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].
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | bas = shallow, fordable, mean, base, superficia basder = shallowness |
|---|---|
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | bas [baːs] = shallow, fordable, mean, base, superficial, worthless bas basâf, basáu = to shoal, become shallower basaidd = shallow, base, superficial, insubstantial basedd = shallowness, superficiality baster = shallowness, lack of substance, superficiality, baseness |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec / Kernuak) | bas, bâs = shallow bâs-dhour = ford |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | bas = shallow bashe = to abate, become shallow basheans = abatement baster = shallowness basva = shoal, shallow |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | bas = shoal, shallow |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | baz [bɑːs] = shoal, shallow bazad = topsoil bazadur = shoal, emergence, breaker (over a shoal) |
Etymology: from Latin bassus (short, low), possibly from Ancient Greek βάσις (básis – step, foot, leg, base) or βαθύς (high, deep, thick, profound, deep), or possibly borrowed from Oscan, or from a Celtic language. Words from the same roots include base and bass in English, bas (low) in French, basso (low, short, narrow, thin) in Italian, and bajo (short, low, bass) 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, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, English – ProtoCeltic WordList (PDF), Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic
