Words for office and related things in Celtic languages.
My home office
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | oific = office oificech = official, officer |
|---|---|
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | oific, oifig, oiffic = office, calling, employment, function, relgious service, ritual oificech, oifigeacha = official, functional, officer |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | oifig [ˈɛfʲɪɟ / ˈɛfʲɪc / ˈɔfʲɪc] = office, bureau oifigeach = officier, official oifigeacht = office, function (literary) oifigiúil [ɪfʲɪˈɟuːlʲ / ˈɛfʲɪɟuːlʲ] = official oifigiúilachas = officialism |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | oifig [ɔfɪgʲ] = office oifis [ɔfɪʃ] = office (place) oifigear [ɔfɪgʲər] = officer oifigeach [ɔfɪgʲəx] = official |
| Manx (Gaelg) | oik = office, bureau, post, board, bishopric offish = office offishear = officer |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | offis = position, post, duty, duties, work, task, service offisial, officyall = official |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | offis = office, position, post, duty, duties, work, task, service offiser = (army, police, etc) officer offis(i)al, offisel = official |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | offis = function, office, position officer = officer |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | officc = office officer = officer official = official |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | ofis = office ofiser = officer ofisial = officical ofisalded = officiality ofisiel = official ofisin = to officiate, preside, pontificate |
Etymology (Goidelic languages and Breton): from Latin officium (duty, service, office, obligation), from opificium, from Proto-Italic *opifakjom, from op(i)s (power, ability, resources), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep-(i)-/*h₃op-(i)- (force, ability), from *h₃ep- (to work, toil, make; ability, force). The Welsh and Cornish words come from the same roots via Middle English office (office, employment, task, chore, etc) and Old French office (office, service) [source].
Words from the same roots include copious, copy, cornucopia, manure, omnibus, omnipotent, opera, operate and opus in English, copia (to copy, print) in Italian, oficio (profession, occupation, [religious] office) in Spanish, and office (charge, task, mandate, department, religious service, liturgical office) in French [source].
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | swyddfa = office, place of business swyddfaol = pertaining to, or characteristic of, an office |
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| Cornish (Kernewek) | sodhva = bureau, office |
Etymology: from swydd / sodh (job) and -fa / -va (place) [source].
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | biwrô, biwro = bureau biwrocrasi, b(i)wrocratiaeth = bureaucracy biwrocrat = bureaucrat b(i)wrocrataidd, biwricratig = bureaucratic biwrocrateiddio = to bureaucratize |
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| Cornish (Kernewek) | buro = bureau, office |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | burev [ˈbyː.rɛw] = bureau, office burever = bureaucrat bureverezh = bureaucracy burevin = to register |
Etymology: from French bureau (desk, office), from Old French burel (frieze [coarse woolen cloth]), from *bure, from Late Latin burra (wool, fluff, shaggy cloth, coarse fabric, from Latin burra (a small cow with a red mouth or muzzle, a shaggy garment), from burrus (red, reddish-brown), from Ancient Greek πυρρός (purrhós – flame colored), from πῦρ (pûr – fire) [source].
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, Dictionnaires bilingues de Francis Favereau / Edition Skol Vreizh, TermOfis
