In this post we’re looking at words for heap, pile, stack and related words, in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *dasti- = heap, pile |
|---|---|
| Gaulish | Condate = Condé (a place in France) |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | daiss, daise, dassaib, daisib = heap, pile, rick, stack (esp. of corn) tegdais, tegdas, techdais = house, dwelling, mansion, room, apartment, tabernacle, church |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | dais = heap, stack (literary) teaghais, teaghdhais house, dwelling, tabernacle, church, room, apartment |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | dais [daʃ] = heap, pile, (bread loaf-shaped) rick, stack dais-fheòir = haystack, hayrick dais-eòrna = stack/rick of barley dasieadh [daʃəɣ] = (act of) heaping, piling up, making a rick or stack taigheadas [tɤjədəs] = residence, housing, housekeeping |
| Manx (Gaelg) | dash = small pile, heap |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | das, dais = rick, stack, mow, heap, pile das(s)wrn = heap, pile, rick |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | das = rick, stack, mow, heap, pile das (o) wair = hayrick, haystack das (o) fawn = peat stack, turf pile dasag, dasu = to stack, rick, pile, heap up dasiad = a ricking daswl = pile, stack daswr = one who stacks, ricks, piles up or heaps up daswrn = heap, pile, rick |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec / Kernuak) | tasurn = a pile of wood, a wood-rick |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | das = stack, rick das wora = haystack, hayrick dasa = to stack |
| Old Breton (Brethonoc) | desi = pile (?) |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | tes = stacking, pile tesañ = to pile up, stacking tesenn = stack, pile |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (to do, put, place) [source]. Words from the same PIE root possibly include дело (delo – affair, matter) in Russian, dáil (tryst, betrothal, legislature) in Irish, Ort (place, location) in German, odd, family and theme in English, and hacer (to do, make) in Spanish [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *karnos, *karnom = heap of stones, cairn, tomb, horn, antler |
|---|---|
| Gaulish | karnon = horn karnuātus = horned |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | carn = heap, pile |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | carn, carnd = heap, mound, hillock carna(ig)id, carnait, carnaigit = to heap up, pile up |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | carn [kɑːɾˠn̪ˠ / kaːɾˠn̪ˠ] = heap, pile, cairn, great amount carnach = full of cairns, made up in heaps, cumulative carnadh = accumulation carnán [ˈkɑːɾˠn̪ˠɑːn̪ˠ] = (small) heap, mound |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | càrn [kaːrˠn̪ˠ] = cairn, heap of stones, pile (up), stack of corn càrnach [kaːrˠn̪ˠəx] = rocky, stony càrnadh [kaːrˠn̪ˠəɣ] = (act of) heaping, piling (up), hoarding, heap, pile (up), accumulating, accumulation |
| Manx (Gaelg) | carn = heap, cairn, stack of stone carnagh = cumulative carnane = heap, mound, dump, cairn, rampart carnaneagh = heaped, piled up, cumulus, cumuliform |
| Proto-Brythonic | *karn = a pile of stones, a cairn |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | carn, karn = cairn, barrow, tumulus, mound, rock, heap, pile carned(d), karned = cairn, tumulus, mound, heap, pile, ruin |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | carn [karn] = cairn, barrow, tumulus, mound, rock, heap, pile; drinking horn, handle carnedd [ˈkarnɛð] = cairn, tumulus, mound, heap, pile, ruin carneddaf, carneddu = to heap, pile, amass, accumulate carneddog, carneddol = abounding with heaps of stones, rocky carnen = a small cairn or tumulus |
| Old Cornish | carn = |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | carn = a rock, a rocky place, a high rock, a shelf in the sea, a heap of stones, the hilt, handle of an instrument |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | karn = rock-pile, tor, carn, heap of rock karnedh = cairn |
| Old Breton (Brethonoc) | carn = cairn, tumulus, horn (?) |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | carn = cairn, tumulus, horn |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | karn = cairn, tumulus, horn |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂- (head, top, horn) [source]. Words from the same roots include cairn in English and Scots, procrastinate, cranium and giraffe in English, corne (horn) in French and krowa (cow) in Polish [source].
Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, Online Manx Dictionary, Teanglann.ie, eDIL – Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language, In Dúil Bélrai English – Old Irish glossary, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, English – ProtoCeltic WordList (PDF), Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic
