In this post we’re looking at words for he, she, it and related pronouns in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *es, *ēs = he, she, it *ed = it *esyo his, its |
|---|---|
| Gaulish | eiasom = he (?) eiabo = he (?) |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | é, hé, hǽ, sé [ˈeː] = he, it a, aí = his ed, hed [ˈ(h)eð] = it, this |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | sé, se, sē = he, it issi, isí = she, her (emphatic) a, aí, áe = his, its ed = it |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | sé, é [ʃeː / ʃɛ / eː] = he, him, it eisean[ˈɛʃənˠ] = he, him (emphatic) é féin = himself a [ə] = his, its ea [a] = it |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | e [ɛ] = he, him, it esan [ɛsən] = he, him (emphatic) e fhèin = himself a [ə] = his, its eadh [a] = it |
| Manx (Gaelg) | eh = he, him, it eshyn = he, him, himself (emphatic) e hene, eh hene = himself, itself e = his, its |
| Proto-Brythonic | *eβ̃ = he, it *emen = he (emphatic) *eið = his, its |
| Old Welsh (Kembraec) | em = he, him, it nini, nyni = we, us, ourselves (emphatic) hi, i = his, its |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | ef, e = he, him, it nini, nyni = we, us, ourselves (emphatic) y hun, ehun, ehunan, ei hun(an) = himself, itself hi, y, ei = his, its |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | ef [eːv] = he, him, it (literary) efyntau [eːv] = he also, and him too (literary) (f)e [veː] = he, him, it (south Wales) yntau [ˈənta(ɨ̯) / ˈəntai̯] = he also, and him too (f)o [voː] = he, him, it (north Wales) (f)othau [voː] = he also, and him too (north Wales) ei (… (f)e/(f)o) [ei̯ / iː / ɪ] = his, its ei hun = himself, itself |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec / Kernuak) | e, ef, ev = he, him, it y, e, a = his, its y honan = himself |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | ev, e = he, him eev = he, him (emphatic) y = his ev y honan, y honan, y honen = himself, itself |
| Old Breton (Brethonoc) | em = he, him |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | eff = he, him e, he, è = his |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | eñ(v) [ẽw] = he, him eñv = he, him e, he = his e-unan = himself |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *ís (this, he) [source]. Words from the same roots include hi (there) in Catalan, aí (there) in Portuguese, ahí (there, that) in Spanish [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *sī = she *esyās = her, hers, its |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | sí, í = she, it sissi = she, it (emphatic) a, aí = hers |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | sí, í, sī = she, her issi, isí = she, her (emphatic) a, aí, áe = hers, its |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | sí [ʃiː] = she, it ise = she, her (emphatic) i fhèin = herself a [ə] = her, its |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | i [i] = she, her, it sise, ise = she, her (emphatic) i féin = herself a [ə] = her, its |
| Manx (Gaelg) | ee [iː] = she, her, it eeish, ish = she, her (emphatic) ee hene = herself, her, itself e = her, hers, its |
| Proto-Brythonic | *hi = she *eið = her, its |
| Old Welsh (Kembraec) | em = she, its hithou, ithou = her also, and her too hi, i = her, its |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | hi = she, her, it hitheu, hithe = her also, and her too y, i = her, its |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | hi [hiː] = she, her, it hithau [ˈhɪθaɨ̯ / ˈhɪθai̯] = her also, (and) her too ei (… hi) [ei̯ / iː / ɪ] = her, its ei hun = herself, itself |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec / Kernuak) | hy, hi = she, her, it hyhy = she, her, herself (emphatic) y, a = her y honan = herself |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | hi, hy, hei = she, her hyhi = she, her, herself (emphatic) hy, hy re = hers hy honan, hei hy honan, hi hy honan, hy honen = herself, solo, itself |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | hy = she he [e] = her |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | hi [hi] = she hehi = she, her (emphathic) he [e] = her he-unan = herself |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European síh₂ (she) [source]. Words from the same roots include she in English, zij (she, they) in Dutch, sie (she, her) in German [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *eyes, *yoi = they *ens = them *eisom = their(s) *eibis = (to) them |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | é, íat, iat = they a, aí = their, theirs |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | íat = they, them a, aí, áe = their, theirs |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | siad [ʃiəd̪ˠ] = they siadsan [ˈʃiəd̪ˠsənˠ] = they (emphatic) iad [iəd̪ˠ] = they, them iadsan [ˈiət̪ˠsˠənˠ] = they (emphatic) a = their |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | iad [iəd] = they iadsan [ˈiədsən] = they (emphatic) iad fhèin = themselves an [ən] = their |
| Manx (Gaelg) | ad = they, them adsyn = they, them, themselves (emphatic) adhene = themselves nyn = their, theirs |
| Proto-Brythonic | *eið = their |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | wy, wynt, hwy, hwynt = they y = their |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | nhw [nuː / n̥uː] = they nhwthau [ˈnʊθa / ˈnʊθɛ] = they also, and them too hwy, wy [huːɨ̯ / hʊi̯] = they, them (literary) hwythau [ˈhʊɨ̯θaɨ̯ / ˈhʊi̯θai̯] = they also, and them too hwynt [hʊɨ̯nt / hʊi̯nt] = they (literary) hwyntau, wyntau = they also, and them too (literary) eu, ‘u, ‘w [ei̯] = them eu (… nhw) = their |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec / Kernuak) | y = they an = them aga = their |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | i = they ynsi = they (emphatic) aga … i = them, their aga honem, aga honan, anjei = themselves ‘ga, aga (… i) = their aga re, dhedha = theirs |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | int, y = they, them |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | int, i [ĩnt / i] = they, them o [o] = their, theirs o-unan = themselves |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *éyes, the plural of *ís (this, he) [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 Kernehe, itk, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, English – ProtoCeltic WordList (PDF), Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic
