = sieve, riddle |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | krouer = sieve, riddle, screen krouerañ = to sift, riddle, sieve krouer liammoù = link generator rakkroueriañ = pre-screening |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *krey-trom (sieve) from *krey- (to sift, separate, divide) [source].
Words from the same PIE root include crime, crisis, riddle and secret in English, ceart (right, correct, true) in Irish, and crynu (to tremble, shake) and ergryn (horror, dread) in Welsh [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
