Category: Latin (lingua latīna)

Old Woman, Crone, Hag

By Simon

Words for old woman, crone, hag in Celtic languages.

Old Irish (Goídelc) caillech = nun, housekeeper, elderly woman, crone, hag
Irish (Gaeilge) cailleach = nun, old woman; hag; precocious girl; spineless fellow, coward; spent, shrivelled, thing; stump; truss, bundle (of straw)
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) cailleach [kaʎəx] = old lady, old woman; old biddy, hag; her indoors, the wife, the old lady; landlady
Manx (Gaelg) caillagh = witch, crone, old woman, single woman; glaucous gull

Etymology: from the Old Irish caille (veil), from the Latin pallium (cloak, coverlet) [source].

Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, teanglann.ie, On-Line Manx Dictionary

Proto-Celtic *wrakkā = woman
Old Irish (Goídelc) frac = woman
Welsh (Cymraeg) gwrach = ugly old woman, crone, hag, witch, sorceress
Old Cornish gruah = old woman
Cornish (Kernewek) gwragh [gwra:x / gwræ:h] = hag, witch, wrasse (fish), woodlouse
Breton (Brezhoneg) gwrac’h = old woman, witch, fairy, mermaid

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

Sources: Wiktionary, Proto-Celtic English Word List, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Dictionnaire Favereau

King

By Simon

Words for king in Celtic languages.

Proto-Celtic *rīxs = king
Celtiberian reikis = king
Gaulish rix = king
Primitive Irish ᚏᚔᚌᚐᚄ (rigas) = king
Old Irish (Goídelc) rí [r͈ʲiː] = king
Irish (Gaeilge) rí [ɾˠiː] = king, sovereign, monarch
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) rìgh [rʲiː] = king, Lord (God)
Manx (Gaelg) ree = king
Proto-Brythonic *riɣ [ˈriːɣ] = king
Old Welsh ri = king
Middle Welsh (Kymraec) ri = king
Welsh (Cymraeg) rhi [r̥iː] = king, prince, lord, ruler, chieftain
Middle Cornish ruy = king, sovereign ruler
Old Breton ri = king

Brian Boru, High King of Ireland (1002-1014)
Etymology
From the Proto-Indo-European *h₃rḗǵs (king, ruler) [source], which is also the root of the German word Reich (empire, realm), and the English suffix -ric, as in bishopric (a diocese or region of a church which a bishop governs) [source].

The Gaulish word rix appears in names such as Vercingetorix, Dumnorix and Asterix.

Proto-Celtic *brigantīnos = (someone) pre-eminent, outstanding
Proto-Brythonic *brɨɣėntin [brɨɣe̝nˈtiːn] = lord, king
Middle Welsh (Kymraec) breenhin = king
Welsh (Cymraeg) brenin [ˈbrɛnɪn / ˈbreːnɪn] = king, sovereign, monarch, head of region
Middle Cornish brentyn / bryntyn = king
Old Breton brientin / brientinion = king

Etymology
From the Proto-Indo-European *bʰerǵʰ- (to rise; high, lofty; hill, mountain) [source],.

Welsh (Cymraeg) mechdeyrn, mychdeyrn, machdeyrn = king, lord, monarch, emperor, God, tributary prince, viceroy
Cornish (Kernewek) metern [mə’tɛrn] / myghtern [mɪx’tɛrn] = king
Old Breton machtiern = king

Etymology
From the Welsh mach (surety, guarantor, sponsor, hostage) and teyrn (sovereign, monarch, king) [source],.

Source: Gerlyver Kernewek, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru

Middle Breton roe = king
Breton (Brezhoneg) roue = king

Etymology
From the French roi (king), which comes, via Latin, from the Proto-Indo-European *h₃rḗǵs (king, ruler) [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, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, Le dictionnaire diachronique du breton, Geriafurch, English – ProtoCeltic WordList (PDF), Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic

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Fire Angels

By Simon

Words for fire in Celtic languages.

Proto-Celtic *teɸnets = fire
Old Irish (Goídelc) teine [ˈtʲenʲe] = fire
Irish (Gaeilge) tine [ˈtʲɪnʲə] = fire, conflagration; incandescence, flame; luminosity, glow; flash; inflammation
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) teine [tʲenə] = fire, flame, conflagration
Manx (Gaelg) çhenney = elemental fire, lightning, rickets
Middle Welsh (Kymraec) tan [taːn] = fire
Welsh (Cymraeg) tân [taːn] = fire, conflagration, bonfire, flame, spark, light (for a cigarette), match; high temperature (from fever)
Cornish (Kernewek) tan [ta:n / tæ:n] = fire
Breton (Brezhoneg) tan [ˈtɑ̃ːn] = fire

Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *tep- (to be warm) [source].

Old Irish (Goídelc) aingel [ˈaŋʲɡʲel] = angel
Irish (Gaeilge) aingeal [ˈæɲɟəl] = angel; fire, lighted coal
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) aingeal [ˈãĩŋʲgʲəl̪ˠ] = angel, messenger, fire, light, sunshine; brightness, light; signal fire, beacon; warmth
Manx (Gaelg) aile [ail] = fire
ainle = angel
Welsh (Cymraeg) angel [ˈaŋɛl] = angel
Cornish (Kernewek) eledh = angel
Breton (Brezhoneg) ael = angel

Etymology: from the Late Latin angelus (angel, messenger), from the Ancient Greek ἄγγελος (ángelos – messenger) [source].

Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, teanglann.ie, On-Line Manx Dictionary, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Dictionnaire Favereau

Beltane

Dry

By Simon

Words for dry and to dry in Celtic languages.

Old Irish (Goídelc) tírim = dry
Irish (Gaeilge) tirim [tʲɾʲɪmʲ] = dry, parched, thirsty, without mortar, solid, bare
triomú = to dry
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) tirim [tʲirʲɪm] = arid, dry; droughty, mealy
tiormaich [tʲirəmɪç] = to dry, make dry, parch, dry up
Manx (Gaelg) çhirrym [tʲɾʲɪmʲ] = arid, dry, waterless, sapless
chyrmaghey = to dry, dry up

Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, teanglann.ie, On-Line Manx Dictionary

Proto-Brythonic *sɨx [ˈsɨːx] = dry
Old Welsh sech = dry, arid
Middle Welsh (Kymraec) sych = dry, arid
Welsh (Cymraeg) sych [sɨːχ / siːχ] = dry, arid
sychu [ˈsəχɨ / ˈsəχi] = to dry; drain, deplete; become dry, dry up, wither; heal, wipe
Cornish (Kernewek) segh [ze:h] / sygh [sɪ:x] = arid, dry
segha [‘sɛha / ‘zɛhɐ] = to dry, wipe
Breton (Brezhoneg) sec’h [ˈsɛːχ] = dry, unproductive (field)
sec’hañ = to dry

Etymology: from the Latin siccus (dry, sober, thirsty) [source].

Drying Laundry

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

To Stand

By Simon

Words for to stand in Celtic languages.

Proto-Celtic *sista- = to stand
Celtiberian sistat = to stand
Old Irish (Gaídelc) sessam = standing (by/fast), defending, standing resisting, holding out, making a stand
Irish (Gaeilge) seas [ʃasˠ] = to stand, stop, stay, last, keep, remain valid, bear, endure, resist, withstand, stand up for, defend
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) seas [ʃes] = to stand, maintain, support, defend, continue, endure, stop, stand by
Manx (Gaelg) shass [ʃas] = to stand
Proto-Brythonic *stab- = to stand
Welsh (Cymraeg) sefyll [ˈsɛvɨ̞ɬ / ˈseːvɪɬ] = to stand, be standing or upright, be or remain on one’s feet; stand (up), get up; stand or tread (on); to be located, lie; to come to a halt, stand still, stop, come to end, cease, fail
Cornish (Kernewek) sevel [‘sɛvɛl / ‘zɛvɐl] = to stand, arise, get up, rise, halt, raise up, abstain from
Breton (Brezhoneg) sevel = to rise, lift, remove, draw, build, train, compose, sell, invent, push, repay

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Note: the Brythonic words may not come from the same root as the Goidelic words.

Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *stísteh₂ti (to be standing up, be getting up), from *steh₂- (to stand) [source].

The sist part of exist, resist, desist, consist, etc comes from the same root, via the Latin sisto (I stand, set, place, appear) [source]

Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, teanglann.ie, On-Line Manx Dictionary, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Dictionnaire Favereau

To Write

By Simon

Words for to write in Celtic languages.

Old Irish (Goídelc) scríbaid = to write
Irish (Gaeilge) scríobh [ʃcɾʲiːvˠ / ʃcɾʲiːw] = to write, fill in, fill out, compose
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) sgrìobh [sgrʲiːv] = to write, compose a book, record, engrave
Manx (Gaelg) screeu = to write, scribe, pen, document, inscribe
Welsh (Cymraeg) ysgrifennu [əsɡrɪˈvɛnɨ̞ / əsɡrɪˈvɛni] = to write, note (down)
Cornish (Kernewek) skrifa [‘skrifa / ‘skrifɐ ] = to write
Breton (Brezhoneg) skrivañ = to write

Etymology: from Latin scrībō (I write), from Proto-Italic *skreiβō (to carve), from the Proto-Indo-European *(s)kreybʰ- (to scratch, tear) [source].

Note: the Welsh word ysgrifennu is often abbreviated to sgrifennu or sgwennu is colloquial Welsh.

Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, On-Line Manx Dictionary, Teaglann.ie, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Dictionnaire Favereau

To Read

By Simon

Words for to read in Celtic languages.

Old Irish (Goídelc) légaid = to read, study, read aloud, recite
Irish (Gaeilge) léigh [lʲeːɟ] = to read
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) leugh [l̪ːev] = to read
Manx (Gaelg) lhaih [ˈkaːðəl] = to read
Welsh (Cymraeg) llên [ɬeːn] = literature, lore
darllen [ˈdarɬɛn / ˈdarɬɛn] = to read, peruse; read aloud; learn; discern by observation, understand a person’s character; scrutinize
Cornish (Kernewek) lenna [‘lɛn:a / ‘lɛnɐ] = to read
Breton (Brezhoneg) lenn = to read

Etymology: from Latin legō (I read), from the Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- (to gather) [source].

Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, Fockleyreen: Manx – English Dictionary, Teaglann.ie, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Dictionnaire Favereau

Alive & Living

By Simon

Words for alive & living in Celtic languages.

Proto-Celtic *biwos = alive, living, mortal
Old Irish (Goídelc) béo [bʲeːu̯] = alive, living
Irish (Gaeilge) beo [bʲoː / bʲɔː] = living, alive; live, active; living being; life; livelihood; quick; to live
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) beò [bjɔː] = alive, live, living; lively; vivid; vital; quick, lively, sprightly
Manx (Gaelg) bio [bʲoː] = alive, live, lifelike, bright, hot, activated, pictorial, afloat, live person, spring tide after neap
Proto-Brythonic *bɨw = alive, living
Welsh (Cymraeg) byw [bɨu̯ / bɪu̯] = alive, living, having life, animate, quick, existing, actual; lively, full of life, vivacious, vigorous, sprightly, spirited, eager, sparkling; vivid, graphic; susceptible to
byw (verb) = to live, lead one’s life, subsist, exist; dwell, inhabit, to animate, revive
Cornish (Kernewek) bew [beˑʊ] = active, agile, alive, lively, living,
switched on
bewa = to live, be alive
Breton (Brezhoneg) bev = alive, living, lively
bevañ = to live, feed

Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *gʷih₃wós (alive, living) [source].

Old Irish (Goídelc) forig, fuirset = to remain, stay
Irish (Gaeilge) fuirigh = to hold back, delay, wait, stay
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) fuirich [fuɾʲɪç] = to stay, wait, delay, linger, abide
Manx (Gaelg) fariagh [bʲoː] = to stay
Old Irish (Goídelc) cómnuigim = I rest
congaib [konˈɡavʲ] = to contain, preserve, keep, uphold
Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) cómnuigim = I rest
congaib [konˈɡavʲ] = to contain, preserve, keep, uphold
Irish (Gaeilge) cónaigh [ˈkoːn̪ˠɪɟ / ˈkoːnˠə / ˈkɔːnˠi] = living, alive; live, active; living being; life; livelihood; quick; to live
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) cumail [kumal] = (act of) keeping, holding, retaining; witholding; celebrating, observing
còmhnaidh [kɔ̃ːnɪ] = (act of) occupying, inhabiting, dwelling, residing; occupancy, occupation, habitation, residence; (act of) abiding; abode
Manx (Gaelg) cummal = to grip, hold, keep, arrest, contain, retain, live, inhabit

Etymology: from the Old Irish com- (with) and gaibid (to hold, grasp, take, seize, capture) [source].

Old Irish (Goídelc) maraid [ˈma.rəðʲ] = to last, persist, remain; to survive, live
Irish (Gaeilge) mair = to live, to last
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) mair [marʲ] = to live, to exist, to continue

Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *merh₂- (to seize, grip) [source].

Welsh (Cymraeg) trigio = to live (in), dwell, reside, lodge, stay, remain, delay, linger
godrig(af) = to stay, tarry, remain, abide, dwell, sojourn; stay or tarry for; rest upon, insist; linger, delay.
Middle Cornish trege, trega, tryga, tryge = to remain, stay, dwell
Cornish (Kernewek) triga = to remain, stay, dwell
Old Breton guotric = to stay

Etymology: from Latin trīcō (to delay) [source].

The word for to live in Breton, chom, comes from the Old French chômer (to be idle, to be out of work), from the Late Latin caumāre, from caumō (I rest during the heat), from the Ancient Greek καῦμα (kaûma – heat). [source].

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

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

Elbows

By Simon

Words for elbow in Celtic languages.

Proto-Celtic *olīnā = elbow, angle
Old Irish (Goídelc) uilen = elbow, forearm; angle, corner
Irish (Gaeilge) uillinn = elbow, angle
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) uileann [ulən̪ˠ] = elbow, angle
Manx (Gaelg) uillin = elbow, elbow joint, crook, angle, corner, nudge
Welsh (Cymraeg) elin [ˈɛlɪn / ˈeːlɪn] = elbow, forearm; angle, bend
Cornish (Kernewek) elin [‘ɛlɪn] = elbow, angle
Breton (Brezhoneg) ilin = elbow, bend

Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *Heh₃l- (to bend). Cognate with the Latin ulna (elbow, arm), and the English ulna (one of the bones in the forearm) [source].

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

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

Cheeks

By Simon

Words for cheek in Celtic languages.

Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) bòc [bɔːxg] = bloat, inflate, puff; rise, surge, swell
Welsh (Cymraeg) boch [boːχ] = cheek, jaw, mouth
Cornish (Kernewek) bogh [bɔ:x / boːʰ] = cheek
Breton (Brezhoneg) boc’h [pɛ̃n] = cheek

Etymology: from Latin bucca (cheek, mouth) [source].

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

Irish (Gaeilge) leiceann = cheek, side-face
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) lethcheann [l̪ʲeçən̪ˠ] = side of the head, temple, cheek
Manx (Gaelg) lieckan = cheek, side-face, profile, banging post

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