Words for down, below, under and related things in Celtic languages.
| Proto-Celtic | *ɸīssu = under |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | ís = below sís = down, downwards, northwards anís = below, from below tís = below |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | ís = below, under sís, sis = down, downwards, northwards, below, onwards, throughout, onwards sísana, siosina, sisana = here below, below anís, = (from) below, beneath tís = below, in the north |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | síos [ʃiːsˠ] = down (away from the speaker), to lower place or station, hanging down, drooping, trailing, to the north, to a lesser centre or remote district, following síos suas = upside down, topsyturvy aníos = up (from below), from the north thíos = down, in a lower place, in the north, below, farther on in a book, written down, entered (in a ledger, etc), on the fire thíosluaite = undermentioned thíos-sínithe = undersigned |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | sìos [ʃiəs] = down (away from the speaker), downwards, below shìos [hiəs] = down, below a-nìos [əˈn̪ʲiəs] = up, upwards (towards from the speaker) a-sìos [əˈʃiəs] = down, downwards sìos ‘nad inntinn = depressed a’ dol sìos = going down, experiencing a downturn, charging (in battle) cuir sìos = to put/lay/set down is mar sin sìos = and so on |
| Manx (Gaelg) | sheese = below, down, downward(s) brishey sheese = to analyse, analysis, break down, rend sheese lesh = down the hatch, down with soie sheese = to settle, sit down heese = beneath, down, downhill, hereafter, lower end, under, knock-down (prices) neese = from below up, upwards |
| Old Welsh | is = under, underneath, beneath, below, lower than |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | is, iss = under, underneath, beneath, below, lower than iss-hau, isheir = to sink, sink down or lower issot, isod = under, underneath, below, beneath |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | is = under, underneath, beneath, below, lower than; before; lower, inferior, poorer isâf, isáu = to come/go lower, to reduce in rank, lower the pride of, debase, degrade, humble, humiliate isafaf, isafu = to minimize, reduce, lower isafiad = (one’s) inferior isod = under, underneath, below, beneath, on earth, lower down, later, further |
| Middle Cornish (CerneweC) | isa = lowest isot = downwards |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | a-is = below, lower |
| Old Breton | isel = low |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | is = lower, below |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | is = lower, below isdouarel = underground |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European pedsú, from *pṓds (foot), from *ped- (to walk, step) [source]. Words from the same roots include íseal (low) in Irish, ìosal (low, humble) in Scottish Gaelic, isel (low) in Welsh and related words for low in other Celtic languages, Fuß (foot) in German and pie (foot) in Spanish [more details].
| Proto-Celtic | *uɸo/*ufo- = under |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | fo = beneath, through, throughout, towards, under fo bésad = after the manner of, like fo bíthin = because (of) fo chétóir = at once, immediately |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | fo, fa, fá = under, underneath, into, through, about, around |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | faoi [fˠiː] = beneath, below, bearing, supporting, about, round, against faoi cheann = by, at, the end of faoi adhall = in heat faoi bhaile = at home, around faoi bhun = beneath |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | fo [fɔ] = under, underneath, below, beneath, subordinate fo-dhearg = infrared fo-inntinn = subconscious fo-ros = undergrowth fo chleòca = under cover, in secret |
| Manx (Gaelg) | fo = below, beneath, under, sunken, dependent, underlaying, subsidiary, junior, assistant fo aggle = aghast, alarmed, awestricken fo arrey = under surveillance fo chiuney = beclamed fo druaight = charmed fo-heer-vooar = subcontinent |
| Old Welsh | guo, gu =under, rather, somewhat |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | gwo, gwa, go = under, rather, somewhat goaruoel = rather bald, baldish |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | go = under, rather, somewhat, slightly, partly, small, exceeding go agos = near, almost go dde = right, dexterous go lew = pretty fair, middling go is = beneath goarfoel = rather bald, baldish |
| Middle Cornish (CerneweC) | go = rather |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | gou, gu, go, fo, uo = under |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | gwa-, gou- = under, sub- |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *upo (under, below). Words for high in Celtic languages come from the same root, as does sub(marine) in English, sumo (highest, greatest) in Spanish and summo (hightest, greatest, great) [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *tanā = (point in) time |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | tan = when, time |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | tan, tain = time, while, point of time, when, whenever, until, before |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | tan [tan] = time, occasion, once upon a time, once (an) tan = at the time that, when, whenever, since |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | tàn [taːn] =time, season an tàn = when, at the time |
| Proto-Brythonic | *tan =under |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | dan, tan = under, below, beneath |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | tan [tan] = until, under, while dan = under, below, beneath, underneath, on the inside, less than, until, while, because, since o dan = under tan lw = under oath dan yr awyr, tan awyr = under the sky, in the open air dan ddaear = underground dan din = sneaky, deceitful, stealthy, secret, illicit dan y don = under water dan draed = underfoot, in the way |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | tan = under, beneath, below (yn) dan = under, beneath danva = a hiding place, concealment |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | yn-dann = below, beneath, under, underneath yn-dann alhwedh = under lockdown yn-dann dava = in touch yn-dann dhor = underground yn-dann dhowr = underwater yn-dann gel = in secret, secretly yn-dann hatt = confidential yn-dann with = care of (c/o) |
| Old Breton | tan, dan = under |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | dan = bottom, back, under, underneath |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | dan = basement, subsoil dindan = under, on, sub- dindan-douar = underground, secret dindan-vor = underwater |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *tn̥néh₂ (a stretch), from *ten- (to stretch). Words from the same root include contain, tenant, tone and tune in English [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
