Halves and Sides

Words for half, side and related things in Celtic languages.

half moon....

Proto-Celtic *letos = side
*ɸletos = breadth, side
Primitive Irish *ᚂᚓᚈᚐᚄ / *letas = half, direction, side
Old Irish (Goídelc) leth [l͈ʲeθ] = half, direction, side
Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) leth = half, side
Irish (Gaeilge) leath [lʲah/lʲæx/l̠ʲæ] = side, part, direction; half, part, portion
leathach = divided in two, two-part
leithead = breadth, width
leathadh = spreading, spread, diffusion, scattering, broadcasting
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) leth [l̪ʲeh] = half, side, share
leth-ghlic = half-witted
leth-leanabh = twin
leth-oireachas = separation, partiality, isolationism, favouritism
leisgeul = excuse, apology, pretext (from leth and sgeul [story])
Manx (Gaelg) lieh = part, half, behalf, makeshift
lieh fuinnit = half-baked
lieh henn = middle aged
Proto-Brythonic *lled = breadth, side
Middle Welsh (Kymreac) let, llet, led = year (of age)
Welsh (Cymraeg) lled [ɬeːd] = breadth, width, beam (of boat), latitude, amplitude, extent, diameter, thickness; half, part(ly), fairly, moderately
lleda(e)naf, lleda(e)nu = to spread out, scatter abroad, disseminate
lladaf, lledu = to became broad(er) / wide(r), broaden, open out, expand, become widespread
lleden = flat-fish, flat or sprawling (person/thing), flattish mass, blade, fluke
Middle Cornish (Cernewec) les = breadth, width, latitude
Cornish (Kernewek) les = breadth, width
lesa = to expand, spread
lesans = expansion, spread
Middle Breton (Brezonec) led = width, wideness, breadth; horizontally
ledan = wide, large, broad, vast, big
ledañ, lediñ, ledek = to stretch out, extend, spread (out)
ledanaat = to widen, broaden, stretch
Breton (Brezhoneg) led = wide, large, broad, spreading
a-led = horizontal
ledan = vast, wide
ledañ = to spread, generalize
ledanded = width, breadth

Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *pléth₂-os (breadth), from *pleth₂- (broad, flat) [source]. Words from the same PIE roots include field, flan, flat and fold (a pen for animals) in English, flat in English, and πλατεία (plateía – town square) in Greek [source].

Proto-Celtic *santeros = middle, half
Proto-Brythonic *hanter = half
Old Welsh hanther = half
Middle Welsh (Kymreac) hanner, hanher = half, middle
Welsh (Cymraeg) hanner [ˈhanɛr/ˈhanar] = half, middle, midday, midnight, side, part
hanner-cylchynol = semicircular
hanner dydd = midday, noon
hanner nos = midnight
Middle Cornish (Cernewec) hanter = half, a moiety
hanter dŷdh = midday
hanter nôs = midnight
Cornish (Kernewek) hanter = half
hantera = to halve
hanterdydh = midday, noon
hantergylgh = hemisphere
hanterkans = fifty
hanter-mis = fortnight, two weeks
hanter-nos = midnight
hanter-our = half-hour
hanter-pennwari = semi-final
hanter termyn = half time
Middle Breton (Brezonec) hanter = half
hanterañ, hanteriñ = to halve, cut in half
hanter-kant = fifty
hanter-war-hanter = neck and neck, tied
Breton (Brezhoneg) hanter [ˈhɑ̃n.tɛʁ] = half
hanter dro = u-turn
hanterad = mediator
hanterenn = half time
hanternoz = midnight

Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *sm̥teros (one of the two), from *sem- (one) and *-teros (contrastive suffix) [source]. Other words from the PIE root *sem- (one) include: same, seem, semi, similar and single in English [source].

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

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

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Rawness

Today we’re looking at the words for raw and related things in Celtic languages.

Raw

Proto-Celtic *omos = raw
Old Irish (Goídelc) om [oṽ] = raw, uncooked
Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) om = raw, uncooked; crude, undigested, immature; rude, unrefined, barbarous
Irish (Gaeilge) amh [ˈavˠ / ˈaw] = raw, uncooked
amhábhar = raw material, staple
aimhe = rawness, crudeness
amhainse = sharpness, astuteness
amhainseach = sharp, astute
amhchaoin = rough, uncouth
amhola = crude oil
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) amh [af] = raw, uncooked; extra rare, blue (meat); uncouth, crude
amhachd [avəxg] = rawness
Manx (Gaelg) aw = crude, raw, uncooked, undressed
awid = crudeness, rawness, rareness
awaneagh = moron, oaf; oafish, raw, rude, uncivilsed, vain
feill aw = raw meat
ooill aw = crude oil
Proto-Brythonic *oβ̃ = raw
Middle Welsh (Kymraec) of = crude, uncooked, raw
Welsh (Cymraeg) of [braːɨ̯n / brai̯n] = crude, untreated, uncooked, raw, bitter, sharp, nauseating, sickly
ofaf, ofi = to decompose, crumble, analyse

Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *h₂eh₃mós (raw, uncooked, bitter, sour), probably from *h₂eh₃- (to be hot, burn) [source].

Words for copper and bronze in Celtic languages possibly come from the same Proto-Celtic root, via the word *omiyom [source].

The Greek word ὠμός [oˈmos] (raw, uncooked, crude, brutal) comes from the same PIE root [source].

Middle Welsh (Kymraec) cri = crude, uncooked, raw
Welsh (Cymraeg) cri [kriː] = raw, fresh, new, crude, coarse, unfulled (cloth), unleavened
bara cri = unleavened bread
defnyddiau cri = raw materials
teisen gri = griddle cake, Welsh cake
Middle Cornish (Cernewec) criv = rude, raw, green, newly made, unripe
Cornish (Kernewek) kriv = crude, fresh, raw, uncooked, unripe
krivder = rawness
gossen griv = raw umber
Middle Breton criz, cry = raw, crude, cruel, rough
Breton (Brezhoneg) kriz = raw, crude, cruel, rough
gopr kriz = gross salary
hollad kriz = gross total
obar kriz = act of barbarism

Etymology: possibly from the Latin crūdus (raw, bloody), from the Proto-Italic *krūros (bloody), from the Proto-Indo-European *kruh₂rós (bloody), from *krewh₂- (raw meat, fresh blood). The English words crude and cruel come from the same Latin root, and raw comes from the same PIE root [source].

Middle Welsh (Kymraec) amrwt = raw, uncooked
Welsh (Cymraeg) amrwd [ˈamrʊd] = raw, uncooked, unprocessed, undigested, crude, untreated, unrefined, rough, approximate

Etymology: from the Proto-Celtic *an (un-) and *brutus (boiling heat), from the Proto-Indo-European *bʰrewh₁- (to boil, brew) [source].

Other words from the Proto-Celtic root *brutus include brwd (eager, keen, passionate, zealous) and brwdfrydedd (enthusiasm) in Welsh, and bruth (heat, rash, eruption, nap, pile, surf) in Irish [source].

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

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, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, Le dictionnaire diachronique du breton, Geriafurch, English – ProtoCeltic WordList (PDF), Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic

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