To Carry / Flow

11th February 201924th January 2025 By Simon

Words for to carry, to flow and related things in Celtic languages.

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

Proto-Celtic	bereti = to carry ɸarebereti = to use
Old Irish (Gaídelc)	beirid [ˈbʲerʲiðʲ] = to carry, bear, bring forth, judge ar·beir [arˈbʲerʲ] = to live, use, employ, eat, reproach, subdue, express
Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)	beirid, berid = to carry, infer, bear, bring forth, be born, yield, produce, judge, pass judgement ar-beir, airbir = to live, eat, use, employ, plead, subdue, express
Irish (Gaeilge)	beir [bʲɛɾʲ] = to bear, give birth to; lay (eggs); bear away, win; bring, take; catch, overtake; proceed, advance
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig)	beir [berʲ] = to take hold; bring forth, bear, produce; carry beirachd [berʲəxg] = bearing (children), giving birth, birthing, bringing forth, birth, nativity, taking hold, holding, catching up with
Manx (Gaelg)	behr = to bear (give birth to) ruggyr = birth, nativity laa ruggyr, laa ruggyree = birthday
Proto-Brythonic	bėrɨd [be̝ˈrɨːd] = to flow, carry ėrβėrɨd [be̝ˈrɨːd] = to make use of, employ, take
Middle Welsh (Kymraec)	beru = to flow
Welsh (Cymraeg)	beru = to flow, drip; drizzle arfer [ˈarvɛr] = to use, be used to, be accustomed to; custom, practice, procedure, habit
Middle Cornish (Cernewec)	berthy = to bear, carry, sustain, entertain, take perthy = to bear, carry, sustain, entertain, take porthy = to bear (with), carry, endure, sustain, suffer
Cornish (Kernewek)	perthi = to bear, endure, put up with, stand, suffer, tolerate perthyans = endurance, patience, tolerance
Middle Breton	beraff = to flow
Breton (Brezhoneg)	berañ [ˈbeːrã] = to drip, flow

Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *bʰéreti (to be carrying), from *bʰer- (to bear, carry) [source]. Words from the same roots include: barn, barrow, (to) bear, birth, broad and (to) thole (to endure) in English, bie (to bring, deliver) Albanian, բերել (berel – to bring, fetch) Armenian, and berti (to throw, strew, scatter, shed) Lithuanian [source].

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, Dictionnaires bilingues de Francis Favereau / Edition Skol Vreizh, TermOfis

To Praise

11th February 201918th February 2019 By Simon

Words for to praise in Celtic languages.

Proto-Celtic	molātor = to praise, laud
Old Irish (Goídelc)	molaidir = to praise
Irish (Gaeilge)	mol = to praise, commend, recommend, award (verb noun = moladh)
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig)	mol [mɔl̪ˠ] = to praise, extol, recommend, advise, exalt, magnify (verb noun = moladh)
Manx (Gaelg)	moyl = to cheer (praise), bamboozle, recommend, compliment, commend, applaud, laud (verb noun = moylley)
Old Welsh	molim = to praise
Middle Welsh (Kymraec)	moli = to praise
Welsh (Cymraeg)	moli = to praise, laud, eulogize, extol, magnify, honour, cheer
Middle Breton	meuliff = to praise
Breton (Brezhoneg)	meuliñ = to praise, flatter, stroke

Etymology: possibly related to the Proto-Indo-European *meldʰ- (praise) [source].

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

To Choke

28th January 201928th January 2019 By Simon

Words for to choke in Celtic languages.

Old Irish (Goídelc)	tachtad = to choke
Irish (Gaeilge)	tacht = to choke, strangle, suffocate (verb noun = tachtadh)
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig)	tachd [taxɡ] = to choke, strangle, throttle, clog (verb noun = tachdadh)
Manx (Gaelg)	toghtey = to foul, clog, choke, strangle, throttle, garrotte, jugulate
Welsh (Cymraeg)	(ys)tagu = to choke, stifle, suffocate, strangle, throttle, cough
Cornish (Kernewek)	taga [‘taga / ‘tægɐ] = to choke, clog, strangle, suffocate
Breton (Brezhoneg)	tagañ = to strangle, choke, attack

Etymology: possibly from the Proto-Indo-European *tak- (to be quiet) [source], the same root as the English word tacit [source].

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

Fire Angels

27th January 201922nd February 2020 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

To Burn

24th January 201910th February 2025 By Simon

Words for to burn and related things in Celtic languages.

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

Proto-Celtic	lasketi = to burn laxsaros = shining, burning *losk-os = ?
Old Irish (Goídelc)	loscid = to burn loiscnech = burning loscud = burning, fire fo·loisci = to scorch
Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)	loscid, laiscedh, losced = to burn, consume by fire, lay waste by fire, inflame, afflict, revile
Irish (Gaeilge)	loisc = to burn, fire, scorch, sear, sting – (verb noun = loscadh) loiscadh = burning, searing, scorching, stinging loisceanta = flaming, fiery loisceantacht = fieriness loisceoir = incinerator loiscneach = firing, firewood, caustic, burning, stinging, pain, scorched, arid, fiery, fierce loiscní = fiery intensity, fieriness, aridity, burned, parched, condition
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig)	loisg [l̪ˠɔʃɡ̊ʲ] = to burn, inflame, consume, parch, singe; scorch, scald; fire (a gun) – (verb noun = losagadh) loisgeach [l̪ˠɔʃgʲəx] = burning, fiery, flaming, incendiary, inflammatory, igneous, caustic, corroding loisgeadair [l̪ˠɔʃgʲədɪrʲ] = burner, incinerator loisgte [l̪ˠɔʃdʲə] = burnt, scorched, scalded, drunk
Manx (Gaelg)	losht = to burn, burn up, burn away, incinerate, cremate, fire, alight – (verb noun = lostey) loshtee, loshtit = igneous, burnt loshteyr = arsonist, firebrand, incendiarist loshteyder = arsonist, burner, incinerator yn-loshtey = combustible
Middle Welsh (Kymraec)	llosc = burning, scalding, burn lloscadwy = combustible, burning, fiery, scorching lloscy, llosci, llosgi = to be on fire, blaze, be alight lloscetic, lloskedic, llosgedic, lloscedic = burnt, charred, burning, fiery
Welsh (Cymraeg)	llosg = burning, scalding, burn, scald, fire, conflagration, blaze, arson, singeing, inflammation llosgadwy = combustible, burning, fiery, scorching llosgi [ˈɬɔskɪ / ˈɬɔski] = to be on fire, blaze, be alight, be burnt or be fired, burn up, burn down, burn away; be inflamed, smart, sting, be sunburnt; be inflamed with anger, passion, etc llosg(i)edig = burnt, charred, burning, fiery
Middle Cornish (Cernewec)	losc = a burning, inflammation, searing lescy, loscy = to burn, to be burning losow, lusow = ashes
Cornish (Kernewek)	leski [lɛski] = to burn losk = burning, combustion loskadow = flammable loskrias, loskriades = arsonist loskrians = arson loskven = sulphur loskvenydh, loskvena = volcano
Old Breton	lescsit = to burn
Middle Breton (Brezonec)	lisquiff, lesquiff, losquan = to burn losquadur [los.ˈkɑː.dyr] = burning
Breton (Brezhoneg)	leskiñ, loskañ [ˈles.kɪ̃] = to burn, calcine, irriate losk = burnt, burning loskadur [los.ˈkɑː.dyr] = burning loskus = burning

Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *lh₂p-sḱéti, from *leh₂p- (to light, shine), or from PIE *luk-s-ko-s, from *lewk- (bright, to shine, to see) [source]. Words from the same roots include lamp in English, λάμπω (lámpo – to shine) in Greek, and lāpa (torch) in Latvian.

To search

20th January 201920th January 2019 By Simon

Words for to search / track in Celtic languages.

Old Irish (Goídelc)	lorg = path, track
Irish (Gaeilge)	lorg [ˈl̪ˠɔɾˠəɡ / ˈl̪ˠʌɾˠəɡ] = to track, trace; seek, search for
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig)	lorg [ˈl̪ˠɔrɔg] = to trace, track, search, pursue, follow by scent or footprints
Manx (Gaelg)	lorgey = to trace, track, pursue

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

Welsh (Cymraeg)	chwilio [ˈχwɪljɔ / ˈχwɪljɔ] = to search, seek; trace, investigate, examine; rummage, ransack; try
Cornish (Kernewek)	hwilas [‘ʍilas / ‘ʍilɐz] = to seek, look for, attempt, try, search
Breton (Brezhoneg)	c’houilia = to search

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

Wet

19th January 201919th January 2019 By Simon

Words for to wet in Celtic languages.

Proto-Celtic	*wlikʷos = to wet
Old Irish (Goídelc)	fliuch [fʲlʲiu̯x] = wet
Irish (Gaeilge)	fliuch [fʲlʲʊx] = wet
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig)	fliuch [flux] = wet, watery, rainy, moist, damp, oozy, fluid, liquid
Manx (Gaelg)	fliugh = wet, soggy, inclement, marshy, swampy, humid, dank, watery or waxy (of potatoes)
Proto-Brythonic	*gwlɨb [ˈɡwlɨːb] = wet
Old Welsh	gulip = wet
Middle Welsh (Kyrmaec)	gulip / gwlyp = wet
Welsh (Cymraeg)	gwlyb [ɡwlɨːb / ɡwliːb] = wet, moist, fluid, liquid; rainy; addicted to drink; drink, liquor, gravy
Cornish (Kernewek)	glyb [glɪ:b] = moist, damp, wet gleb [gle:b] = moist, damp, wet
Old Breton	gulip = wet
Middle Breton	gloeb / glueb = wet
Breton (Brezhoneg)	gleb = wet, humid

Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *wleykʷ- (moist, to wet) [source].

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

Dry

17th January 201917th January 2019 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].

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

To Wash

15th January 201915th January 2019 By Simon

Words for to wash in Celtic languages.

Proto-Celtic	*nigyeti = to wash
Old Irish (Goídelc)	nigid = to wash
Irish (Gaeilge)	nigh [nʲɪɟ / n̠ʲiː] = to wash
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig)	nì [ɲiː] = to wash, cleanse, purify, bathe
Manx (Gaelg)	niee = to wash, launder, bathe, pan, flush

Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *neygʷ- (to wash) [source].

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

Proto-Celtic	*wolk- = wet, milk
Old Irish (Goídelc)	folcaid = washes
Irish (Gaeilge)	folc(tha) = to bathe, wash, lave; pour down, shed; dip, immerse, submerge
Welsh (Cymraeg)	golchi [ˈɡɔlχɪ/ ˈɡɔlχi] = to wash, rinse; burnish; cleanse, purify; flow over or past; coat; beat, thump
Cornish (Kernewek)	golhi [‘gɔlhi] = to wash, bathe
Breton (Brezhoneg)	gwalc’hiñ = to wash

Sources: Wiktionary, teanglann.ie, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Dictionnaire Favereau

To Sit

14th January 201919th January 2019 By Simon

Words for to sit in Celtic languages.

Proto-Celtic	*sedo- = to sit
Irish (Gaeilge)	suigh [sˠɪɟ / sˠiː] = to sit; set, let, rent; seat, place, locate, settle, arrange, fix, establish
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig)	suidh [suj] = to sit down; incubate, sit on eggs
Manx (Gaelg)	soie = to sit, situate, mount, invest
Proto-Brythonic	*estied = to sit
Old Welsh	estid = to sit
Welsh (Cymraeg)	eistedd [ˈei̯sdɛð / ˈei̯sdɛð] = to sit, be seated, kneel, exercise judicial authority, sit in judgement; be in session, rest, be still; fit well; occupy, be in possession (of land), settle, remain, dwell; incubate, brood
Old Cornish	estid = to sit
Cornish (Kernewek)	esedha [ɛ’zɛða / (ə)’zɛðɐ] = to sit, take a seat
Breton (Brezhoneg)	sichañ = to sit, lie, be located; beseige, lay siege to

Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *sed- (to sit) [source].

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

Celtiadur

Exploring connections between Celtic languages

Category: Language

To Carry / Flow

To Praise

To Choke

Fire Angels

To Burn

To search

Wet

Dry

To Wash

To Sit