Axes and Hatchets

7th December 2023 By Simon

In this post we’re looking at the words for axe and related things in Celtic languages.

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

Proto-Celtic	*tāxslo- = axe
Old Irish (Goídelc)	tál = adze
Middle Irish (Gaoidhleag)	tál = adze
Irish (Gaeilge)	tál [t̪ˠɑːlˠ/t̪ˠæːlˠ] = adze
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig)	tàl [taːl̪ˠ] = adze tàl-fuinn = hoe
Manx (Gaelg)	taal = adze

An adze cutting tool that has a curved blade set at a right angle to the handle and is used in shaping wood. [source].

Etymology possibly from the Proto-Indo-European *tetḱ-(dʰ)lo-, from *teḱ- (to sire, beget) [source]. Words from the same roots include architect, technical, text and textile in English, цясла́ [t͡sʲasˈɫa] (adze) in Belausian, тесло [tʲɪsˈɫo] (adze) in Russian, and teslă (adze) in Romanian [source].

Old Irish (Goídelc)	túag = axe, hatchet
Middle Irish (Gaoidhleag)	túag = axe, hatchet túagaid = to hew, chop, strike with an axe túagrótae = roadway cleared with an axe
Irish (Gaeilge)	tua [t̪ˠuə] = axe, hatchet tuadóir = axe-man, hewer, chopper tuadóireacht = (act of) hewing, shaping, chopping tuaigh = to chop (with an axe)
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig)	tuagh [tuəɣ] = axe tuaghadair = axeman, axe-wielder
Manx (Gaelg)	teigh = axe, chopper, hatchet

Etymology possibly from the Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewk- (to push, press, strike, beat, pierce), from *(s)tew- (to push, hit) [source]. Words from the same roots include tkát (to weave) in Czech, tkać (to weave, stick, tuck) in Polish, and тъка [tɐˈkɤ] (to spin, plait, entwine, weave) in Bulgarian [source], and words for hole & hollow in Celtic languages.

Proto-Celtic	*biyatlis = (?)
Old Irish (Goídelc)	biáil [ˈbʲi.aːlʲ] = axe, hatchet
Middle Irish (Gaoidhleag)	bíail, biáil = axe, hatchet, battle-axe
Irish (Gaeilge)	biail [bʲiəlʲ] = hatchet
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig)	biail = axe, hatchet (archaic)
Old Welsh	bahell = axe
Middle Welsh (Kymraec)	buyall, bwell, bwyeill = axe bwyellic = small axe, hatchet bwyallawt = axe stroke bwiallawc = bearing an axe, armed with an axe; like an axe
Welsh (Cymraeg)	bwyall, bwyell, bwell = axe, battle-axe bwyellan, bwyellig = small axe, hatchet bwyellangaib = pickaxe, hoe bwyellod, bwyallod = stroke or cut with an axe, axe stroke bwyellog, bwyallog = bearing an axe, armed with an axe; like an axe bwyellwr = woodman
Middle Cornish (Cernewec)	biail, boell, bool = axe, hatchet
Cornish (Kernewek)	bool = axe, chopper, hachet bolik = (small) axe, chopper, hachet
Middle Breton (Brezonec)	bouhazl, bouchazl, bouchal, boc’hal = axe
Breton (Brezhoneg)	bouc’hal [ˈbuː.ɣal] = axe, hammered bouc’halig = hatchet

Etymology: from Proto-Celtic *bināti (to strike, hit, beat) from the Proto-Indo-European *bʰi-né-h₂-ti, from bʰeyh₂- (to strike, hew) [source]. Words from the same roots include billhook and bone in English, bain (to extract, separate, strike) and béim (a blow, emphasis, beat) in Irish, gofid (grief, sorrow, regret) in Welsh [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, Lexicon Cornu-britannicum: A Dictionary of the Ancient Celtic Language of Cornwall, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, Le dictionnaire diachronique du breton, Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic

Impeccable Peccadillos

29th September 2023 By Simon

Words for sin, fault, crime and related things in Celtic languages.

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

Proto-Celtic	*kariyā = mistake, sin
Old Irish (Goídelc)	caire [ˈkarʲe] = crime, fault, sin
Middle Irish (Gaoidhleag)	caire, cair, coire = crime, fault, sin cairech = criminal, guilty, sinful cairigid = rebukes, accuses, blames cairthech = criminal, guilty
Irish (Gaeilge)	coir [kɛɾʲ/kɪɾʲ] = crime, offence; fault, transgression coireach = offender, transgressor; wicked, sinful, guilty coireacht = wickedness, guiltiness coiriú = censure coireolaí = criminologist coiritheoir = accuser, incriminator
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig)	coire [kɔrʲə] = blame, fault, offence, wrong coireach [kɤrʲəx] = culprit; guilty, to blame, faulty, responsible coireachd [kɔrʲəxg] = culpability
Proto-Brythonic	*kareð [kaˈrɛːð] = mistake, sin
Old Welsh	cared = transgression, sin, crime
Middle Welsh (Kymraec)	cared, karet = transgression, sin, crime karedus = sinful, evil
Welsh (Cymraeg)	caredd [ˈkarɛð] = transgression, sin, crime, lust, love careddus = sinful, evil careddwr = accuser, evil-doer
Middle Cornish (Cernewec)	cara = to correct, chastise
Middle Breton (Brezonec)	carez, garé = blame, reprimand carez = to blame, accuse
Breton (Brezhoneg)	karez = blame, incrimination kareziñ = to blame, accuse

Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *kh₂er- (blame, abuse). Words from the same PIE root include cārinō (I revile, blame, insult) in Latin, корить [kɐˈrʲitʲ] (to reproach, upbraid) in Russian, and коря [koˈrʲɤ̟] (to accuse, blame) in Bulgarian [source].

Old Irish (Goídelc)	peccad = sin pecthaigid = to sin
Middle Irish (Gaoidhleag)	pec(c)ad = sin pecthach = sinful, committing sin, sinner pecthaigid, pec(c)aigid = sins. commits sin
Irish (Gaeilge)	peaca [ˈpʲakə/ˈpʲaku] = sin peacadh = offender, transgressor; wicked, sinful, guilty peacach = sinner, sinful peacaigh = to sin peacúil = sinful peacúlacht = sinfulness
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig)	peaca [pɛxgə] = sin peacadh, peacachadh [pɛxgəxəɣ] = sinning, sin, transgressing peacail [pɛxgal] = sinful peacach [pɛxgəx] = sinner
Manx (Gaelg)	peccah = human being, sinner, sin, wickedness peccagh = human, person, transgressor, sinner peccoil = erring, sinful, unregenerate
Proto-Brythonic	pexọd [peˈxɔːd] = sin pexadʉr = sinner *pexad [peˈxɔːd] = to sin, offend
Middle Welsh (Kymraec)	pechawt = sin pechadur = sinner pechu =to sin, offend
Welsh (Cymraeg)	pechod [ˈpɛχɔd/ˈpeːχɔd] = sin pechadur [pɛˈχadɨ̞r/pɛˈχaːdɪr] = sinner, offender pechu [ˈpɛχɨ/ˈpeːχi] =to sin, offend
Middle Cornish (Cernewec)	pech, pêch, pechad, pechas = sin, offence, transgression pecha, peché = to sin, transgress, offend pechadur, pechadures = sinner, transgressor
Cornish (Kernewek)	pegh = guilt, sin pegha = to sin, offend peghador, peghadores = sinner peghes = sin peghus = sinful
Middle Breton (Brezonec)	pechet = blame pechiff =to sin, offend pechezr = sinner
Breton (Brezhoneg)	pec’hed = sin pec’hiñ = to sin, offend pec’her = sinner

Etymology: from Latin peccātum (sin), from peccō (I sin, offend), from Proto-Italic *petkāō (I sin), from Proto-Indo-European verbal root *ped- (“to walk, fall, stumble”) [source].

Words from the same roots include peccadillo, impeccable, foot, pedal, pedestrian, and pew in English, pécher (to sin) in French, pecar (to sin) in Spanish [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, Gerlyvyr Cernewec, Lexicon Cornu-britannicum: A Dictionary of the Ancient Celtic Language of Cornwall, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, Le dictionnaire diachronique du breton, Geriafurch, English – ProtoCeltic WordList (PDF), Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic

Bridges

16th March 202117th April 2024 By Simon

Words for bridges and related words in Celtic languages.

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

Old Irish (Goídelc)	drochet [ˈdroxʲed] = bridge
Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)	drochet, drochat, droichet = bridge, causeway drochetech, drochetóir = bridge-maker
Irish (Gaeilge)	droichead [ˈd̪ˠɾˠɛçəd̪ˠ] = bridge droichead crochta = suspension bridge droichead tógála = drawbridge droichead meáite = weigh bridge droichead veidhlín = bridge of a violin droichead sróine = bridge of the nose
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig)	drochaid [drɔxɪdʲ] = bridge drochaid air fleodradh = pontoon drochaid-thogalach, drochaid-thogail = drawbridge drochaid-choise = footbridge drochaid-rathaid = road bridge, viaduct drochaid-thionndain = swing bridge
Manx (Gaelg)	droghad = bridge, bridge of ship, arch, gantry droghad aae = viaduct droghad cassee = swing bridge droghad coshey = gangway, footbridge droghad croghit = suspension bridge droghad keesh = toll bridge droichead meihaghey = weigh bridge

Etymology: from Old Irish droch (wheel, circlet) and sét (path) [source].

Gaulish	ponto = bridge
Proto-Brythonic	*pont = bridge
Cumbric	*pont = bridge
Old Welsh (Kembraec)	pont = bridge
Middle Welsh (Kymraec)	pont, pynt = bridge, drawbridge
Welsh (Cymraeg)	pont [pɔnt] = bridge, drawbridge, viaduct, aqueduct pontio = to bridge (a gap), to transition pont godi = drawbridge pont grog = suspension bridge pont trwyn = bridge of the nose pont y glaw, pont law = rainbow pont ysgwydd = collar-bone, clavicle pontio = to bridge, span, arch pont(i)og = like a bridge, arched of the nature of a bridge pont(i)wr, pontydd = a bridge-builder pontyddiaeth = bridge-building
Old Cornish (Cernewec)	pons = bridge
Middle Cornish (Cernewec)	pons = bridge
Cornish (Kernewek)	pons = bridge ponsfordh = viaduct pons travalya = travelling bridge
Middle Breton (Brezonec)	pont = bridge
Breton (Brezhoneg)	pont [pɔ̃nt] = bridge, top of the furrow, culvert, trigger guard pontan, pontañ = to bridge, lay flat stones (on a ditch or stream) pont-tro = swing bridge pont hent-houarn = railway bridge pont dilestrañ = bridge, deck (of ship) pont kargañ = loading deck pont-tro = swing bridge

Etymology: from Latin pōns (bridge, deck), from Proto-Indo-European *pónteh₁s (path, road), from *pent- (path). Words from the same roots include pont (bridge) in French, puente (bridge) in Spanish, път [pɤt] (road, way, path, journey, way) in Bulgarian source].

Proto-Celtic	*brīwā = bridge
Gaulish	briua = bridge
Leptonic	𐌐𐌓𐌖𐌉𐌀𐌌 (pruiam) = funerary construction (perhaps a grave)

Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerw/*bʰrēw (wooden flooring, decking, bridge), which is also the root of the English words bridge and brig, and Brücke (bridge) in German [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

Celtiadur

Exploring connections between Celtic languages

Category: Bulgarian (Български)

Axes and Hatchets

Impeccable Peccadillos

Bridges