Buckets & Pails

Words for bucket, pail, pitcher and related things in Celtic languages.

Fire buckets

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

Proto-Celtic *kelɸurnos = pail, bucket, pitcher, pot, vat, vessel
Old Irish (Goídelc) cilorn(n) = jug, pitcher
Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) cilorn(n), cilarn, culorn = pitcher, vessel
Irish (Gaeilge) ciolarn = pitcher (literary)
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) ciolarn, coilorn, ciolurn = milk pitcher with a handle out of its side, a hand-can
Manx (Gaelg) curn = can, milk can
curn jinnairagh = dinner can
curn spreih = watering can
curn tey = billy, tea caddy
Proto-Brythonic *kelurn = pail, pitcher, bucket (?)
Old Welsh (Kembraec) cilurnn = pail, pitcher, vessel, bucket, tub
Middle Welsh (Kymraec) kelurn, kelwrn, celwrn = pail, pitcher, vessel, bucket, tub
Welsh (Cymraeg) celwrn [ˈkelʊrn] = pail, pitcher, vessel, bucket, tub
celwrn llaeth = milk-pail
Cornish (Kernewek) kelorn = bucket, pail
kelorn-godra = milking pail
Middle Breton (Brezonec) quelorn = bucket
Breton (Brezhoneg) kelorn [ˈkeːlɔrn] = bucket, tub, head
kelorniad [keˈlɔr.njat] = bucket (of), contents of a bucket

Etymology: unknown, probably a Wanderwort. Possibly related to Proto-Indo-European *kelp- (cauldron, jar) [source]. Words from the same roots include calpar (vessel for liquids, especially for wine, wine cask, wine picher), and Ancient Greek κάλπις (kálpis – jug urn) [source].

Middle Breton (Brezonec) saill = bucket, cylinder
Breton (Brezhoneg) sailh [ˈsalj/ˈsaʎ] = bucket, cylinder
sailhad = (cylinder) capacity, displacement

Etymology: unknown [source].

Irish (Gaeilge) buicéad [ˈbˠʊceːd̪ˠ / ˈbˠʌkɔdʲ] = bucket
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) bucaid [buxgadʲ] = bucket, dustbin
bacaid [baxgadʲ] = pimple, pustule, bucket, dustbin
bucaid-theine = fire bucket
bucaideach [buxgɪdʲəx] = pertaining to or abounding in buckets, booming
Middle Welsh (Kymraec) bwcket, bwcet = bucket
Welsh (Cymraeg) bwced = bucket
bwcedaf, bwcedu = to bucket
bwcedaid = bucketful
pwced = bucket
Cornish (Kernewek) boket = bucket

Etymology: from English bucket or Middle English buket, boket (bucket), from Anglo-Norman buket, buquet (tub, pail), a diminutive of Old French buc (abdomen), from Vulgar Latin *būcus, from Frankish *būk (belly, stomach), from Proto-Germanic *būkaz (belly, abdomen, body), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰōw-go-s, from *bʰew- (to swell, inflate); [source].

Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) crúsca, crúisce = little jug, cruet
Irish (Gaeilge) crúsca = jug, jar
crúiscín = small jug, smal jar
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) crùisg [kruːʃgʲ] = jug
crùisgean = oil-lamp, small jug, pitcher
Manx (Gaelg) cruick = bucket, pail
cruick gheayil = scuttle
cruick vlieaun = milking pail
lane cruick = bucketful, pailful
Middle Welsh (Kymraec) krwck = tub, pitcher, bucket, pail
Welsh (Cymraeg) crwc = tub, pitcher, bucket, pail

Etymology: possibly from English crock (a stoneware or earthenware jar or storage container) or from Middle English crok(ke) (crock, pot, cauldron, belly, stomach), from Old English crocc(a) (crock, pot, vessel), from Proto-Germanic *krukkō (vessel), from Proto-Indo-European *growg- (vessel). Related words include krukke (jar) in Danish, kruik (jar, jug) in Dutch, cruche (pitcher, jug) in French, and krukka (pot, jar) in Icelandic [source].

Irish (Gaeilge) pitséar = pitcher
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) pidsear = pitcher
Middle Welsh (Kymraec) pisser = pitcher, jug, can, (milk) pail
piseret = a pitcherful
Welsh (Cymraeg) pis(i)er = pitcher, jug, can, (milk) pail
piseraid = a pitcherful
Middle Cornish (Cernewec) pycher = pitcher
Cornish (Kernewek) pycher = pitcher
Middle Breton (Brezonec) picher = pitcher
Breton (Brezhoneg) picher = pitcher

Etymology: probably from Middle English picher, and/or from Old French pichier, pechier (small jug), from Late/Medieval Latin pīcārium, alteration of bīcārium (drinking glass) possibly from bacarium, bacar (a type of wine glass), or from Ancient Greek βῖκος (bîkos – amphora) [source].

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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




One thought on “Buckets & Pails

  1. Very interesting connections. It warms my heart when Brythonnic and Goidelic have close cognates!

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