Category: Welsh (Cymraeg)

Legs & Feet

By Simon

Words for legs and feet in Celtic languages.

Proto-Celtic *koxsā = foot, leg
Old Irish (Goídelc) cos(s) [kos] = foot, leg
Irish (Gaeilge) cos [kɔsˠ] = leg, foot; handle, shaft, stem; lower end
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) cas [kas] = foot, trotter; leg; handle, shaft shank (of a fishing hook
cos [kɔs] = foot, leg, handle, shaft
Manx (Gaelg) cass [kaːs] = leg, barrel, foot, shaft, peg, bottom, outlet, mouth of river, stalk, hilt, stem of pipe, crop of whip
Proto-Brythonic *koɨs = leg, shank, stem
Welsh (Cymraeg) coes [koːɨ̯s / kɔi̯s / koːs] = leg, shank; handle, haft, stem (of pipe); stalk, stem

Etymology
From Proto-Indo-European *koḱs- (joint) [source].

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, Online Manx Dictionary, Teanglann.ie, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru

Proto-Celtic *tregess = foot
Gaulish treide = foot
Old Irish (Goídelc) traig [traɣʲ] = foot (part of body / measurement), step
Irish (Gaeilge) troigh [t̪ˠɾˠɪɟ / t̪ˠɾˠɔ / t̪ˠɾˠiː] = foot (part of body / measurement), step
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) troigh [trɔç] = foot (part of body / measurement), sole of foot
Manx (Gaelg) trie [strɛin] = sole, twelve inches, foot
Middle Welsh (Kymraec) troet = foot
Welsh (Cymraeg) troed [troːɨ̯d / trɔi̯d] = foot; shaft, handle; bottom, base, pedestal, foundation, extremity, end; stalk; foot-joint
Old Cornish truit = foot
Middle Cornish troys / tros = foot
Cornish (Kernewek) troos [tro:z / tru:z] = foot, on foot
Old Breton troat = foot
Middle Breton troat = foot
Breton (Brezhoneg) troad = foot, handle

Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *tregʰ- (to run, walk), apparently a variant of *dʰregʰ- (to run) [source].

Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, Online Manx Dictionary, Teanglann.ie, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Dictionnaire Favereau

Sacks, bags & stomachs

By Simon

Words for sack, bag, stomach in Celtic languages.

Belly up

Proto-Celtic *bolgos = sack, bag, stomach
Gaulish *bolgā = sack, bag, stomach
Old Irish (Goídelc) bolc = belly, stomach; bag, satchel; bellows
Irish (Gaeilge) bolg [ˈbˠɔlˠəɡ] = belly, stomach, abdomen; bag; bulge, broad part, middle; bellows
bolgach = big-bellied, bulging
bolgadán = corpulent person or animal
bolgán = bubble, bulb, air-bladder (of fish), puff-ball, windbag (of person)
bolgchaint = ventriloquism
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) bolg [bɔl̪ˠɔg] = blister, bulge, (light) bulb
bolgach = abounding in bags/blisters, bellied, bulging, jutting, knobby
bolgadh = billowing, puffing up/out, ballooning, swelling
bolgan = (plant) bulb, lightbulb
Manx (Gaelg) bolg [bolɡ] = stomach, abdomen, belly, tummy, corporation, bilge, bowl (of lamp)
bolgagh = abdominal, bellied, billowy, blisterm bulging, puffy
bolgan = bladder, blister, sac, vesicle, bubble
Proto-Brythonic *bolɣ = sack, bag, stomach
Old Welsh bolg = belly, stomach
Middle Welsh (Kymraec) bol, boly = belly, stomach
Welsh (Cymraeg) bol = belly, paunch, abdomen, stomach, bowels; tripe; appetite, desire, gluttony, liking; womb; swelling, bulge, surface, side
bolio = to gorge, belly, swell, bulge, swagger
boliog = (big-)bellied, corpulent, swollen, bulging, pregnant
Cornish (Kernewek) bolgh [bɔlx] = breach, gap, opening
bolghen = boll, capsule
Middle Breton bolc’h = flax pod
Breton (Brezhoneg) bolc’h = flax pod

Etymology
From Proto-Indo-European *bʰólǵʰ-os (skin bag, bolster), from *bʰelǵʰ- (to swell) [source].

English words from the same PIE root include bellows, belly, and bolster, via Old English and Proto-Germanic, billow via Old Norse and Proto-Germanic, foolish and folly via Old French and Latin [source], and bulge, budge and budget via Old French, Latin and Gaulish [source].

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, Online Manx Dictionary, Teanglann.ie, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Dictionnaire Favereau

Lips, Mouths & Throats

By Simon

Words for lip, mouth & throat in Celtic languages.

Proto-Celtic *wewlos = lip
Old Irish (Goídelc) bél [bʲeːl] = lip, mouth, opening
Irish (Gaeilge) béal [bʲia̯l̪ˠ / bʲeːlˠ] = mouth, opening, entrance, lip, edge, sound, front, face, beginning
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) beul [bial̪ˠ] = mouth, beginning, opening, edge, gunwale, oral
Manx (Gaelg) beeal [ˈbiəl] = mouth, muzzle, rictus, flue, outlet, orifice, cone, crater, rim, approach, passage
Proto-Brythonic *gweβl = lip
Welsh (Cymraeg) gwefl = lip (of an animal), jaws, chaps
Cornish (Kernewek) gwevel = lip
Breton (Brezhoneg) guefl = lip

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, Online Manx Dictionary, Teanglann.ie, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Dictionnaire Favereau

Proto-Celtic *moniklo- = neck
Old Irish (Goídelc) muinél = neck, narrow part
Irish (Gaeilge) muineál [ˈmˠɪnɑːl] = neck
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) muineal [mun̪ʲəl̪ˠ] = neck
Manx (Gaelg) mwannal [ˈmonal] = neck
Welsh (Cymraeg) mwnwgl = neck

Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, Online Manx Dictionary, Teanglann.ie, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru

Welsh (Cymraeg) gwddf [ɡʊðv / ˈɡuːðu] = neck, crag; throat
gwddw [ˈɡʊðʊ / ˈɡuːðu] = neck, crag; throat
gwddwg [ˈɡuːðu / ˈɡuːðuɡ] = neck, crag; throat
Old Breton guodoc = throat, neck
Breton (Brezhoneg) gouzoug = throat, neck

Sources: Wiktionary, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Dictionnaire Favereau

Welsh (Cymraeg) ceg [keːɡ] = throat, gullet, windpipe, neck; mouth, opening, entrance; roup, pip; thrush

Sources: Wiktionary, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru

Heavy

By Simon

Words for heavy in Celtic languages.

Proto-Celtic *trummos = heavy
Old Irish (Goídelc) trom = heavy, severe, grievous, difficult; sad, sorrowful; great, vast, powerful, mighty
Irish (Gaeilge) trom [t̪ˠɾˠuːmˠ] = heavy; stodgy, hard to digest; dense, thick; abundant; laborious; weight, burden, oppression; bulk, preponderance; importantance; blame, censure
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) trom [trɔum] = heavy; weighty, ponderous; pregnant; deep, profound; oppressive (mood); mournful, melancholic; burden, weight
Manx (Gaelg) trome [t̪roːm] = heavy, difficult, grave, substantial, weighty, deep, sweated, emphatic, hard, gruelling, harsh, high pressure, sledge-hammer, rough of sea, steep, expectant, ponderous, severe, expecting, bold, close (oppressive), intense, grievous, pregnant, stodgy, heavyweight, with child, dense
Proto-Brythonic *trumm = heavy
Welsh (Cymraeg) trwm [trʊm] = heavy, solid, bulky, large, thick; (heavily) pregnant; intense, severe, hard, excessive; extensive, plentiful; boring, abstruse; close, muggy, oppressive, lowering (weather)

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

Etymology
From Proto-Indo-European *trewd– (thrust, press) [source]

Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, Online Manx Dictionary, Teanglann.ie, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru

Thick

By Simon

Words for thick in Celtic languages.

Proto-Celtic *tegus = thick
Old Irish (Goídelc) tiug [tʲiu̯ɣ] = thick
Irish (Gaeilge) tiubh [tʲuː / tʲʊ(w)] = thick, dense, closely set; fast
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) tiugh [tʲu] = thick; stout, portly, buxom; fat, viscous (paint); frequent
Manx (Gaelg) çhiu = stout, thick, heavy, blubber, thick-set ( hedge), strong (solution), whipped (cream), intense; foggy, turbid
Proto-Brythonic *teɣ = thick
Old Welsh teu = thick
Middle Welsh (Kymraec) tew = thick
Welsh (Cymraeg) tew [teːu̯ / tɛu̯] = thick; made of thick cloth; strong, sturdy, powerful; deep
Cornish (Kernewek) tew [tɛˑʊ] = fat, bulky, dense
Middle Breton teo / teu = thick
Breton (Brezhoneg) tev = thick, fat, obese, opaque

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

Etymology
From Proto-Indo-European *tégus (thick) [source]

Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, Online Manx Dictionary, Teanglann.ie, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Dictionnaire Favereau

Full

By Simon

Words for full in Celtic languages.

Proto-Celtic *ɸlānos = full
Old Irish (Goídelc) lán [l͈aːn] = full
Irish (Gaeilge) lán [l̪ˠɑːnˠ / l̪ˠæːnˠ] = full, pride, arrogance
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) làn [l̪ˠaːn] = full, replete; complete; filled, sat(iat)ed, satisfied; fullness; high tide; complement, fill
Manx (Gaelg) lane [lɛdn] = full, replete, crowded, swelling, fully, total, gravid, lot, unexpurgated (edition), much, loaded, plenary, sound, full-blooded, at full strength
Proto-Brythonic *lọn [ˈlɔːn] = full
Middle Welsh (Kymraec) llawn = full
Welsh (Cymraeg) llawn [ɬau̯n] = full; covered, saturated; filled to capacity; teeming with, abounding in; charged with emotion
Cornish (Kernewek) leun [lø:n / le:n] = full, complete, thorough
Old Breton dacrlon = full
Middle Breton leun = full
Breton (Brezhoneg) leun = full, covered

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

Etymology
From Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₁nós (full) [source]

Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, Online Manx Dictionary, Teanglann.ie, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Dictionnaire Favereau

Purple

By Simon

Words for purple in Celtic languages.

Old Irish (Goídelc) corcra = purple
Irish (Gaeilge) corcra = purple
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) corcar [kɔr̪ˠxgər] = purple; any lichen yielding a purple dye
Welsh (Cymraeg) porffor = purple
Cornish (Kernewek) purpur [‘pʏrpʏr / ‘pərpər] = purple
Breton (Brezhoneg) pourpré = purple

Etymology
From Ancient Greek πορφύρα (porphúra – murex (the mollusc)
Tyrian purple, royal purple) [source]

Purple in Manx is gorrym jiarg or jiarg gorrym.

Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, Online Manx Dictionary, Teanglann.ie, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Dictionnaire Favereau

Brown & Dun

By Simon

Words for brown / dun in Celtic languages.

Proto-Celtic *dusnos = dark brown
Old Irish (Goídelc) donn [don͈] = brown, tawny, dun; hazel (eyes), chestnut (animals)
Irish (Gaeilge) donn [d̪ˠɔn̪ˠ / d̪ˠuːn̪ˠ / d̪ˠəun̪ˠ] = brown, brown-haired, hard brown timber
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) donn [dɔun̪ˠ ~ dɯn̪ʲə] = brown, brown-haired, brunette
Manx (Gaelg) dhone = brown, brown-haired, hazel, swarthy, dark-skinned
Middle Welsh (Kymraec) dwnn = dun, dark red, brown
Welsh (Cymraeg) dwn = dun, dark red, brown; swarthy, dark

Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *dusnos- / *donnos- (dark) [source]

Proto-Celtic *gelos = shining, white
Gaulish *gelā
Old Irish (Goídelc) gel = bright, clear, white
Irish (Gaeilge) geal [ɟalˠ] = white, bright
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) geal [gʲal̪ˠ] = white, fine
Manx (Gaelg) gial = bright, clear, white, shining, snowy, light-coloured, fulgent
Welsh (Cymraeg) gell = bay, brown, auburn, orange, yellow, tawny-coloured
Cornish (Kernewek) gell [gɛl:] = (light) brown
Breton (Brezhoneg) gell = bay, brown

Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₂os, from *ǵʰelh₂- (to shine) [source]

Proto-Celtic *gurmos = dun, dark, blue
Irish (Gaeilge) gorm [ˈɡɔɾˠəmˠ] = blue; dyeing-blue; azure; dark-blue; livid, purple
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) gorm [gɔrɔm] = blue; green, verdant; green, inexperienced, wet (behind the ears)
Manx (Gaelg) gorrym = blue, black, dark-skinned; washing blue
Proto-Brythonic *gurm = dun, dark, blue
Welsh (Cymraeg) gwrm = brown, dark-brown, reddish, greyish-brown, dark-grey, dark, dusky, black, dark-blue, blue
Cornish (Kernewek) gorm [gɔrm] = (dark) brown
Old Breton uurm = dark

Etymology: unknown

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, Online Manx Dictionary, Teanglann.ie, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru

Green & Verdant

By Simon

Words for green in Celtic languages.

Welsh (Cymraeg) gwyrdd [ɡwɨ̞rð / ɡwɪrð] = green, verdant, bluish green, pale (blue), grey; fresh, lively; grassy
Old Cornish guirt = green
Cornish (Kernewek) gwyrdh [gwɪrð] = green
gwer [gwɛ:r / gwe:r] = green
Breton (Brezhoneg) gwer = green (artificial)

Etymology
From Latin viridis (green, young, fresh, lively, youthful), from vireo (to be verdant, to sprout) [source].

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

Sources: Wiktionary, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Dictionnaire Favereau

Grey

By Simon

Words for grey in Celtic languages.

Proto-Celtic *ɸlētos = grey
Old Irish (Goídelc) líath [l͈ʲiːa̯θ] = grey, grey-haired
Irish (Gaeilge) liath [ˈl̠ʲiə] = grey, grey-haired, pale
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) liath [l̪ʲiə] = grey, grizzled
Manx (Gaelg) lheeah
Proto-Brythonic *luɨd = grey
Welsh (Cymraeg) llwyd [ˈɬuːɨ̯d / ˈɬʊi̯d] = grey, faint; pale, pallid, wan; russet, brown; turbid, muddy (water); grey-haired, grey-headed, old, ancient; grey (hair), grizzled
Cornish (Kernewek) loos [lo:z / lu:z ] = grey, mouldy
Breton (Brezhoneg) loued = grey, mouldy

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

Etymology
From Proto-Indo-European *pel- (pale) [source]

Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, Online Manx Dictionary, Teanglann.ie, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Dictionnaire Favereau