In this post we’re looking at words for clear, bright, shining and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *gleiwos = shining, clear, sparkling |
|---|---|
| Gaulish | *gleuos = bright, shiny |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | glé [ˈɡʲlʲeː] = bright, clear, plain glésse = brightness |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | glé, gle = clear, plain, evident gléid = to make clear, purify, clear up gleóir = clear, luminous, bright gléthech = bright, pure |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | glé [ɟlʲeː] = clear, bright, vivid, limpid, pure, lucid, luminous, intense, sharp gléine = brilliance, clarity, crispness, lucidity, luminosity, sharpness, vibrancy |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | glè† [gleː] = real, pure, clean, good, open, plain |
| Proto-Brythonic | *gluɨw = bright, shining, sparkling |
| Old Welsh (Kembraec) | gloiu = bright, shining, sparkling |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | gloev, gloyw, gloew = bright, shining, sparkling gloewi, gloywi = to brighten, polish, clarify gloywder, gloewder = brightness, clearness, splendour, radience gloewed = clearness, brightness, radiance, glory, praise gloewr = polisher, burnisher |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | gloyw [ˈɡlɔɨ̯.u / ˈɡlɔi̯.u] = bright, shining, sparkling, polished, burnished, clear, limpid, lucid, transparent, definite gloywder = brightness, clearness, splendour, radience gloywedd = clearness, brightness, radiance, glory, praise gloywi = to brighten, polish, clarify gloywwr = polisher, burnisher Caerloyw = Gloucester |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | gluw = shining |
| Old Breton (Brethonoc) | gloeu = clear |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | gloeu = clear |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | gloev = clear, limpid, bloated, rare gloevenn = to become sparse, to thin out |
Etymology: from PIE *ǵʰley- (to shine) [source].
Glēvum, the Latin name for Gloucester, also comes from the same Proto-Celtic roots [source].
Words from the same PIE roots include glimma (to glimmer, gleam, shine) in Swedish, glitzern (to glitter, sparkle) in German, glær (clear, transparent) in Icelandic, and glimmer, gleam, glint, glisten, glitter and gloom in English [source].
For more words for bright, etc, see the Bright Lights post.
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
