Words for cough and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *kʷast- = cough |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | cosachtach = act of coughing, cough |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | cosachtach = act of coughing, cough |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | casacht [ˈkɑsˠəxt̪ˠ] = cough casacht a dhéanamh = to cough casachtach [kəˈsˠɑxt̪ˠəx] = (act of) coughing, cough |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | casad [kasəd] = (act of) coughing, cough casadach [kasədəx] = cough, pertaining to or abounding in coughs casachd [kasəxg] = coughing, casachdaich [kasədɪç] = (act of) coughing, cough castaich [kasdɪç] = (act of) coughing, cough |
| Manx (Gaelg) | cassaght = cough cassaghtee = coughing |
| Proto-Brythonic | *pas = cough |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | pas, pâs = cough peswch = a cough, a fit of coughing pessychu, pvssuvchv = to cough |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | pas [paːs] = cough peswch [ˈpɛsʊχ] = a cough, a fit of coughing peswchboeri = to expectorate, hawk peswchboeriad = expectoaration, hawking pesychu [pɛˈsəχɨ̞] = to cough, fit(s) of coughing pesychfa = a (fit of) coughing pesych(i)ad = a coughing, cough pesychwr = one who coughs |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | pas, pâz = cough |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | pas = cough pasa = to cough |
| Old Breton (Brethonoc) | pas = cough |
| Middle Breton | pas = cough passat = to cough |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | paz [ˈpɑːs] = cough, fart pasaat [paˈsɑ:t] = to cough pasadenn = fit of coughing pasaer = cougher |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *kʷeh₂s- (to cough) [source]. Words from the same root include kollë (cough) in Albanian, hoest(en) ((to) cough) in Dutch, Husten (cough) in German, hoste (cough) in Danish, and kašel (cough) in Czech [source].
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | trichem = cough |
|---|---|
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | triuch = whooping cough trichem, trechem = cough, paroxism trichmech = fit of coughing |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | triuch [tʲɾʲʊx] = whooping cough tritheamh = fit, paroxysm tritheamh casachtaí = fit of coughing tritheamhach = convulsive |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | an triugh [ən̪ˠ truɣ] = whooping cough an triuth(ach) [ən̪ˠ truh(əx)] = whooping cough triuthar [truhər] = convulsion (esp. from whooping cough) |
| Manx (Gaelg) | truh = whooping cough |
Etymology: unknown
Note: in North Wales, one word for to cough is tagu, which is related to words for to choke and choking in the other Celtic languages. See the post To Choke for more details.
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