Words for blind, one-eyed and related words in Celtic languages.
| Proto-Celtic | *dallos = blind |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | dall = blind |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | dall, dáll, = blind, dark, gloomy, daillín = blind man dalla(id) = to blind, deprive of sight, darken, obscure dallóc = a little blind animal, mole, leech |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | dall [d̪ˠaul̪ˠ/d̪ˠɑːl̪ˠ/d̪ˠɑl̪ˠ] = blind person, dull, uninformed person, dimness, gloom, obscurity, to blind, dazzle, daze, stupefy dallacán = purblind person, dim-witted person, fool, mask dallacántacht = purblindness, dim-wittedness dallachar = dazzle dalladh = blinding, dazzlement, plenty, lashings dallaigeanta = dull-witted dallamlán = stupid fool, dolt |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | dall [daul̪ˠ] = blind, obscure, blind person dallaran = blind person dalladh [dal̪ˠəɣ] = blinding, misleading dall-bhrat = blindfold dallanach = dark, gloomy, inebriated dallta = blinded, deceived, mislead |
| Manx (Gaelg) | doal = blind, sightless, unseeing dallaghey = to befog, blind, daze, dazzle, glare doallaghey, doalley, doallee = blind, blinding |
| Proto-Brythonic | *dall [ˈdal͈] = blind |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | dall, dâll = blind, unseeing, dark, random dallaf = to blind, dazzle, deceive, darken dallineb, dallinep = blindness, folly, recklessness |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | dall [da(ː)ɬ] = blind, unseeing, dark, random, purblind, ignorant, rash, thoughtless, mistaken, blind person dallaf, dallu = to blind, dazzle, deceive, darken dallaidd = blindness, purblind dallan = blind person dalledig = blinded, darkened dallineb = blindness, folly, recklessness |
| Old Cornish | dal = blind |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | dall = blind dalla = to (make) blind |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | dall = blind dalla = to blind dallhe = to blind, dazzle |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | dall, dal = blind, blunt, blinkered dallaff, dallañ, dalliñ = to gouge out sb’s eyes, to blind, to fill a hole, to blunt, crumble dallente, dallentez, dallezh = blindness dallet = blinded |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | dall [ˈdalː] = blind, blunt, blinkered, dead end dallentez, dallezh = blindness |
Etymology: from PIE *dʰwl̥no-, from *dʰwolno (to dim, make obscure) [source].
Words from the same roots include dull and dwell in English, toll (great, nice, wonderful) in German, dol (crazy, silly, mad, mindless, irate) in Dutch, and dulls (crazy, mad) in Latvian.
| Proto-Celtic | *kaikos/*kayko- = one-eyed, blind |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | cáech [kaːi̯x] = blind in one eye, empty cáechaid = to blind cáechán = one-eyed person, blind creature |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | cáech = blind in one eye, empty cáechaid = to blind cáechán = one-eyed person, dimsighted creature cáiche = state of being one-eyed, blind in one eye cáichén = an ignorant person |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | caoch [keːx/kiːx] = blind, purblind person / creature, empty, closed up; to blind, daze, dazzle, close, become blocked, wink caochadh = to wink, close caochadóir = purblind creature caochaíl = purblindness, blockage caochán = purblind creature, mole caochóg = purblind person, cubby-hole |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | caoch [kɯːx] = empty, hollow, blind (creature) caochag = empty / hollow object, dummy caochadh [kɯːxəɣ] = blinking, shutting one eye, winking, peeping, ogling bealach-caoch = cul-de-sac |
| Manx (Gaelg) | kyagh = weak-eyed kyaght = blindness kyragh = blind bollagh kyagh = cul-de-sac |
| Proto-Brythonic | *koɨg = vain, empty, one-eyed, blind (?) |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | coeg, coec, koeg = vain, empty, false, deceitful; blind, one-eyed koegi to deride, mock, deteriorate; become blind koec ddall, koegddall = purblind, half-blind, shortsighted, one-eyed, squinting |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | coeg [koːɨ̯ɡ/kɔi̯ɡ] = vain, empty, false, deceitful, mean, evil, good-for-nothing, arrogant, scornful, sarcastic; blind, one-eyed, squinting coegaf, coegi = to deride, mock, lampoon, use sarcasm; to be(come) worthless, deteriorate; to become blind, have defective eyesight, darken coegaidd = vain, empty, haughty, conceited, saucy coegathrawgar = pedantic coegathro = pedant coegbeth = worthless thing, triviality, trifle, bauble coegddall = purblind, half-blind, shortsighted, one-eyed, squinting |
| Old Cornish | cuic = one-eyed, blind |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | cuic = blind in one eye |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | koog = vain, worthless, barren, infertile |
Etymology: from PIE *kéh₂ikos (one-eyed, blind) [source].
Words from the same roots include caecus (blind) and caecum (uncertainity, obscurity) in Latin, cécité (blindness) in French, ciego (blind, blind person, very drunk, caecum) in Spanish, and caecum (a part of the intestine) in English [source].
Incidentally, purblind means partially blind, dim-sighted, dim-witted, unintelligent, and used to mean blind or having one eye [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, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, English – ProtoCeltic WordList (PDF), Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic
