Words for face and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *gnūstis = face |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | gnúis [ɡnuːsʲ] = face |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | gnúis = face, countenance, disc (of sun or moon), aspect, kind, form, species dognúisach = ill-featured, ill-favoured |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | gnúis [ɡn̪ˠuːʃ/ɡɾˠuːʃ] = face, mien, countenance, sour expression, frown, aspect, kind, form gnúiseach = well-favoured, good-looking. gnúiseachán = sour-faced person. gnúisgheal = bright-faced gnúis-searbh = sour-faced |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | gnùis [gruːʃ] = face, countenance, visage gnùis-dhreach = aspect gnùis-bhrat = veil samhla-gnùis = smiley ☺️, emoticon maise-gnùis = cosmetics ruadhadh-gnùis = blush |
| Manx (Gaelg) | grooish = countenance, visage, aspect grooish-volley = deceit, deceive geyre-ghrooishagh = sharp-faced sharroo-ghrooishagh = vinegar-faced |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | gnis = jaw, chin, countenance, face |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | gnis [miːl] = jaw, chin, countenance, face gnisiaf, gnisio = to low, neigh, sigh, pant, groan, grumble |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | greuv = face, front |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- (to recognise, know) [source]. Words from the same roots include cognition, cunning, gnome, ignorant, know, noble and uncouth in English [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *enekʷos = face |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | enech = face, honour, reputation |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | enech, ainech = face, front, opposite, against, in opposition to enechgris = face-flushing enechlóg = honour-price |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | oineach = honour, good name, reputation, generosity, hospitality, bounty, favour oineachúil = generous, good-natured eineach = face (literary) eineachlann = ‘honour-price’, proportionate compensation, satisfaction for injury, etc eineachras = safeguard, protection |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | eanach [ɛnəx] = honour, praise |
| Proto-Brythonic | *ėnib = face |
| Old Welsh | enep = face |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | wynep, wyneb, vynep = face wynebiat, wnepiat, wynepiat = surace, facing, behaviour, aspect wynebion, wynebyon = surface, scum, froth, |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | wyneb [ˈwɨnɛb / ˈwɨnab] = face, countenance, expression, grimace, surface, area, front, side, honour, respect, status, effrontery, impudence, audacity, cheek wynebaf, wynebu = to face, look towards, confront, oppose, encourage, support (g)wynebiad = surace, facing, behaviour, aspect wynebion = surface, scum, froth, head (of beer), cream (g)wynebol = honourable, worthy, facial, front, facing, promising, favourable, handsome, beautiful |
| Old Cornish | eneb = face |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | enep, enap = face, countenance, page (of a book) |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | enep = face, surface enebi = to face, oppose enebieth = opposition |
| Old Breton | enep = face |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | enep = face, resistance, opposition, opposite |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | eneb [ˈẽːnep] = face, opposite, honour enebenn [e.ˈneː.bɛn] = upper, front, page eneberezh = opposition enebiñ = to oppose |
Etymology: from the PIE *h₁enih₃kʷos (face), from animālis (animate, living), from *h₁én (in) and *h₃ókʷs (eye), and okno (window) in Czech [source].
Words from the same roots include eye in English, acs (eye, vision, attention) in Latvian, akis (eye, loop) in Lithuanian [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *antonos = forehead |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | étan = brow, forehead |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | étan, édan = front, brow, forehead étanán = frontlet |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | éadan [ˈeːd̪ˠən̪ˠ/ˈeːd̪ˠənˠ] = front, face, flat surface, facet, table, end éadána = timid, diffident éadánacht = timidity, diffidence éadanchlár = fascia |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | aodann [ɯːdən̪ˠ] = face, front, dial, side aodannach [ɯːdən̪ˠəx] = little face, mask, frontispiece aodann-clò = typeface aodann-coimheach = mask aodann creige = rockface, cliff-face |
| Manx (Gaelg) | eddin = face, facade, feature, front, apron, dial, impudence, cheek eddinagh = facial |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *h₂ent- (face, forehead, front). Words from the same roots include answer, end in English, and anë (side, edge, verge, brink) in Albanian [source].
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | agad [ˈaɣəð] = face, honour, surface |
|---|---|
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | agad, aiged = face, countenance, surface, front |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | aghaidh [əiɟ/ai/əi̯] = face, front, aspect, dial (of clock), obverse (of coin) aghaidhbhéasach = civil-looking aghaidh-dhána = bold-faced |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | aghaidh [ɤː.ɪ] = face, visage, facade, front, facing, cheek, impudence, nerve aghaidheachd [ɤː.ɪjəxg] = resistance aghaidhich = oppose, face, confront, affront aghaidhichte = opposed, opposing, fronting, facing, confronted |
| Manx (Gaelg) | oai = countenance oaie = dial, exposure, facade, face, facial, front, frontage oaieagh = blasphemous, sepulchral |
Etymology: uncertain, possibly related to the Old Irish aigid (to drive), from Proto-Celtic *ageti (to drive), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti (to be driving) [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *drikā = face, front *ɸaredrikā = face, front |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | drech = face |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | drech, dreach = face, countenance, front, surface drechach = fair, comely, graceful, shapely |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | dreach [dʲɾʲax] = facial appearance, look, expression, aspect, face, surface dreachadh =delineation, portrayal, make-up dreachadóir = delineator dreachúil = good-looking, comely |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | dreach [drɛx] = figure, form, shape, appearance, complexion dreachmhor [drɛxvər] = comely, handsome, a healthy complexion dreachadh [drɛxəɣ] = portraying, shaping, adorning dreachail [drɛxal] = handsome, personable dreachalachd [drɛxəl̪ˠəxg] = handsomeness |
| Manx (Gaelg) | dreagh = expression |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | dyrch = face drychiolaeth = apparition, ghost, spectre, phantom edrich, edrych = to look, view, observe |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | drych [drɨːχ / driːχ] = mirror, looking-glass, reflection, example, magnifying-glass, glasses, countenance, appearance, aspect drachaf, drychu = to mirror, see, make apparent drychiolaeth = apparition, ghost, spectre, phantom edrych = regard, appearance edrych(af) = to look, view, observe, watch, search |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | derch = shape, aspect, appearance |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *dr̥ḱ-eh₂ from *derḱ- (to see) [source]. Words from the same roots include dragon, drake and tarragon in English [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, Lexicon Cornu-britannicum: A Dictionary of the Ancient Celtic Language of Cornwall, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, Le dictionnaire diachronique du breton, Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic