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 = checkered, flecked, speckled, spotted, variegated |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | brecc = speckled, spotted, variegated, patterned, ornamented, dappled |
| 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 |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | brych [brɨːχ/briːχ] = mottled, spotted, speckled, brindled, variegated, stained, defiled, freckled; spot, mark, blemish, stain; afterbirth, placenta brychaf, brychu = to dapple with spots or blotches, mottle, mark, stain, sully, defile, spoil, freckle brychiad = spotted or freckled person; sewin, sea trout brych(i)og = mottled, brindled, spotted, pock-marked, freckled; placental brychyn = (small) spot, mark, blemish, stain, flaw, freckle |
| Cornish (Kerneweg) | brygh = pox, smallpox |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | brec’h [ˈbreːx] = smallpox, vaccine |
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 (a type of freshwater fish) in English; forel (trout) and voorn (roach – a type of fish) in Dutch; Forelle (trout) in German, and possibly pulcro (tidy, neat) in Spanish [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].
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
