Words for furrow, trench and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *ɸrikā = furrow *enterɸrikyā = furrow |
|---|---|
| Gaulish | *rikā/*ricā = furrow |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | rech = furrow etrech = furrow |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | etarche, etrige, eitre = furrow, groove, channel |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | eitre [ˈɛtʲəɾʲə] = furrow, groove, ridge eitreach = furrowed, grooved, rifled eitrigh = furrow, groove |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | eitre = trench, furrow |
| Manx (Gaelg) | eerey = furrow length, plough length |
| Proto-Brythonic | *rrɨx = furrow |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | rych, rich, rrych = trench, ditch, furrow, groove |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | rhych [r̥ɨːχ/r̥iːχ] = trench, ditch, furrow, groove, streak, wrinkle, cleft, cleavage rhychiad = crease, wrinkle, furrowing, trenching, chamfering rhych(i)og = furrowed, wrinkled, shrivelled rhychu = to cut a trench, cut into rows, plough, groove, corrugate, make or become wrinkled |
| Old Breton (Brethonoc) | rec = furrow |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | rec = furrow |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | reg = line, furrow |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *pr̥keh₂ (furrow), from *perḱ- (to open, rip up, dig) [source].
Words from the same Proto-Celtic roots, via Gaulish *rikā (furrow) and Latin riga (line, stripe), include rega (furrow, ladder / run [in a stocking]) in Catalan, raie (stripe, parting, line) in French, porca (ridge between furrows, balk line) in Italian, alporquia (layering – developing a new plant from the branch of a tree) in Portuguese, porcoi (haystack, hay bale, heap, pile, bunch) in Romanian, and erreka (river, stream, ravine) in Basque [source].
Words from the same PIE roots include furrow, farrow and pig in English, Furche (furrow) in German, fåra (furrow, groove) in Swedish, porsas (piglet, pork) in Finnish, and arc [aɾˠk] (piglet) in Irish [source].
Other words for Ditches and Trenches and Grave Ditches in Celtic languages.
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
