Words for cattle, cow, bull and calf in Celtic languages.
| Proto-Celtic | *bāus = cow *bow = cow |
|---|---|
| Celtiberian | boustom = stable (?) |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | bó [boː] = ox, cow |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | bó = ox, cow bóaire = stock-master, stock-owner (“cow-noble”) bólacht = stock of cattle bómlacht = cow’s milk búarach = owner of cows |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | bó [bˠoː] = cow bó mhara = sea-cow, manatee bó shamhraidh = ladybird bó-aire = cattle lord, cattle owner bódóir = cow-doctor |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | bò [boː] = cow bò b(h)ainne = dair/milk cow boineag = small cow bòthach = pertaining to or abounding in cows |
| Manx (Gaelg) | booa = cow booa vluight = dairy cow boin = very little cow |
| Proto-Brythonic | *bʉ = cow |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | buv, bu, buw = cow |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | bu = cow, ox, head of cattle (as a standard of value in the Welsh laws) buach = cowherd, rustic, wretched creature biw = cow, cattle, horned cattle |
| Middle Cornish | biuh = cow |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | bu = cow |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | bu = cow |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *gʷṓws (cattle). The old Galician word busto (enclosed pasture, a herd of cattle) comes from the same Proto-Celtic roots, via Celtiberian [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *boukkā = cow |
|---|---|
| Proto-Brythonic | *bʉx = cow |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | buvch, buwch = cow |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | buwch [bɨu̯χ / bɪu̯χ] = cow buwch y dwfr = hippopotamus buwch goch Duw = ladybird buwchaidd = cow-like, pertaining to cattle, bovine, uncivilized, stolid buwchan = small cow, young cow, heffer buwchfrechu = to vaccinate (with cowpox) buwchfrechiad = (cowpox) vaccination buwchol = bovine |
| Old Cornish | buch = cow |
| Middle Cornish | beuch, buch, beuh = cow |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | bugh [biʊx / bɪwh] = cow bugh godra = dairy cow bughik = little cow bughik Dhuw = ladybird bughvowes = cowgirl bughwas = cowboy |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | buoc’h [ˈbɥoːχ / ˈbyːɔχ] = cow buoc’han = ladybird buoc’hken = cowhide |
Etymology: from the Proto-Celtic *bāus (cow), the Proto-Indo-European *gʷṓws (cattle) [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *tarwos = bull |
|---|---|
| Gaulish | taruos = bull |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | tarb [tarv] = bull |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | tarb = bull |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | tarbh [ˈt̪ˠaɾˠuː / ˈt̪ˠaɾˠu] = bull tarbhadóir = toreador tarbhán = bull-calf, young bull tarbhánta = bull-like, massive, powerful tarbhántacht = bullishness tarbhghadhar = bulldog |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | tarbh [tarav] = bull, Taurus tarbh-chù = bulldog tarbh-nathrach (neimhe) = dragonfly tarbh-thonn = mighty wave tarbhach = like a bull, hefty, chunky tarbhan = small bull tarbhan-dè = butterfly |
| Manx (Gaelg) | tarroo = bull, Taurus taarroo oaldey = bison, buffalo tarroo-choo = bulldog tarroo-feeaih = stag |
| Proto-Brythonic | *tarw = bull |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | tarỼ, tarv = bull |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | tarw [ˈtaru / ˈtaːru] = bull, uncastrated male ox, papal bull, Taurus (sign of the zodiac); valiant leader, fierce hero tarw dur = bulldozer tarwgi = bulldog |
| Old Cornish | tarow = bull |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | tarow = bull |
| Old Breton | taruu = bull |
| Middle Breton | taru = bull |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | tarv = bull |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *táwros (wild bull, aurochs), which possibly comes from or was borrowed into Proto-Semtic as *ṯawr- (bull, ox), from which we get ثَوْر (ṯawr – bull, steer, ox, Taurus) in Arabic [Source].
The Old Irish Irish word for bull was borrowed into Old Norse as tarfr, which became tarvur (bull, Taurus, womanizer) in Faroese, and tarfur (bull) in Icelandic [Source].
Words from the same PIE root include Taurus and steer in English, taureau (bull, Taurus) in French, toro (bull) in Spanish, and touro (bull) in Portuguese [Source].
| Proto-Celtic | *laygos / *lāɸigos = calf |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | lóeg [l͈oːi̯ɣ] = calf, favourite, darling |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | lóeg = calf, favourite, darling, young deer |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | lao [l̪ˠeː / l̪ˠiː] = (young) calf laoidín = tiny calf laofheoil = veal |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | laogh [l̪ˠɯːɣ] = calf, kid (of deer), fawn, term of endearment for a child laoghach = pertaining to or abounding in calves laoghan = little calf |
| Manx (Gaelg) | lheiy [ax] = calf |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | lo, lloe, llo = calf |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | llo [ɬoː] = calf, bullock, simpleton, dolt llo(e)aidd = calf-like lloeaf, lloeo, lloea = to calve |
| Old Cornish | loch = calf |
| Middle Cornish) | leauh, loch = calf |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | leugh [løːx / leːx / lɛwh] = calf |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | leue [ˈlø.e] = calf |
Etymology: a diminutuve of the Proto-Indo-European *leh₂p- (cattle) [source].
| Irish (Gaeilge) | bearach = heifer, young cow |
|---|---|
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | biorach [birəx] = a weaned but not fully mature calf or foal (up to 2 years); anti-suckling device, sucking preventer, weaner |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | bustach / bustych = bullock, ox, steer (possibly related to the above words) |
Etymology: from the Old Irish berach [ˈbʲerax] (pointed, sharp; having pointed ears, horned), from bir (stake, spit, point; spear, spike) & -ach (related to, having, characterised by, prone to) [source].
| Proto-Brythonic | *oti̯on- = bullock |
|---|---|
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | eydyon, eidon = ox, steer, bullock |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | eidion = domestic male of the bovine family, ox, steer, bullock, neat |
| Old Cornish | odion = bullock |
| Middle Cornish | udzheon, odgan = bullock |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | ojyon = ox |
| Middle Breton | eugenn = bullock. ox |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | ejon = bullock. ox |
| Proto-Celtic | *anderā = young woman |
|---|---|
| Gaulish | anderon = heifer |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | ainder [ˈan͈ʲdʲər] = married woman; virgin, maiden |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | ander [ˈæn̠ʲəɾˠ] = girl, maiden, lass; young woman |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | ainnir [ˈæn̠ʲəɾˠ] = girl, maiden, lass; young woman (poetic); attractive woman |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | ainnir [an̠ʲɪrʲ] = maiden, virgin; nymph; marriageable woman; young woman |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | anneir = heifer |
| Welsh (CymraeG) | anner [ˈanɛr] = heifer |
| Old Cornish | annoer = heifer |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | annor = heifer |
| Middle Breton | annoer = heifer |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | annoar = heifer |
Etymology: possibly related to Basque andere (lady, woman) [source].
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
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, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, Le dictionnaire diachronique du breton, Geriafurch, English – ProtoCeltic WordList (PDF), Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic
