Words for tree, wood and related things in Celtic languages.
There are various words for tree in the modern Celtic languages. In each language the usual word for tree is different and comes from different roots. Only the Cornish and Breton words are cognate. The usual words for tree are: crann (Irish), craobh (Scottish Gaelic), billey (Manx), coeden (Welsh), gwedhen (Cornish) and gwezenn (Breton).
| Proto-Celtic | *kʷresnom = tree, wood |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | crann = tree crannchor = casting of lots crannda = wooden |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | crann, crand = tree, wood, timber, staff, pole, plank, beam, spearshaft, mast, steering oar, lot, destiny, fate crannach, cranncha = trees, grove, wooded place crannaige, crannaigi = shaft-trimmer, spearsman crannaigid = to cast lots crannán = small spearshaft crannchor, crannchur = casting of lots crannda, cranda = wooden, made of wood, wooded cranngal, crannghal = timber, wooden structure or object, spear (shaft) crannóc, crandoc = wooden structure, wooden drinking-container; basket, wooden lake-dwelling cranntáball = sling, staff-sling |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | crann [kɾˠaun̪ˠ / kɾˠan̪ˠ] = tree; mast, boom, pole; stock, handle; shaft, beam; stick crannach = stake-fence, forest of spears, arboreal, wooded crannadóir = arboriculturist, tree-climber crannadóireacht = arboriculture, tree-climbing crannail = timbering, timbers, lattice-work, ship’s masts crannán = wooden shaft, handle, wooden vessel, hardening stand (for bread) crannchur = casting of lots, sweepstake, lottery crannlach = brushwood, (withered) stalks, haulm crannmhar = full of trees, timbered, wooded crannóg = piece of wood, pole, wooden frame crannúil = tree-like, arborescent |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | crann [kraun̪ˠ] = mast; plough; beam; lot (in drawing lots); tree (archaic) cranntair = wooden peg/pin crannghail = wooden frame crannach = pertaining to or abounding in masts, ploughs, beams, trees etc crannchur = destiny, lot, draw, lottery crannag = pulpit, crannog, island dun, crosstree crannlach = brushwood, lanky wood, dummy |
| Manx (Gaelg) | croan = boom, mast, flag pole creenagh = brushwood, wither crannag = dock, heap, desk, pulpit, rostrum, lookout |
| Gaulish | prenne = big tree |
| Proto-Brythonic | prenn [ˈprenː] = wood, tree |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | pren, prenn = tree, bush, timber, wood prenvol, prenuol, prennol = (wooden) box, chest, coffer |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | pren [prɛn] = tree, bush, shrub; timber, wood, wooden; piece of wood, wooden stick; cross, gallows, gibbet prenfol = (wooden) box, chest, coffer, case, coffin preniaf, prennaf, prenio, prennu = to bolt (a door), bar, shut (sb) out prensaer = carpenter |
| Old Cornish | pren = wood |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | pren = tree, wood, timber, a piece of wood, a lot prenic = wooden, woody prenne = to fasten with a piece of wood, to bar prennyer = pieces of wood |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | prenn [prɛn:] = bar, beam, log, timber, (gambling) lot , wooden prenna, predna = to bar, lock prennek = wooden, woody prennlown = plywood prennweyth = woodwork |
| Old Breton | pren = wood |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | pren, prenn, preen = wood prennaff, prena, prenna = to close, block prennet = to lock |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | prenn = wood, piece of wood, fastner prennañ = to close, fasten, shut |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *kʷres (bush, thicket) [source]. Words from the same roots include hurst (wood, grove – used in placenames, e.g. Lyndhurst) in English, and Horst (eyrie, bush, thicket, small forest) in German [source]
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | cráeb / cróeb = tree |
|---|---|
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | cráeb, craib = branch, bough, sprig, rod, wand, post, tree, bush cráebach, cræbacha = having branches, branchy, branches |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | craobh = branch, bough; tree craobhach = branches, branched, branching, flowing, spreading craobhaigh = to branch, ramify, expand, spread craobhóg = small branch, twig, sprig, spray, darling |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | craobh [krɯːv] = tree, bush craobhaich = woody, wooded, full of trees, branching, spreading craobhag [krɯːvag] = small tree craobhadair [krɯːvədɪrʲ] = arborist, tree specialist |
| Manx (Gaelg) | crouw = stock, bush, dwarf tree, stick, bunch, wide spreading tree, tributary of river |
Etymology: unknown, possibly from Proto-Celtic krētros (sieve) [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *belyom = tree |
|---|---|
| Gaulish | *bilia [ˈbi.liaː] = tall tree |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | bile [ˈbʲilʲe] = tree, especially a large, ancient, sacred one |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | bile [ˈbʲilʲe] = (large) tree (esp. an ancient and venerated one), tree trunk, mast, scion, hero bilech = abounding in trees, (well-)wooded bileóc, biléog = leaf, leaflet |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | bile [ˈbʲɪlʲə] = (large, sacred) tree; scion; distinguished person bileog = leaf, letter of freedom (to marry) bileogach = leafy, laminated biliúil = tree-like, stately |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | bile [bilə] = mast; plough; beam; lot (in drawing lots); tree (archaic); cluster of trees, sacred tree/grove bileach = leaf, amount of leaves, leafy tree bileag = blade (of vegetation), board, leaf, leaflet, pamphlet, ticket, label, slip (of paper) bileagach = lipped, billed, bladed, fringed, edged |
| Manx (Gaelg) | billey = tree, big bush billagh = tree, wooded, woody biljagh = arboreal, wooded billey |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | bill, pill = (tree) trunk, stock, log, branch; fortress billwydd = kindling, firewood, sticks, brushwood; joists, laths |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | pill [pɪɬ] = (tree) trunk, stock, log, branch, pole, stake, post; fortress, castle, stronghold, refuge, sanctuary, safety, strength, force; snatch of song, verse; still, crib; socket pillwydd = kindling, firewood, sticks, brushwood; joists, laths pillyn = peg |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | bilh, bill = a felled tree trunk, log, lumber, timber bilh-koad = chunk of wood |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | bill = trunk |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *bʰolh₃yo- (leaf), from *bʰleh₃- (blossom, flower) [source]. Words from the same Proto-Celtic root, via Gaulish, include bille (tree trunk, railway sleeper, rolling pin) and billon (a ridge in a ploughed field) in French, bilha (stem, trunk) in Provençal and possibly billa (spigot, faucet, stick) in Galician [source].
Words from the same PIE roots include folio and phyllo / fil(l)o (pastry), phyllomancy (diviniation by leaves) in English, feuille (leaf, sheet) in French, andhoja (leaf, petal, blade) in Spanish [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *widus = wood, trees |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | fid = tree, wood, letter in Ogham fidchell = a boardgame similar to chess fidrad = trees, a wood |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | fid = tree, wood, timber fidach = wooded, abounding in trees, timber fidchell = a boardgame similar to chess fidrad = trees, a wood, letter (in Oghan) |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | fiodh = tree, wood, timber fiodhach = abounding in trees, wooded fiodhneimheadh = sacred grove fiodhradh = trees, timbers, letters (literary) ficheall = chess, chess board |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | fiodh [fjɤɣ] = wood, timber, wooden, made of wood fidhcheall = Celtic chess fiodhach [fjɤɣəx] = shrubbery, shrubs, cheese press; wooden, ligneous, woody fiodhan = cheese press fiodhrach [fjɤɣan] = timber |
| Manx (Gaelg) | fuygh = timber, wood fuyghagh, fuyghoil = ligneous, wooden, woody fuyghee = wooden feeal = chess |
| Proto-Brythonic | *gwɨð [ˈɡwɨːð] = wood, trees |
| Old Welsh | guid = tree |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | guit, guyt, gwyd, gwŷdd = tree(s), forest, woods gvytbuil, gvydbvll = a chess-like boardgame guduit, gwyddfid, gwytuid, gwituid = wood, forest, bush, protective hedge |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | gwŷdd [ɡwɨːð / ɡwiːð] = tree(s), branches, twigs; forest, woods, shrub(s); lineage, genealogical tree, stock; stem gwyddallt = wooded slope gwyddbwyll = chess; knowledge, learning, science, reason gwyddel = forest, grove, thicket, brake, wilderness gwyddfid = wood, forest, bush, protective hedge |
| Old Cornish | guit = trees |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | gwedh, gweydh, gwydh = trees gwedhen, gwedhan = tree gwydhbol = chess |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | gwydh [gwɪ:ð] = trees gwedhen = tree gwedhek = woodland gwedhlan = arboretum, tree plantation |
| Old Breton | guid = trees |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | guez, guid, gwyd, gwydh = tree(s) |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | gwez [ɡwe] = trees gwezenn = tree gwezeg = wooded gwezek = abounding in trees gwezboell = chess |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *h₁weydʰh₁-. (tree, beam) [source]. Words from the same roots include wood in English, vid (firewood, wood) in Swedish, and ved (wood) in Danish [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *kaitos = wood, forest |
|---|---|
| Proto-Brythonic | *koɨd [ˈkoɨ̯d] = wood, forest *argoɨd = surrounding forest |
| Old Welsh | coit = wood, forest coetlann = copse, grove, woodland, wooded glade |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | coyt, coit, koet, coet, coed = forest, wood, trees coedallt = wooded slope, hillside coedva, koedfa = grove, woodland, forest koedach = shrubs, brushwood coydiawc, coedawc, coedoc = woody, wooded coydiawl, koedolyon = silvan, rustic, wild coet, coedwig, coedwic = forest, wood |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | coed [koːɨ̯d / kɔi̯d] = forest, wood, trees; shrubs; timber, pieces of wood coeden [koːɨ̯d / kɔi̯d] = tree coedaidd = silvan, arboraceous, woody, wooden coedallt = wooded slope, hillside coedfa = grove, woodland, forest coed(i)ach = shrubs, brushwood, underwood, withered branches coed(i)af), coed(i)o = to prop or timber a pit or shaft coed(i)og = woody, wooded, abounding with trees, silvan coed(i)ol = pertaining to wood or timber, silvan, rustic, wild coedlan = copse, grove, woodland, wooded glade coedwig = forest, wood argoed = trees, forest, surrounding forest |
| Old Cornish | cuit = wood, forest |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | coys, coyd, coid = wood, forest |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | koos [ko:z / ku:z] = forest |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | coat, coet, coët = wood, forest |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | koad [ˈkwɑːt] = wood, forest koadadur = afforestation, tree planting koadaj = panelling, woodwork koadeg = wooded, woody koader = to timber, panel, plant trees argoad = groove, copse, wooded |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *kayt-/*ḱayt- (forest, wasteland, pasture) [source]. Words from the same roots include heath and heather in English, Heide (heath, heathland, woodland, forest) in German, hed (moor, waste land) in Swedish.
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