In this post we’re looking at words for bramble, briar, thorn and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *dristis, *drissis = briar, bramble, thorn bush |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | dris [ˈd̠ʲɾʲisʲ] = bramble, briar |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | dris = bramble, briar, thorn bush drisech = thorny, brambly |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | dris [dʲɾʲɪʃ] = bramble, briar, a cantankerous, prickly person drischoill = bramble brake driseach = brambly, briary driseog = (small) bramble, a prickly, irritable person drisín = small bramble drisíneach = prickly, irritable, touchy |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | dris [driʃ] = thorn, a thorny plant, small pin driseach [driʃəx] = prickly, thorny, brambly driseag [driʃag] = small thorn, small thorny plant driseil [driʃal] = prickly, thorny drisleach [driʃləx] = thorny thicket, briar patch, thicket of brambles |
| Manx (Gaelg) | dress = blackberry bush, briar, bramble dressag = small bramble bush dressagh = brambly, briary |
| Proto-Brythonic | *drɨs = dry |
| Old Welsh (Kembraec) | drissi = briars, brambles, thorn bushes |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | dyrys [ˈdərɨ̞s / ˈdərɪs] = wild, rough, uncultivated drissi, dris, dryssi, drysi = briars, brambles, thorn bushes dryssyant, drysiant = entanglement, perplexity, quandary |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | dyrys [ˈdərɨ̞s / ˈdərɪs] = wild, rough, uncultivated, tangled with undergrowth, thorny, dense, matted, intricate, entangled drys(i) [ˈdrəsɪ / ˈdrəsi] = briars, brambles, thorn bushes, entanglement, intricacy drysiant = entanglement, perplexity, quandary drysïog = full of briars or brambles, thorny drysle, dyrysle = intricate place, maze, labyrinth, bramble-brake, thicket dryslyd, dyryslyd = perplexing, puzzling, embarrassing, tangled, intricate, puzzled, confused, bewildered, deranged |
| Old Cornish | dreis = brambles, briars |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec / Kernuak) | dreis, dreyn = brambles, briars |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | dreys = brambles dreysen = bramble dreysa = to tangle |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | dres = brambles dresen = bramble |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | drez [dreːs] = brambles drezenn = bramble drezad = brambles drezeg [ˈdreː.zɛk] = bramble patch, bramble thicket drezek = full of brambles drezid = bramble grove |
Etymology: possibly from Proto-Indo-European *der- (to split, separate, tear, crack, shatter) [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
