Words for left, north and related words in Celtic languages.
| Proto-Celtic | *kliyos = left (hand) *uɸokliyom = north |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | clé = left fochlae = the north, seat of honor |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | clé = left fochla = the north, seat of honour |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | clé [clʲeː / clʲiː] = left, left hand, left-hand side clébhord = port, larbord |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | clì [kliə] = left |
| Manx (Gaelg) | clee = left |
| Proto-Brythonic | *kleð = left, northern *gwogleð [ɡwoˈɡlɛːð] = north |
| Old Welsh | cled = left hand, left side gogled = north |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | cled, kled = left hand, left side argled = left, unlucky, unfortunate gogled = north |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | cledd [kleːð] = left, left hand/side argledd = left, unlucky, unfortunate gogledd = north, northern, northerly |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | kledh [klɛ:ð / kle:ð] = left, left-handed, northern kledhbarth = north gogledh = north a-gledh = on the left a-gledh dhe = to the left of a-gledhbarth = on the north side |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | kleiz = left, left-handed; short-tempered, irascible; north |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *ḱléyteh₂ (leaning, sloped, inclined) from *ḱley- (to lean, incline) [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *(s)kīttos = left, left-handed, clumsy, awkward, wrong, sinister, sad |
|---|---|
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | cittach = left-handed, awkward |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | ciotach [ˈcɪt̪ˠəx / ˈcɪt̪ˠa(h)] = left-handed, awkward, clumsy, difficult, troublesome, inconvenient ciotachán = left-handed person, awkward, clumsy person ciotóg = left hand, left fist, lefthanded person ciotógach = left-handed, left-fisted, awkward |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | ciotach [kʲihdəx] = left-handed, awkward, sinister ciotachan = left-handed person |
| Manx (Gaelg) | kiuttag = left hand kyttagh = left-handed kiuttaght = left-handedness |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | chwith, hwidd = left, left-handed |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | chwith [χwiːθ] = left; left-handed, awkward, bungling, uncouth, unfortunate, sinister, sad, strange, unaccustomed, unusual, wrong, amiss; the left (hand); the Left chwithig = left, left-handed; strange, awkward, clumsy, bungling, wrong, inauspicious, unpleasant, suspicious chwithlyd = sinister, chilly gochwith, go chwith = contrary, opposite, inside out, clumsy, awkward, left-handed; evil, mishap, misfortune |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *skh₂ey- (left) [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *towto = left, north |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | túaid, thúaid = north, in the north túaidemain = in the north, northwards fa thuaith, fo thuaidh = northwards, to the north |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | thuaidh [huəɟ / huə / huəj] = (in the) north, northern ó thuaidh = to the north, northwards aduaidh = from the north |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | tuath [tuə] = north tuathach [tuəhəx] = northerner, person from North Uist; northerly, northern, boreal |
| Manx (Gaelg) | twoaie = north, northerly, northern, boreal, northward twoaieagh = northerner, northsider, northern (Manx) person goal twoaie = rainbow (“going north”) |
| Old Breton | tut = good, favorable tuthe = a kind of demon |
Etymology: possibly from the Proto-Indo-European *tewto- or *tewH- (to look favorably, protect, observe). Cognate with the Latin tūtus (safe, prudent, secure, protected), which is the root of English words like tutor and intuition [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, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, English – ProtoCeltic WordList (PDF), Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic