Words for baby, infant and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | lenab = baby, child, infant lenbaide = childish, puerile lenbaidecht = childishness, childish pursuits, childish play |
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| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | lenap, lenab, lenam, lenb, lenbh, lenabh = baby, child, infant; young man, youth, boy lenbán, lelbán = infant, young child lenbdacht = infancy, childhood, childish pursuits lenbaide, lenbhaidhe = childish, puerile lenbaidecht, lenmaidecht = childishness, childish pursuits, childish play |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | leanbh [ˈlʲan̪ˠəvˠ / ˈl̠ʲanˠu(ː)] = child leanbaí = child-like, innocent, childish, puerile leanbaí = childhood, childishness, puerility leanb(h)án = little child, baby, darling leanbhaois = (age of) childhood, dotage |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | leanabh [l̪ʲɛnəv] = baby, (young) child, babe leanabhachd [l̪ʲɛnəbəxg] = infancy, childhood, childishness leanabhaidh [l̪ʲɛnəbɪ] = childish, infantile leanabhan [l̪ʲɛnəvan] = infant |
| Manx (Gaelg) | lhiannoo = baby, child, infant, family lhiannooagh = infantile, babyish, babylike, puerile, boyish; girlish, infantile |
Etymology: unknown [source].
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | páitse, pāitside, pāitsidhe = a page, attendant, child |
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| Irish (Gaeilge) | páiste [ˈpˠɑːʃtʲə / ˈpˠaːʃtʲə] = child páistiúil = child-like, childish páistiúilacht = childishness |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | pàiste [paːʃdʲə] = child, infant pàistean [paːʃdʲan] = small infant pàisteanach [paːʃdʲanəx] = childish, infantile pàisteil [paːʃdʲal] = babyish |
| Manx (Gaelg) | paitçhey [ˈpɛːtʃə] = child, brat, kid, (boy) page |
Etymology: from Old French page (page – youth attending a person of high degree), from Late Latin pagius (a servant), possibly from Latin pāgus (district, region, countryside, countryfolk), or from Ancient Greek παιδίον (paidíon – young child) [source].
| Irish (Gaeilge) | báb = baby, maiden (maiden) bábán = small baby bábánta = babyish, innocent bábóg [ˈbˠabˠɔɡ] = doll |
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| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | bàban† = baby |
| Manx (Gaelg) | babban = baby, babe, doll |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | baban = baby, infant, doll, puppet |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | baban [ˈba(ː)ban] = baby, infant, doll, puppet babanaidd = infant(ile), babyish, childish, childlike babandod [baˈbandɔd] = babyhood, infancy, childhood, babyishness, childishness babanu = to baby, coddle, pamper, spoil, cherish |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec . Kernuak) | baban = babe, child |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | baban [ˈba.ban] = baby, baby doll babi = baby |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | babig(ed), baba = baby babigour = childcare worker babik = childish, babyish, puerile |
Etymology: from Middle English babe, baban (baby, infant), and/or Old English *baba (a male child), from Proto-West Germanic *babō, from Proto-Germanic *babô. Words from the same roots include baby and babe in English baby (baby) in Dutch, baby (table football, baby, darling, sweetheart) in French, and baby (child, baby, small shot of whisky, tripod) in Italian [source].
For other words for child(ren) see the Cowherd, boy, child post.
Sources: Wiktionary, Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic, In Dúil Bélrai English – Old Irish glossary, eDIL – Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language, Teanglann.ie, Am Faclair Beag, An etymological dictionary of the Gaelic language, Fockleyreen: Manx – English Dictionary, Online Manx Dictionary, Gaelg Corpus, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Lexicon cornu-britannicum : a dictionary of the ancient Celtic language of Cornwall, Gerlyver Kernewek, Devri : Le dictionaire diachronique du breton, Geriafurch, TermOfis
