A post about words for disciple, pupil, student, school and related things in Celtic languages, and related words in other languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Old Irish (Goídelc) |
deiscipul [ˈdʲesʲkʲibul] = disciple, student |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) |
deiscipul, disgibul, deiscibul = disciple, pupil |
| Irish (Gaeilge) |
deisceabal [ˈdʲɛʃcəbˠəlˠ] = disciple |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) |
deisciobal [dʲeʃgʲəbəl̪ˠ] = disciple
deisciobalachd [dʲeʃgʲəbəl̪ˠəxg] = discipleship |
| Proto-Brythonic |
*dɨskɨbl = disciple (?) |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) |
disgybyl, discipl, dyscybl = learner, pupil, beginner, apprentice, novice, adherent, follower, disciple
disgyblaeth, discipliaeth = discipline, discipleship, doctrine, religious, instruction
disgyblu, discyblu = to imitate, emulate |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) |
disgybl [ˈdɪsɡɨ̞bl/ˈdɪskɪbl̩] = learner, pupil, beginner, apprentice, novice, adherent, follower, disciple
disgybl(i)aeth = discipline, discipleship, doctrine, religious, instruction
disgyblaethu = to discipline
disgyblu = to discipline, chastise, instruct, imitate, emulate |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) |
discebel, desgibl, disgibl, dyscybbl = disciple |
| Cornish (Kernewek) |
dyskybel = disciple
dyskybeleth = discipline |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) |
desquebl, disquebl, disquibl = disciple
disquebles = disciple (female) |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) |
diskibl, diskiblez = disciple, pupil
diskiblezh = discipline |
Etymology: from Latin disculpus (student pupil, disciple, schoolboy, cadet), from dis- (apart, asunder) and Proto-Italic *kapelos (one who takes) [source].
Words from the same roots may include disciple and discipline in English, discepolo (disciple, follower, pupil) in Italian, disciple (disciple) in French, and disciplina (discipline, subject) in Portuguese [source].
| Old Irish (Goídelc) |
daltae [ˈdal͈te] = disciple, pupil, foster-child, fosterling
daltacht, daltachas, daltus = fosterage, pupilage
daltán [ˈdal͈taːn] = little foster child, little pupil |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) |
daltae, daltai, dalta = a foster-son, fosterling, nursling, ward, pupil, disciple
daltán = a little foster-child, a pupil, aterm of endearment
daltachas = quarterage, billeting, military service, hire, tax, tribute, fosterage, guardianship
dailtín = fosterling, a impudent or quarrelsome young man |
| Irish (Gaeilge) |
dalta [d̪ˠalˠt̪ˠə] = foster-child, pupil, disciple, student, alumnus, cadet, pet, fondling
daltachas = fosterage, pupilage, discipleship
daltán = (little) foster-child, young pupil
daltas = cadetship |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) |
dalta [dal̪ˠdə] = foster child, fosterling, stepchild
daltachas [dal̪ˠdəxəs] = fosterage
daltachd [dal̪ˠdəxg] = fostering |
| Manx (Gaelg) |
doltey = adopted child, ward, fosterling, pupil, protégé, cadet, initiate
doltaghey = foster, fostering
doltaghys = fosterage, pupilage
doltanagh = initiate
dolteynys = adoption, wardship
dolteyder = adopted parent, adopter, fosterer |
Etymology: possibly from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-lu-s, from *dʰeh₁(y)- (to suck), which is also the root of words such as figlio (son) in Italian, fils (son) in French, and hijo (son, child) in Spanish [source].
| Irish (Gaeilge) |
meabhraitheoir = reflective, thoughtful, speculative person |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) |
myfyriwr = student, one who meditates |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) |
myfyriwr, myfyrwraig [məˈvərjʊr, məˈvərwrai̯ɡ] = student, one who meditates |
Etymology: (Welsh) from Welsh myfyrio (to meditate upon, ponder, study), from myfyr (meditation, thought), from Proto-Brythonic *meβ̃ör, from Latin memoria (memory, remembrance), from memor (mindful, remembering), of uncertain origin [source].
The Irish word comes from the same Latin root, via Middle Irish mebair (recollection, memory) and Old Irish mebuir (recollection, memory) [source].
Words from the same roots include memory, memoir and memorial in English, mémoire (memory, memo, dissertation, paper, memoir, brief) in French, memoria (memory, report, document) in Spanish, meabhair (mind, memory, consciousness, awareness, reason, sensation, feeling) in Irish, and meomhair (memory, memorandum, thinking) in Scottish Gaelic [source].
| Old Irish (Goídelc) |
scol = school
scolaige = scholar, student
scolóc = disciple, scholar, servant, student, tenant of church |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) |
scol = school
scolóc, scológ, scolóic = scholar, pupil, student, disciple, follower, servant, youth, lad, tenant of (church) land, farmer |
| Irish (Gaeilge) |
scoil = school
scolaíoch = scholastic
scolaíocht = schooling, school education
scoláire = scholar, learned person
scoláireacht = scholarship, learning
scolártha = scholarly |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) |
sgoil = school
sgoilear [sgɔlər] = scholar, pupil, schoolboy, schoolgirl, school teacher
sgoilearach [sgɔlərəx] = scholarly, scholastic, academic(al)
sgoilearachas [sgɔlərəxəs] = scholarship
sgoilearachd [sgɔlɛrəxg] = scholarship, schooling, (act of) studying |
| Manx (Gaelg) |
scoill, schoill = school
scollag = boy, lad, stripling, youngers, scholar
schoillar = scholar, student
scoillar = academic, man of learning, pupil
schoillaragh = scholarly, scholastic
schoillaraght, schoillarys = scholarship |
| Proto-Brythonic |
*ɨskol = school |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) |
escol, iscol, yscol, ysgol = school
escolheyc, yscolheic, ysgolhaig = scholar, erudite or learned person, disciple, pupil, student
escolheyctaut, ysgolhectod, ysgolheictot = scholarship, learning, erudition
ysgoler = pupil, schoolchild, student, scholar |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) |
ysgol [ˈəskɔl] = school
ysgolaidd = scholastic, educational, academic
ysgolhaig = scholar, erudite or learned person, disciple, pupil, student
ysgolheictod = scholarship, learning, erudition
(y)sgolor, (y)sgolar, (y)sgoler = pupil, schoolchild, student, scholar
prifysgol = university |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) |
scol = school
scolheic = scholar |
| Cornish (Kernewek) |
skol [skoːl] = school
skoler = scholar
skolheygel = scholarly, erudite
skolheyk, skolheyges = scholar, student
skolheygieth = scholarship
skolji = schoolhouse
pennskol, pednskol = university |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) |
scol = school
scolaër [skoˈlɛːr] = scholar, teacher, schoolmaster |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) |
skol [skoːl/skuːl] = school
skolaer, skolaerez [skoˈlɛːr] = scholar, teacher, schoolmaster
skolaj [ˈskoː.laʃ] = college, high school
skol-veur = university
skoliad [ˈsko.ljat] = pupil, student
skoliañ = to instruct, teach |
Etymology: from Latin schola (schooltime, classtime, school, student body, art gallery), from Ancient Greek σχολή (skholḗ – leisure, free time, rest, lecture, disputation, discussion, philosophy, school, lecture hall), from Proto-Hellenic *skʰolā́ (holding back), from Proto-Indo-European *sǵʰ-h₃-léh₂, from Proto-Indo-European *seǵʰ- (to hold) [source].
Words from the same roots include epoch, hectic, scheme, scholar, school, severe and sketch in English, école (school) in French, scuola (school, class, lesson, grade) in Italian, and Schule (school) in German [source].
| Irish (Gaeilge) |
mac léinn = student |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) |
mac-léighinn = student (archaic) |
Etymology: from Old Irish macc (son, child) and légend (act of studying), which comes from Latin legendum, from legō (to choose, appoint, collect, read) [source].
| Proto-Celtic |
*suwits = wise, knowledgeable person |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) |
suí [ˈsui̯] = sage, scholar, expert, learned man, master, wise man |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) |
suí, sui, súid = man of learning, scholar, wise man, sage, head of a monastic or poetic school
suíthemail, saithemail, saothamail = skilled, accomplished, learned, wise, fair, beautiful, pleasant, agreeable |
| Irish (Gaeilge) |
saoi [sˠiː] = head of a monastic or poetic school, wise man, learned man, master, expert, eminent, distinguished, person
saíocht = learning, erudition, mastery, accomplishment
saoithiúil [ˈsiːhwəlʲ] = learned, wise, skilled, accomplished, humorous, entertaining, pleasant, agreeable, funny, peculiar
saoithiúilacht = learning, wisdom, skill, accomplishment, humorousness, pleasantness, mirth, oddness |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) |
saoidh [sɤj] = worthy, righteous person |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) |
syw, syỽ = excellent, splendid, elegant, smart, neat, merry, joyful
sywedyt, sywyedyd, sywedydd = astronomer, seer, soothsayer, wizard, wise or learned man, teacher |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) |
syw = excellent, splendid, elegant, smart, neat, merry, joyful, wise, learned, skilful, dexterous
sywder = elegance, neatness, smartness
syw(i)edydd = astronomer, seer, soothsayer, wizard, wise or learned man, teacher |
Etymology: from Proto-Celtic *su- (good) and *wid- (to know) [source]. Words from the same roots include euphoria, euphemism and other words beginning with eu- in English [source]
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) |
stuidear [sdudʲər] = student, study (room) |
| Manx (Gaelg) |
studeyr = student |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) |
ystudiwr, astudiwr = student, scholar, academic |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) |
(a)studiwr = student, scholar, academic |
| Cornish (Kernewek) |
studhyer, studhyores = student |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) |
studier = student |
Etymology: from English study or Middle French estudier (to study) [source].
Another word for student is oileanach [ɤlanəx] (‘one who is instructed’) in Scottish Gaelic [source]. The word oileánach also exists in Irish, but it means islander, insular or abounding in islands [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, Geriafurch, TermOfis
