Today we’re looking at words for speckled, spotted and related things in Celtic languages.
| Proto-Celtic | *brikkos = speckled, spotted |
|---|---|
| Gaulish | *brikkos |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | brecc [bʲrʲek] = checked, flecked, speckled, spotted, variegated brecht = variegated brechtnaigthe = variegated |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | brecc, breac, brec = speckled, spotted, variegated, patterned, ornamented, dappled brecht = variegated, varied, various brecht(g)na = many-hued |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | breac [bʲɾʲak] = speckled, dappled, indifferent breacachan = variegation breachadh = speckling, dappling; variegation, scribbling writing, lightening (of colour) breacaimsir = middling, fair but unsettled weather breacaire = carver, engraver, engraving tool, scribbler breacaireacht = variegation, chequering, carving, engraving, scribbling, doodling breacán = tartan, plaid |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | breac [brʲɛxg] = speckled, spotted, spotty, dappled, variegated breacadh = speckling, spotting, chequering, sprinkling, scattering breacanach = pertaining to tartan, plaided breacaichte = spotted, stippled breac-seun = freckle Breac a’ Mhuilinn = The Milky Way |
| Manx (Gaelg) | breck = brindle, dapple-grey, medley, piebald, pied, speckle, spot, spotty, tartan, chequered, spotted, variegated breck greiney = freckle breck kiark = chickenpox breckag = fleck of colour breckan = brindle, medley, colour, plaid, tartan breckanagh = tartan breckey = brindle, chequering, dapple, freckle, mottle |
| Proto-Brythonic | *brɨx = speckled, spotted |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | brych, brech = mottled, spotted, speckled |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | brych, brech = mottled, spotted, brindled brychy = to dapple, mottle brychau, brychav, brychæ = spots, marks, stains brychedic, bryçedig = mottled, brindled, speckled, spotted |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | brych [brɨːχ/briːχ] = mottled, spotted, brindled, variegated, stained, defiled, freckled, spot, mark, blemish, stain, afterbirth, placenta brychaf, brychu = to dapple, mottle, mark, stain, sully brychau = spots, marks, stains brych(i)edig = mottled, brindled, speckled, spotted brech [brɛχ] = rash, pox, inoculation, vaccination, cowpox brechaf, brechu, brecho = to vaccinate, innoculate brechedig = vaccinated, vaccinee brechiad = vaccination, inoculation, injection brechlyn = vaccine |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | brygh = pox, smallpox, spot brygh rudh = measles brygh yar = chickenpox bryghlin = vaccine bryghlina = to vaccinate bryghlinans = vaccination |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | brech, bræch = smallpox, vaccine, sheep pox brahaing, brehain, brec’hagn = sterile |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | brec’h [ˈbrɛːx] = smallpox, vaccine brec’hidigezh = vaccination brec’h-den = smallpox, vaccine brec’h-nij = chickenpox brec’h-zu = thyphus |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *perḱ- (motley, coloured, spotted) source]. Words for trout in Celtic languages are probably related.
Words from the same PIE root include perch in English, färg (colour) in Swedish, väri (colour) in Finnish, Farbe (colour, paint, dye) in German, and barva (colour, paint, ink) in Czech [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *ɸerkos, *ferko- = perch, speckled |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | erc = speckled, spotted, cow, salmon |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | erc = speckled, dark red, trout, salmon, a spotted or red-eared cow |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | earc [ɛr̪ˠxg] = speckled, spotted, striped, dark/blood red |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | erch = mottled, speckled, dappled, dun, bay, dusky, dark |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | erch [ɛrχ] = mottled, speckled, dappled, dun, bay, dusky, dark erchlas = dapple-grey (of horse), dark blue colour erchyll = horrible, hideous, ghastly, dire, terrible, dreadful, awful, frightful |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *perḱ- (motley, coloured, spotted) source].
| Proto-Celtic | *mrixtos = painted, speckled |
|---|---|
| Proto-Brythonic | *briθ [ˈbriːθ] = painted, speckled, variegated |
| Old Welsh | brith = variegated, coloured |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | brith, breith, braith = variegated, coloured |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | brith [briːθ] = variegated, coloured, chequered, mottled, pied, spotted, speckled, brindled, grey; numerous, abundant brith(i)af, brith(i)o = to colour, variegate, speckle, dapple, adorn, embroider, to turn grey (hair), to curdle, blot brithder = spottedness, speckledness, gaudiness britheg [ˈbriθɛɡ] = snake’s head fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris) brithyll = (brown) trout bara brith = bara brith (Welsh current loaf, lit. “speckled bread”) |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | brith = streaked, motley, variegated, parti-coloured, pied, speckled brithel, breithil = mackerel |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | brith = streaked, striped, tartan britha = to dapple, mottle, streak brithednek = freckled brithel = mackerel brithen = freckle brithennek = freckled; fallow deer brithki = mongrel brithlen = tapestry brithweyth = mosaic brithys = dappled, mottled, spotted |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | bris, brih, breh, briz = colourful, stained, dirty, piebald brizadur = speckles, freckles |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | brizh = colourful, stained, piebald brizhadenn = freckle brizhellet = dappled, flecked |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European word *mr̥gʷ-tó-s, from *mergʷ- (dark, coloured) [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, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, English – ProtoCeltic WordList (PDF), Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic
