Words for tough, tenacious, stiff and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *reginis = hard, stiff, tough |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | rigin = hard, tough, slow |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | rigin = tough, hard, unyielding, slow, dilatory, prolix, slow-moving, tranquil rigne = tenacity, toughness, slowness, prolixity, sluggishness |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | righin [ɾˠiːnʲ] = tough, tenacious, unyielding, stubborn, slow, deliberate, lingering, tardy, vicous, stringy, ropy righne = toughness righneáil = (act of) lingering, loitering, dawdling righneálach = lingering, loitering, dawdling righneálaí = lingerer, loiterer, dawdler, stubborn person righneas = toughness, tenacity, stubborness, slowness, tardiness, viscosity righnigh = to toughen, persevere, linger, delay, become viscid |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | righinn [r̪ʲi.ɪn̪ʲ] = stiff, tough, sticky, adhesive righinn-bheulach = tight-lipped rìghneas [r̪ʲiːnəs] = stiffness, tenacity |
| Manx (Gaelg) | reen = hard, rigid, stiff, unyielding, thick-skinned reenagh = stringy, toughish, tight reenaghey = stiffen, toughen(ing) reeneyder = stiffener, toughener, tonic reenid = rigidity, starkness, toughness |
| Proto-Brythonic | *rrėɣɨn = (?) |
| Old Welsh (Kembraec) | Regin = tribal name |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | rein, rain, rhain = stiff (of corpse), stone-dead, rigid, stiffened |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | rhain [r̥ai̯n] = stiff (of corpse), stone-dead, rigid, stiffened |
Etymology: from Proto-Celtic *regeti (to stretch, to straighten), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃réǵeti (to be straightening, from *h₃réǵ- (to straighten, to righten) [source].
Words from the same roots include rail, rank, realm, regime, regular and rule in English, Regel (rule) in German, rang (row, line, position) in French, rheng (rank, row) in Welsh, reja (grate, grating, grille) in Spanish, rank [source].
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | serth = steep, sloping, precipitous, high syrthaỽ, syrthav = to fall, tumble, prostrate oneself |
|---|---|
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | serth = steep, sloping, precipitous, high, straight, vertical, upright, discourteous, uncivil, insulting, curt, surly, unseemly, uncouth serthaf, serthu = to become steep, to revile, abuse, malign serthaidd = steep, precipitous, discourteous serthrwydd = steepness, obscenity, ribaldry syrth(i)af, syrth(i)o [ˈsərθjɔ] = to fall, tumble, prostrate oneself |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | serth = stiff, hard |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | serth = abrupt, erect, stiff, upright, vertical serthals = precipice serthi = to rise up sharply serthter = abruptness, inflexibility, rigidity, rigour, steepness, stiffness, verticality |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | serz = abrupt, tightly, firmly |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | serzh [ˈsɛrs] = steep, robust, stable serzhañ = to tackle, to go back up serzhded = escarpment, cliff serzhder = perpendicularity serzhdenn = ascent, solid, robust |
Etymology: unknown, possibly related to start in English, styrte (to rush, fall down, overthrow, jump) in Dutch, and stürzen (to fall down, drop, tumble) in German [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *razgo / *ringo- = torture (?) |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | riag = torture |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | ríag = torture |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | riagh = rack, torture, execute (literary) |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | rag [r̪ˠag] = inflexible, rigid, stiff, pig-headed, stubborn, stark, tense ragach [r̪ˠagəx] = stiff, tough ragadh [r̪ˠagəɣ] = (act of) stiffening, making rigid, benumbing ragaireachd [r̪ˠagɪrʲəxg] = extortion |
| Manx (Gaelg) | rag = stiff |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | reut [røːt] = stiff, rigid, sharp, stocky reutaat = to stiffen reutadur = stiffening, rigidification reutaer = stiffener reuted = rigidity |
Etymology (Breton): from Old French roide (stiff, straight, steep, abrupt), from Latin rigidus (stiff, rigid, hard, stern), from rigeō (to be stiff, stiffen) from Proto-Italic *rigēō, from Proto-Indo-European *Hreyǵ- (to stretch out, reach, bind) [source]. The Goidelic words come from the same PIE roots, via Proto-Celtic *rigo- (to stretch) [source].
Words from the same roots include raide (stiff, straight, steep, abrupt) in French, rigid in English, recio (tough, robust, strong) in Spanish and rijo (hard, tough, stiff, wiry) in Portuguese [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
