Words for sin, fault, crime and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *kariyā = mistake, sin |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | caire [ˈkarʲe] = crime, fault, sin |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhleag) | caire, cair, coire = crime, fault, sin cairech = criminal, guilty, sinful cairigid = rebukes, accuses, blames cairthech = criminal, guilty |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | coir [kɛɾʲ/kɪɾʲ] = crime, offence; fault, transgression coireach = offender, transgressor; wicked, sinful, guilty coireacht = wickedness, guiltiness coiriú = censure coireolaí = criminologist coiritheoir = accuser, incriminator |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | coire [kɔrʲə] = blame, fault, offence, wrong coireach [kɤrʲəx] = culprit; guilty, to blame, faulty, responsible coireachd [kɔrʲəxg] = culpability |
| Proto-Brythonic | *kareð [kaˈrɛːð] = mistake, sin |
| Old Welsh | cared = transgression, sin, crime |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | cared, karet = transgression, sin, crime karedus = sinful, evil |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | caredd [ˈkarɛð] = transgression, sin, crime, lust, love careddus = sinful, evil careddwr = accuser, evil-doer |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | cara = to correct, chastise |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | carez, garé = blame, reprimand carez = to blame, accuse |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | karez = blame, incrimination kareziñ = to blame, accuse |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *kh₂er- (blame, abuse). Words from the same PIE root include cārinō (I revile, blame, insult) in Latin, корить [kɐˈrʲitʲ] (to reproach, upbraid) in Russian, and коря [koˈrʲɤ̟] (to accuse, blame) in Bulgarian [source].
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | peccad = sin pecthaigid = to sin |
|---|---|
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhleag) | pec(c)ad = sin pecthach = sinful, committing sin, sinner pecthaigid, pec(c)aigid = sins. commits sin |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | peaca [ˈpʲakə/ˈpʲaku] = sin peacadh = offender, transgressor; wicked, sinful, guilty peacach = sinner, sinful peacaigh = to sin peacúil = sinful peacúlacht = sinfulness |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | peaca [pɛxgə] = sin peacadh, peacachadh [pɛxgəxəɣ] = sinning, sin, transgressing peacail [pɛxgal] = sinful peacach [pɛxgəx] = sinner |
| Manx (Gaelg) | peccah = human being, sinner, sin, wickedness peccagh = human, person, transgressor, sinner peccoil = erring, sinful, unregenerate |
| Proto-Brythonic | *pexọd [peˈxɔːd] = sin *pexadʉr = sinner *pexad [peˈxɔːd] = to sin, offend |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | pechawt = sin pechadur = sinner pechu =to sin, offend |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | pechod [ˈpɛχɔd/ˈpeːχɔd] = sin pechadur [pɛˈχadɨ̞r/pɛˈχaːdɪr] = sinner, offender pechu [ˈpɛχɨ/ˈpeːχi] =to sin, offend |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | pech, pêch, pechad, pechas = sin, offence, transgression pecha, peché = to sin, transgress, offend pechadur, pechadures = sinner, transgressor |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | pegh = guilt, sin pegha = to sin, offend peghador, peghadores = sinner peghes = sin peghus = sinful |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | pechet = blame pechiff =to sin, offend pechezr = sinner |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | pec’hed = sin pec’hiñ = to sin, offend pec’her = sinner |
Etymology: from Latin peccātum (sin), from peccō (I sin, offend), from Proto-Italic *petkāō (I sin), from Proto-Indo-European verbal root *ped- (“to walk, fall, stumble”) [source].
Words from the same roots include peccadillo, impeccable, foot, pedal, pedestrian, and pew in English, pécher (to sin) in French, pecar (to sin) in Spanish [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, Lexicon Cornu-britannicum: A Dictionary of the Ancient Celtic Language of Cornwall, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, Le dictionnaire diachronique du breton, Geriafurch, English – ProtoCeltic WordList (PDF), Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic