Words for hostage, pledge and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with an * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *geistlos = hostage, bail |
|---|---|
| Gaulish | geistlus = hostage (?) |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | gíall = a human pledge, hostage |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | gíall, gial, giall = a human pledge, hostage, jailer, act of yielding homage, obeying gíallacht, gíallnus = hostageship, captivity |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | giall [ɟiəl̪ˠ] = hostage, (human) pledge giallach = having or taking hostages giallacht = hostageship, bondage |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | giall [gʲiəl̪ˠ] = hostage, pledge giallach [gʲiəl̪ˠəx] = pertaining to or abounding in hostages / pledges |
| Manx (Gaelg) | gioal = pledge, pawn, stake, wager, bet, bond geulys, geuleydys = bondage |
| Proto-Brythonic | *guɨstl = hostage, bail |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | gustil, gustel, guyst(e)l, gvystl, gwystyl = pledge, security, surety, guarantee, earnest guystlvy, gustelau, gusthaf = to give pledge or assurance, guarntee, pledge, pawn gwystlyryaeth, gwystloryaeth = suretyship, pledge, stake, pawn, mortgage |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | gwystl [ɡwɨ̞sdl / ɡʊi̯sdl] = pledge, assurance, security, surety, guarantee, earnest, gage, pawn, hostage, wager, stake, bet, mortgage gwystl(i)ad = a pledging, a pawning gwystlo = to give pledge or assurance, guarntee, pledge, pawn gwystlchwarae = gambling gwystledig = pledge, bound, mortgaged gwystlor(i)aeth = suretyship, pledge, stake, pawn, mortgage gwystlwr, gwystlydd = mortgagor, pawnbroker |
| Old Cornish | guistel = hostage |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | guistel = hostage, pledge, surety |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | gostel = hostage, riot gostla = to pawn, wage |
| Old Breton (Brethonoc) | guistl = hostage |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | goestl = hostage, pledge goestlaff = to consecrate, dedicate, pledge, devote goestlet = pledged, dedicated, consecrated |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | gouestl [ˈɡwestl] = hostage, pledge, guarantee, bail, surety gouestladur = commitment, offering gouestlaj = mortgage gouestlañ [ˈɡwestlã] = to bet, wager, guarantee, pledge, consecrate, dedicate, devote gouestlaoua = to bribe, buy, corrupt, grease the palm of gouestlaouañ = to bribe, corrupt gouestlet = pledged, dedicated, consecrated |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *gʰeydʰ- (to yearn for, to desire) [source]. Words from the same Proto-Celtic root, via Proto-Germanic *gīslaz (hostage), include gijzelen (to take hostage) in Dutch, Geisel (hostage) in German, gidsel (hostage) in Danish, gisslan (hostage) in Swedish, and kihlata (to betroth) in Finnish [source].
Words from the same PIE root include geisti (to desire, crave, covet, lust after) in Lithuanian, gaidīt (to wait, expect, anticipate) in Latvian, ждать (ždatʹ – to wait for, expect) in Russian, and geizen (to be miserly) in German [source].
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | brága [ˈbraː.ɣɘ] = hostage, captive, prisoner |
|---|---|
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | brága, brágha, brage [ˈbraːɣə] = captive, prisoner, hostage brágigdenas, braighdenus, braighdeanas = hostageship, captivity bráigtechas, braightechus = hostageship |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | brá [bˠɾˠɑː] = captive, hostage braighdeanach = captive, prisoner braighdeanas = captivity, bondage |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | bràigh [braːj] = captive, hostage bràighdeanas = bondage, captivity, slavery neach am bràighdeanas = captive, hostage |
Etymology: from Proto-Celtic *brāgants (neck, throat), from *brāg + *-ants (body part suffix), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷerh₃- (to swallow, devour, eat) [source]. The sense “captive” derives from the Middle Irish phrase gaibid ar brágait (to take captive: lit. “to take by the neck”) [source].
Words from the same PIE root include carnivore, devour, gargle, gorge, gurgle and voracious in English; gurgeln (to gargle, gurgle) in German; voractià (oracity, voraciousness) in Italian, and gerti (to drink, soak up, absorb) in Lithuanian [source].
The word for hostage in Manx is raane, which also means assurance, bail, bond, collateral, guarantee, pledge or surety [source]. Its etymology is not known [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, Geriafurch, TermOfis
