Words for to take, hold and related things in Celtic languages.
| Proto-Celtic | *gabyeti = to grab, seize, take, hold *gabaglā = taking *atigabaglā = distraint (the legal right of a landlord to seize the property of a tenant in the event of nonpayment of rent) |
|---|---|
| Celtiberian | kabizeti = (?) |
| Gaulish | *gabi- = to give (?) *gabali = taking, seizure |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | gaibid [ˈɡavʲiðʲ] = to hold, grasp, take, seize, capture, gain (victory), put on (clothing), recite, declare gabál = taking argaib [arˈɡavʲ] = to seize, capture athgabáil = recovery congaibid [konˈɡavʲ] = to contain, preserve, keep, uphold conocaibid [konˈhoɡəvʲ] = to raise, rise, uplift, exalt, extol fogaibid [foˈɡavʲ] = to find, discover, get, gain, obtain |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | gaibid = to hold, grasp, take, seize, capture, gain (victory), put on (clothing), recite, declare gabáil = taking athgabáil = the process of recovery of debts, etc. by distraint, plunder, booty aurgaibid = to seize, capture congmaid = to contain, preserve, keep, uphold |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | gabh [ɡavʲ/ɡo(ː)] = to take, arrest, go, come gabháil = taking aisghabh = to retake, recover possession of athghabháil = recapture, recovery, re-engagement gabh mo leithscéal = excuse me urghabh = to seize, capture |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | gabh [gav] = take, go, recite, break (in) ath-ghabh = retake, recover, regain, impound gabh mo lethsgeul = excuse me, pardon gabhail [gahal] = taking, lease, tenure, conquest |
| Manx (Gaelg) | gow = to take gow my leshtal = excuse me, sorry, I beg your pardon goaill = acceptance, affect, apprehend, apprehension, arrest, capture, catch, contraction, engage, seizure, receive, take aaghoaill = to recapture, reconquer, re-engage, retake |
| Proto-Brythonic | *gabal- = breadth, side *gavaɣl = to hold, grasp |
| Old Welsh | gabael = to hold, grasp, grip |
| Middle Welsh (Kymreac) | gauayleu, gauael = to hold, grasp, grip gauaelant, gauaelu, gavailio = to hold tight, take hold, clutch adauael, adafael = distraint (in law), distress, pledge |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | gafael [ˈɡavaɨ̯l/ˈɡaːvai̯l] = to hold, grasp, grip gafaeladwy = available gafaelaf, gafaelio = to hold tight, take hold, clutch, grip, arrest, grapple, snatch, seize gafaeliad = a holding, hold, grasp, capture, attachment, comprehension, adherence, spasm adafael = distraint (in law), distress, pledge |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | gaval = to hold, lay hold of, grasp, have gavel = a hold, a grasp |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | gavel = capacity, grasp |
| Old Breton | gabael = to hold (?) adgabael = to recover (?) |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *gʰeh₁bʰ- (to grab, take) [source].
The Spanish word gavilla (sheaf, gang, band) comes from the same Proto-Celtic root, via the Late Latin gabella and the Gaulish *gabali (taking, seizure) [source].
Words from the same PIE roots include able, debt, debit, doubt and habit in English, avere (to have) in Italian, avoir (to have) in French, and haber (to hold, possess) in Spanish [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, Lexicon Cornu-britannicum: A Dictionary of the Ancient Celtic Language of Cornwall, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, Le dictionnaire diachronique du breton, Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic
