Words for horse, stallion, mare and foal in Celtic languages.
| Proto-Celtic | *kapallos = horse |
|---|---|
| Gaulish | *caballos = horse |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | capall [ˈkapal͈] = horse |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | capall [ˈkapˠəl̪ˠ] = horse, mare |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | capall [kahbəl̪ˠ] = mare, colt, horse, small horse |
| Manx (Gaelg) | cabbyl = horse |
| Proto-Brythonic | *kappilos = horse |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | keffyl, ceffyl = horse |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | ceffyl [ˈkɛfɨ̞l / ˈkɛfɪl] = horse, nag, hobby |
| Middle Cornish | cevil, kevil = horse |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | kefel = horse |
Etymology: uncertain – related to the Late Latin caballus (horse, nag), which is thought to come from the Gaulish caballos [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *markos = horse |
|---|---|
| Galatian | *μάρκαν (márkan) = horse |
| Gaulish | *markos = horse |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | marc [mark] = horse |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | marc [mˠaɾˠk] = horse (literary / archaic) |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | marc [marxk] = charger (warhorse – literary) |
| Manx (Gaelg) | mark-sleih = horseman |
| Proto-Brythonic | *marx = horse |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | march = horse |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | march [marχ] = horse, stallion, war-horse, steed |
| Old Cornish | march = horse |
| Middle Cornish | march = horse |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | margh [ˈmaɾx] = horse |
| Old Breton | marh = horse |
| Middle Breton | march = horse |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | marc’h [ˈmaʁχ] = horse, easel |
Etymology: thought to be from the Proto-Indo-European *márkos, which is also the root of the English words mare and marshal, the French word maréchal (marshal), and related words in other languages [source].
Related words
| Irish (Gaeilge) | marcach = horseman, rider, jockey; cavalryman, Cavalier marcachas = horsemanship marchaigh = to ride marcaíocht = riding, horsemanship, ride drive lift |
|---|---|
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | marc-shluagh = horsemen, riders, cavalry marchach = equestrian, mounted; riding |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | marchaidd = pertaining to a horse, horsy, horselike, equine marchallu = horsepower marchasyn = jackass, male donkey marchdy = stable marchfeddyg = horse doctor, farrier marchfilwr = dragoon, cavalryman, cavalier, trooper marchog = horseman, rider, jockey, mounted warrior, knight |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | marghek = knight, rider margh-leska = rocking horse marghnerth = horsepower marghogeth = to ride (a horse) marghti = stable horn margh = horseshoe |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | marc’heg = knight |
| Proto-Celtic | *ekʷos [ˈe.kʷos] = horse |
|---|---|
| Celtiberian | ekua- = horse |
| Gaulish | epos = horse |
| Primitive Irish | *ᚓᚊᚐᚄ (*eqas) [exʷah] = horse |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | ech [ex] = horse |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | each [ax] = horse (archaic) |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | each [ɛx] = horse |
| Manx (Gaelg) | agh [ax] = steed, riding horse |
| Proto-Brythonic | *eb [ɛːb] = horse |
| Old Welsh | eb = horse |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | ep, ebawl = colt, foal |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | ebol [ˈɛbɔl / ˈeːbɔl] = colt, foal, sucker cyfeb = mare in foal |
| Middle Cornish | ebol, ebel = foal, colt |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | ebel = horse |
| Old Breton | eb = horse |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | ebeul [ˈe.bøl] = foal keneb = mare in foal |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *h₁éḱwos, which is also the root of the Latin word for horse, equus, and the English word equine [source]. The horse goddess, Epona, may be related as well.
| Proto-Celtic | *uɸorēdos = horse |
|---|---|
| Gaulish | *werēdos = horse |
| Proto-Brythonic | *gworuɨð = horse |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | gorwydd = steed, horse |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | gorwydd = steed, horse |
Etymology: from the Proto-Celtic *uɸo- (under) and *rēdo- (to ride; riding, chariot), from Proto-Indo-European *(H)reydʰ- (to ride) [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *(φ?)lārek- = mare |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | láir = mare |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | láír [l̪ˠɑːɾʲ] = mare |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | làir [l̪ˠaːrʲ] = mare |
| Manx (Gaelg) | laair = mare |
Etymology: unknown [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *kankstikaā = mare |
|---|---|
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | caseg [ˈkasɛg] = mare |
| Old Cornish | cassec = mare |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | kasek = mare |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | kazeg = mare |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *ḱanḱest-/*kankest- (horse) [source].
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | serrach = colt, faol |
|---|---|
| Irish (Gaeilge) | searrach = colt, faol |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | searrach [ʃɛr̪ˠəx] = colt, faol, filly |
| Manx (Gaelg) | sharragh = faol |
Etymology: unknown [source].
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, MacBain’s Dictionary, teanglann.ie, On-Line Manx Dictionary, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Dictionnaire Favereau