Words for thin, slender and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *tanauyos = thin |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | tana [ˈtane] = thin, slender tanacht = thinness |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | tana = thin, slender, narrow, shallow, sparse, scanty, scattered tanacht = thinness, tenuity, shallowness tanaide = subtle, abstract, thin, slender tanaigid = to thin (out), dilute |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | tanaí [t̪ˠəˈn̪ˠiː / ˈt̪ˠan̪ˠiː] = thin, shallow tanaigh = to thin, slim tanaíochan = thinning tanaíocht = thinness, sparseness, flimsiness |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | tana [tanə] = lean, slender, slim, thin, gaunt, skinny, shallow, flimsy tanalachd [tanəl̪ˠəxg] = shallows, shallowness tanach [tanəx] = narrow, slender tanachadh [tanəxəɣ] = thinning, makeing thinner, diluting tainead [tanəd] = degree of thinness tanlach [tanəl̪ˠəx] = shallow water, shallows, shoal, thin soil, epidermis tanachd [tanəxg] = thinness tanaichte [tanɪçdʲə] = diluted, thinned |
| Manx (Gaelg) | thanney = thin, watery, weak, flimsy, rare, shallow, slender, slim thannaghey = to dilute, liquefy, rarefy, reduce thannid = thinness, shallowness, leanness |
| Proto-Brythonic | *tanẹw = thin |
| Old Welsh | teneu = thin, slender, slim |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | tenev, tenau, teneu = thin, slender, slim, flat, sparse, rare, tenuous, liquid, runny teneir = to make or become thin(ner) teneuder = thinness, leanness, slenderness |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | tenau [ˈtɛnaɨ̯ / ˈteːnai̯] = thin, slender, watery, thin, scarce, rare teneuaf, teneuo = to make or become thin(ner), lose weight, slim, dwindle, thin, dilute, water down teneuder = thinness, leanness, slenderness, rareness, scarcity, keenness teneudra = thinness, leanness, slenderness teneuedig = thin, thinned, diluted, depleted, rarefied teneuwr = dieter, weight-watcher, slimmer |
| Old Cornish | tenewen = thin |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | tanow, tanaw = thin, slim, slender, lean, few, scarce tanowder = thinness, scantiness, scarcity |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | tanow = flimsy, lean, rare, scarce, sparse, tenuous, thin tanowder = rarity, scarcity, thinness tanowhe = to thin out |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | tanau, tano = thin, fine |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | tanav [ˈtãː.naw / ˈtãː.no] = thin, fine, fluid, rare, hypocritical tanavaat = (to be) refined, (to be) rarefied, to liquefy, dilute, weed & clear, cut (bread for soup) tanavded = tenuity, liquidity tanavder = tenuity, decay tanavenn = thin place (in fabric), sparse, liquid, emaciated, hypocritical |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *ténh₂us (thin), from *tenh₂- (to stretch) [source]. Words from the same PIE roots include thin and tenuous in English, tenú (tenuous, thin, slender) in French, dünn (thin, slender, slim) in German, and tenký (thin) in Czech [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, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, English – ProtoCeltic WordList (PDF), Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic
