Words for nit and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *snidā = nit *snidākos = full of nits |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | sned = shoulder |
| Middle Irish | sned, snid = nit snedach, sneadach = nitty, full of nits |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | sniodh = nit sneách = nitty sneáchán = person with nits in his hair, contemptible person sneáidíos = ants |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | sneadh [ʃ̪nʲɤɣ] = nit (egg of a louse) sneadhag [ʃ̪nʲɤɣag] = nit (egg of a louse) snig [ʃ̪nʲigʲ] = nit (egg of a louse) sneadhach [ʃ̪nʲɤɣəx] = pertaining to or abounding in nits, nit-like |
| Manx (Gaelg) | sneig, sneing = nit, louse egg sniegagh, sniengagh = nitty |
| Proto-Brythonic | *neð = nit (?) *neðọg = full of nits (?) |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | nedd, ned = nits nedawc = full of nits |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | nedd [neːð] = nits nedden [ˈnɛðɛn / ˈneːðɛn] = nit neddog = full of nits |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec / Kernuak) | nedh, nêdh = nits nedhan = nit |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | nedh = nits nedhen = nit |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | nez = nits nezenn, nezen = nit nezeuc = full of nits |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | nez = nits nezenn = nit nezek = full of nits |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *-níd- (nit, louse egg) [source]. Words from the same roots include nit in English, gnīda (nit, maggot) in Latvian, hnida (nit) in Czech, and neet (nit, egg of louse) in Dutch, Nisse (nit) in German and thëri (nit) in Albanian [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