Words for voice, word, sound and related things in Celtic languages.
Bangor Community Choir singing at Bodnant Garden / Côr Cymunedol Bangor yn canu yng Ngardd Bodnant
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *gutus = voice |
|---|---|
| Gaulish | *gutus = voice (?) GVTVATER / *gutuater = priest / druid |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | guth [ɡʊθ] = voice, word, sound |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | guth, gotha, gotho = voice, sound, word, vowel, aspersion, blame, censure, slander |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | guth [ɡɯh/ɡʊ(h)] = voice, human voice, blame, reproach, censure guta = vowel guthach = vocal, vocalic guthaigh = to voice, vocalize, sing, censure, reproach guthaíl = voicing, calling guthaíocht = vocalization, voice, vote gutháire = yell(ing), shout(ing) guthán = telephone |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | guth [guh] = voice, tone of voice, mention, word guth-cheòl = intonation guthach [guhəx] = vocal, vocalic, vocied guathachadh [guhəxəɣ] = (act of) calling, vocalizing, vocalization, voicing (in linguistics) guthaich [guhɪç] = call, vocalize, voice guthlag [guhl̪ˠag] = larynx guthlagail [guhl̪ˠagal] = laryngeal |
| Manx (Gaelg) | goo = voice, word, utterance, reputation, fame gooagh = loquacious, sonant, vocal, vocalic, voiced, wordy goolag = larynx |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰuH-tu-s (to call on, invoke), from *ǵʰewH- (to call on, invoke) [source]. Words from the same PIE roots include zavêt (to cast a spell) in Latvian, զավեշտ (zavešt – joke, farce) in Armenia, звать (zvatʹ – to call, invite) in Russian, and зова (zova – to call, summon, name) in Bulgarian [source].
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | glór [ɡloːr] = voice, sound glórach = noisy |
|---|---|
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | glór, glóir, glár = voice, sound, noise glórach = loud-voiced, noisy, vociferous glórda = loud, resonant glúarda = noisy, vociferous |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | glór [ɡl̪ˠoːɾˠ/ɡl̪ˠɔːɾˠ] = voice, human voice, speech, utterance, sound, noise glórach = loud-voiced, sonorous, noisy, vociferous, voiced (consonant, etc) glórachán = loud-voiced, vociferous person glóraí = loudness, sonorousness glóraigh = to voice, vocalize glóraíl = sound of voices, vociferation, noisiness glórmhach = tumult of voice, commotion, clamour |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | glòr [gl̪ˠɔːrʲ] = speech, utterance |
| Manx (Gaelg) | glare [ɡlɛːr] = voice, utterance, speech, language glaraghey = voice glareydagh = linguistic, linguist |
Etymology: possibly from Latin glōria (glory, renown, fame, honour) [source], from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- (to know, recognize). Words from the same roots include canny, cunning, glory and know in English; gloria (glory, praise) in Italian; and glorie (glory, great beauty, renown, splendour) in Dutch [source].
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | lew, llef = shout, cry, wail, roar, yell, sound, voice, speech, utterance llevein, lleuein, llefain = to cry (out), exclaim, shout, lament, call, entreat, weep, shout leuan = (loud) shout, cry, scream leueir, lawaraw, llafaro = to speak, utter, say, tell |
|---|---|
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | llef [ɬɛv] = shout, cry, wail, roar, yell, sound, voice, speech, utterance llefaf, llefain = to cry (out), exclaim, shout, lament, call, entreat, weep, shout llefair = enunciation, spoken word, speech, talkative adlef [ˈadlɛv] = echo, reverberation |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | lef, lêf = voice, sound, cry lefa = to cry aloud, shout |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | lev = voice dre lev = vocal levbost = voicemail |
| Old Breton (Brethonoc) | lem = complaint, groan, wail |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | leff = complaint, groan, wail leuaff = to cry, moan |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | leñv, leñ = groan, complaint, plaintive cry, moaning; voice, cry (archaic) leñvañ [ˈlẽː.vã] = to cry, scream, groan, bleat leñver = to cry leñverez = crying |
Etymology: from Proto-Brythonic *laβar (eloquent), from Proto-Celtic *ɸlabros (talkative) [source]. For more related words, see the Celtiadur post Talkative
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | lleis = voice lleisiaf, lleisiaw, lleisio = to use the voice, vocalize, sing |
|---|---|
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | llais [ɬai̯s/ɬai̯ʃ] = voice, vocal capacity, talk, report, tidings, rumour, vote lleisgar = vociferous, loud-mouthed, resonant lleisiad = voicing, sounding, tone, intonation lleisio [ˈɬei̯ʃɔ] = to use the voice, vocalize, sing lleisiol [ˈɬei̯ʃɔl] = vocal, spoken, oral, voiced lleisydd [ˈɬei̯sɨ̞ð/ˈɬei̯sɪð] = vocalist, loud hailer, loudspeaker |
Etymology: maybe from Welsh llafar (loud, vociferous, sonorous, speech, voice, sound) [source], from Proto-Brythonic *laβar (eloquent), from Proto-Celtic *ɸlabros (talkative), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *pl̥b-ró-s, from *pleb- (to babble) [source]. See also the Celtiadur post Talkative
| Old Breton (Brethonoc) | *voes = voice |
|---|---|
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | moez = voice |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | mouezh = voice, vote mouezhian = to express oneself, vote mouezhierezh = election, electorate |
Etymology: from Old French voiz (voice), from Latin vōcem (), from vōx (voice, accent, speech, word), from Proto-Italic *wōks, from Proto-Indo-European *wṓkʷs (speech, voice), from wekʷ- (to speak, sound out) [source]. Words from the same roots include vocal, voice and vowel in English, and voix (voice, vote) in French [source].
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | son = sound, word |
|---|---|
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | son, soun, són = sound, word, name |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | son = sound; word, name (literary) sonach = sonic sonarach = ringing sound, clangour sonda = sonant, sonorous sondáil = to sound sondas = sonorousness, sonority |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | sòn† = sound, voice, word |
| Manx (Gaelg) | sonn = sound sonnagh = sonic |
| Proto-Brythonic | *son = sound (?) |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | son, sson = report, rumour, mention, word, message, talk, fame, sound, noise, clamour sonfawr, sonuaỽr, sonuawr = sonorous, noisy, audible, loquacious sonyo, sonio = to mention, rumour, proclaim, talk, speak, say, utter |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | sôn [soːn] = report, rumour, mention, word, message, talk, fame, sound, noise, clamour sonfawr = sonorous, noisy, audible, loquacious soniaf, sôn, sonio = to mention, rumour, proclaim, talk, speak, say, utter soniarus = sonorous, resounat, vibrant sŵn [sʊːn] = sound, noise, clmour, din, report, rumour, talk |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | son, sôn = sound, noise, report, speech |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | son = noise, sound sonek = sonic sonlergh = soundtrack sononieth = acoustics sononiethel = acoutic sonskrif = recording sonskrifa = to record |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | soun, son = sound sounaff = to ring, resound |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | son [sɔ̃ːn] = sound, song seniñ [ˈsẽːnĩ] = to ring, resound, honk, sing, rustle (water), play (an instrument) soner = to ring, say, pronounce sonerez [sɔ̃.ˈneː.res] = doorbell, bell, horn sonerezh = music, sound system |
Etymology: from Latin sonus (sound, noise, pitch, speech, tone, voice), from Proto-Indo-European *swónh₂os, from *swenh₂- (to sound) [source]. Words from the same roots include resound, sonnet, sonic, sound and swan in English, sonner (to sound, ring) in French, sonar (to sound, ring, play) in Spanish, honni (to allege, claim, assert) in Welsh, and seinn (to sing, play an instrument) in Irish and Scottish Gaelic [source].
The Welsh word sŵn was borrowed from Middle English soun (sound), while sôn comes from Latin via Middle Welsh and Proto-Brythonic. They both ultimately come from the same PIE roots.
Sources: Wiktionary, Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic, In Dúil Bélrai English – Old Irish glossary, eDIL – Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language, Teanglann.ie, Am Faclair Beag, An etymological dictionary of the Gaelic language, Fockleyreen: Manx – English Dictionary, Online Manx Dictionary, Gaelg Corpus, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Lexicon cornu-britannicum : a dictionary of the ancient Celtic language of Cornwall, Gerlyver Kernewek, Devri : Le dictionaire diachronique du breton, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis
