Decades

Words for ten and related things in Celtic languages:

ten

Proto-Celtic *dekam = ten
*dekametos = tenth
Celtiberian tekametam = tenth
Gaulish decan = ten
decametos = tenth
Old Irish (Goídelc) deich [dʲexʲ] = ten
dechmad = tenth, ten days
deichenbor = ten people
Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) deich, dech = ten
dechmad, deachmadh = tenth, ten days
deichenbor, dechnabar, dechnebur = ten people
deichenborach = belonging to a company of ten
deichthriub = The Ten Tribes of Israel
Irish (Gaeilge) deich [dʲɛç/dʲɛh/dʲɛ] = ten
(an) deichiú = tenth, tenth part
deichniúr = ten people
deichbhliantúil = decennial (consisting of or lasting 10 years; occuring every 10 years)
deachú = tenth part, tithe
deachúil = decimal
deachúlaigh = to decimalize
deachúlú = decimalization
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) deich [dʲeç] = ten
deicheamh [dʲeçəv] (10ᵐʰ) = tenth (10ᵗʰ)
deichnear [dʲeçnər] = ten (people)
deich ar fhichead = thirty
Na Deich Àitheantan = The Ten Commandments
deichead [dʲeçəd] = decade, decimal
deicheachadh = (act of) decimalising, decimalisation
deich-fillte = tenfold
Manx (Gaelg) jeih [d͡ʒɛi] = ten
(yn) jeihoo = (the) tenth
jeihaght = decade, ten
jeih keead = thousand
jeih filley = ten-fold
Jeih Annaghyn = Ten Commandments
Proto-Brythonic *deg [dɛːɡ] = ten
*degβ̃ed [dɛɡˈβ̃ɛːd] = tenth
Cumbric dig, dick, dik = ten
Old Welsh dec = ten
Middle Welsh (Kymraec) dec = ten
decuet, decvet, decfed = tenth
decuettyd = tenth day
dec a hugein(t) = thirty
dec a dugein(t) = fifty
dec a phedwar ugein(t) = ninety
degeir = the Ten Commandments, Decalogue
degniev = ten days
deguyr, degwyr = ten men
Welsh (Cymraeg) deg [deːɡ] = ten
degfed [ˈdɛɡvɛd/ˈdɛɡvad] (10fed) = tenth
degfetydd = tenth day
deg ar hugain = thirty
deg a thrigain = seventy
deg a phedwar ugain = ninety
dega(w)d = decade
degiad = decimal
degoes = ten ages or lifetimes, prolonged life
degol = decimal, metric, tenth part
degolaf, degoli = to decimalize; decimate, tithe
degoliad = decimalization, decmiation, a tithing
dengair = the Ten Commandments, Decalogue
dengnïau = ten days
dengnyn, dengw(y)r = ten men, ten persons
Middle Cornish (Cernewec) dec, dék, dég = ten
dege, degves = tenth
dek warn-ugens, dék war-nugens, degwarnygnas = thirty
deg ha dugans = fifty
Cornish (Kernewek) deg = ten
degves = tenth
deg warn ugens = thirty
deg ha dew ugens = fifty
deg ha tri ugens = seventy
deg ha peswar ugens = ninety
degowek, degoweges = teenage, teenager
degvledhen = decade
Old Breton dec = ten
Middle Breton (Brezonec) dec, dêc, deg, dégeu, dek = ten
decuet, dekved = tenth
dec ha triuguent, dec ha tri vguent = seventy
dec ha peuaruguent = ninety
dek kant, dec-cant, dek-kant = thousand
Breton (Brezhoneg) dek = ten
dekvet = tenth
dek ha tri-ugent = seventy
dek ha pevar-ugent = ninety
Dekalog = Decalogue, the Ten Commandments

Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *déḱm̥ (ten) and *deḱm̥tós (tenth) [source].

English words from the same roots include ten, decade, decimal and decathlon [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

2 thoughts on “Decades

  1. Of all the entries above, I found *degβ̃ed the most surprising. I can’t say I have ever seen a tilde on top of a sharp S before.

    Assuming that Tilde means some kind of nasalization, how does one go about nasalizing an S sound? I am wondering how that is even physically possible.

    (Maybe if someone pinched my nose and insisted that I pronounce “Mississippi”, that might do it.)

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