Words for fist, palm, hand, arm and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic |
*ɸlāmā = palm, hand |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) |
lám [l͈aːṽ] = hand, arm, prowess, accomplishment, power |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhleag) |
lám = hand, arm, prowess, accomplishment, power
lámann, lámand, lámínd = glove, gauntlet, sleeve
lámannán, lamannan = bladder |
| Irish (Gaeilge) |
lámh [l̪ˠɑːvˠ / l̪ˠæːw] = hand, arm, handle, signature, measure (of horses)
lámhach = skill in handling, in casting, dexterity
lámhadóir = handler
lámhainn = glove
lámhainneoir = glove-maker
lámhainneoireacht = glove-making
lámhaíocht = helping hand, subscription |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) |
làmh [l̪ˠaːv] = hand, arm, handle
làmhainn [l̪ˠaːvɪn̪ʲ] = glove, mitten, gauntlet
làmhchaireach = handy
làmhcharach = dexterous, handy
làmhchran, làmhrachan = handle
làmhnan = handyman
làmhadh = pawing, handling, groping |
| Manx (Gaelg) |
laue [læu] = hand, handful, foreleg, grasp (of oar), arm
lauee = dexterous, handy, useful, versatile, manual
lauean = glove
laueys = alacrity, elbow grease, skilfulness, industy |
| Proto-Brythonic |
*lọβ̃ [ˈlɔːβ̃] = palm, hand |
| Old Welsh |
lau = hand |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) |
lav, law, llav, llaw = hand
llaw agor, llawegor, llaw egor = generous, bountiful |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) |
llaw [ɬaːu̯ / ɬau̯] = hand; authority, control, rule, management, power; ownership, possession; influence; agency, instrumentality, part; guardianship, keeping, custody, care, protection; side, direction, position; skill, touch
llawagor, llawegor = generous, bountiful, liberal, open-handed, creeping thistle, water-pepper
llawaid = handful
llawan = little hand |
| Old Cornish |
lof = hand |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) |
lau, lef, lof, luef = hand
lofgurchel = utensil |
| Cornish (Kernewek) |
leuv [lœ:v / le:v] = hand
leuvdosa = to massage
leuvdosans = massage
leuvherdhya = to hand-off
leuvvedhegel = surgical
leuvvedhek, leuvvedhoges = surgeon
leuvwelen = baton |
| Old Breton |
lom = hand |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) |
lau = hand |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) |
lav [lav] = feathered hand |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₂meh₂ (palm, hand). The Faroese word lámur (flipper, paw, left hand) comes from the same Proto-Celtic root, via the Old Norse lámr (hand, arm) [source].
| Proto-Celtic |
*bostā = palm, fist |
| Gaulish |
*bostyā = palm, fist |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) |
bos / bas = palm |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhleag) |
bas, bos, bass = palm of the hand
basach = having hoofs or claws
baslach = handful |
| Irish (Gaeilge) |
bos = palm (of hand); handful; slap; flat end, blade
bosach = bladed, flat-footed
bosachán = flat-footed person
bosaíl = patting, flat-footedness
boslach = handful |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) |
bas [bas] = palm (of hand), lower end of a shinty stick, eye (of a fishing hook)
bas-bhualadh = clapping of hands, applause
baslachadh= clapping, cupping (in one’s hands)
basgar = applause, skirl (in music)
baslach = handful, palmful, baptism |
| Manx (Gaelg) |
bass = palm, flat of hand, blade of oar, scale pan, bass
bassag = backhander, clap, clout, pat, slap, smack
bassey = applause, clap, clapping
basslagh = double handful, enough to cover palm, palmful |
| Proto-Brythonic |
*bos [ˈbos] = hand |
| Old Welsh |
bos = palm |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) |
bos = palm |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) |
bos = palm (of the hand), unit of length |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) |
boz = hollow of the hand |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) |
boz [ˈboːs] = hollow of the hand |
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
Etymology: possibly from the Proto-Indo-European *gʷésdos (branch) [source]. The Middle Latin word bostia (small box, reliquaire was borrowed from the Gaulish *bostyā, and became bostellus (bushel), the root of the French word boisseau (bushel, hollow cylinder), and the English word bushel [source].
| Old Irish (Goídelc) |
rig [r͈ʲiɣ] = forearm |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhleag) |
rig = forearm from wrist to elbow |
| Irish (Gaeilge) |
rí [ɾˠiː] = forearm |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) |
ruighe [r̪ˠujə] = plain, flat ground, (at base of a mountain), shieling area, forearm
ruigheadh = laying out a body, shrouding, stretching out
ruigheachas = tussle, armwrestling
ruigheachdail = accessible |
| Manx (Gaelg) |
roih = arm, forearm |
Etymology: possibly from the Old Irish *reg (to stretch) [source].
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhleag) |
brac, brach = arm, hand
bracann, bracand = sleeve
braccaille = glove |
| Irish (Gaeilge) |
brac = arm (literary), bracket
bracach = brachial
bracaíl = brachiation |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) |
brac [braxg] = arm, curve (of a breaking wave), branch (of antlers), deer (poetic) |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) |
ureich, ureych, braich = arm |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) |
braich [brai̯χ] = arm, care, assistance, support, power, might, strength, forelimb of animal, wing, headland, creek
braich olwyn = spoke (of wheel)
braich o’r môr, braich o fôr = arm of the sea, inlet
braich ym mraich = arm-in-arm |
| Old Cornish |
bregh = arm |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) |
brech, brêch, breh = arm
brechol = sleeve |
| Cornish (Kernewek) |
bregh [brɛ:x /bre:ʰ] = arm
breghel = sleeve
breghellik = bracelet |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) |
brech, breach, bræch = hand, paw |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) |
brec’h = hand
brec’had = handful
brec’hata = to grasp round the waist, embrace |
Etymology: from Latin bracchium (hand). Words from the same Latin root include brachium (upper arm) in English, bras (arm) in French, brazo (arm, branch, (tree) limb) in Spanish, and braccio (arm) in Italian [source].
| Proto-Celtic |
*durnos = fist |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) |
dorn = fist |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhleag) |
dorn, dornn, dord = hand, fist, possession, handle
dornach = generous-handed
dornán = fistful, handful, sheaf
dornasc = bracelet
dornóc = glove, mitten |
| Irish (Gaeilge) |
dorn [d̪ˠoːɾˠn̪ˠ] = fist; punch; fistful, small quantity; handle, grip
dornáil = boxing
dornálaí = boxer
dornán = fistful, handful, small quantity or number, small handle, grip
dornóg = mitten
dornúil = pugilistic |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) |
dòrn [dɔːr̪ˠn̪ˠ] = fist; punch, hilt, handle
dòrnach = fistful, boxer, pugilist
dòrnadaireachd = boxing, pugilism
dòrnan = small fist, handful, grip,
dòrnag = fist-sized pebble/stone, oar handle, gauntlet
dòrnair = boxer, pugilist
dòrnlach = handful, batch |
| Manx (Gaelg) |
doarn = fist, pad, sword handle, grip
doarnane = haft, hilt, spoke, handle, hand grip, fistful
doarney = box, boxing, buffet
doarneyr = boxer
doarneyrys = boxing (match), fighting |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) |
durn, dwrn,, dyrn = fist, hand, paw, hilt, handle |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) |
dwrn = fist, hand, paw, hilt, handle, haft, pommel, knob
dwrn caead = clenched fist |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) |
dorn = fist, hand, handle, hilt |
| Cornish (Kernewek) |
dorn [dɔrn] = fist, hand, handle
dorna = to bash, beat, punch, strike, thrash
dornas = fistful, handful
dornbel = handball
dornel = manual
dornlyver, dornlever = handbook
dornskrif = manuscript
dornweyth = handicraft |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) |
dornn, dorn, dourn = hand
dornat, dournat, dournad = handle, handful
dornaff, dournaff = to beat, hit
dornec = large-handed |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) |
dorn [ˈdɔʁn] = hand, fist
dornad = handle, handful
dornañ = to beat, hit
dornek = large-handed |
Etymology: probably loaned from a non-Indo-European substrate language [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, Lexicon Cornu-britannicum: A Dictionary of the Ancient Celtic Language of Cornwall, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, Le dictionnaire diachronique du breton, Geriafurch, English – ProtoCeltic WordList (PDF), Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic
