Today we’re looking at the words for wing, feather and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic |
*ɸeto/*feto- = to fly
*fatar/*fatanos/*fetnos = wing, bird |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) |
ette [ˈetʲe] = wing, pinion, fin, feather, plume
ettech/ittech = winged, finned, flying, fluttering |
| Irish (Gaeilge) |
eite [ˈɛtʲə] = wing, pinion, wing feather, fin, vane
eiteach = winged, pennate, plumed, feathered, finned
eiteog = wing, (little) wing feather, (little) fin, wing-like |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) |
ite [içdʲə] = feather, plume, fin, overlap, blade
iteach [ihdʲəx] = feathery, feathered, finned
itealach = winged, flying, hovering, fluttering |
| Manx (Gaelg) |
fedjag [ˈfaiaɡ] = feather, plume, quill, pinion
fedjagagh = pinnate, feathery |
| Proto-Brythonic |
*atanī = wing |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) |
adain = wing, fin |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) |
adain [ˈadai̯n/ˈadɛn/ˈaːdɛn] = wing, fin, arm, sleeve
adeiniog = winged |
| Old Cornish |
aden = leaf of a book |
| Old Breton |
attanoc = wing |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *peth₂- (to fly, to spread out) [source]. The English words such as feather, petal, pinion and helicopter come from the same PIE root [source].
Words for birds and larks come from the same Proto-Celtic roots.
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) |
ascall = armpit |
| Irish (Gaeilge) |
ascaill [ˈasˠkəl̠ʲ/ˈasˠkəl̪ˠ] = armpit, recess, avenue, axil
asclán = something carried under arm, armful, gusset |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) |
asgall [asgəl̪ˠ] = breast, bosom, armpit |
| Manx (Gaelg) |
aghlish = axil, armful, armpit |
| Proto-Brythonic |
*askell = wing |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) |
asgell, askell = wing |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) |
asgell [ˈasɡaɬ / ˈaskaɬ] = wing, feather, fin, flank, side
asgellog = winged, feathered, flying, finned, scaly, barbed
asgellwr = winger, wing-forward (in sports)
asgellu = to feather (an arrow), put wings on, grow wings, shelter/protect (with wings) |
| Old Cornish |
ascall = wing |
| Cornish (Kernewek) |
askel = wing |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) |
askell [ˈas.kɛl] = wing, fin, flipper |
Etymology: from the Latin ascella (wing), from axilla (little wing, axilla, armpit), a diminutive of āla (wing, armpit, shoulder blade) from the Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱs- (axis) [source].
| Old Irish (Goídelc) |
clúm = feathers, down, plumage, fur |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) |
clúm, clúim, clúmh = feathers, plumage, down, hair, vegetation, foliage
clúmach, clumhach, clumach = plumage, feathers, down
clúmdae = downy
clúm(th)ach, clúmhach = downy, soft, hairy |
| Irish (Gaeilge) |
clúmh [kl̪ˠuːvˠ / klˠũː] = down, feathers, hair, fur, coat, foliage
clúmhach fluff, fuzz, hairy, flurry, coated, fluffy, fluzzy, fleecy
clúmhadóir = feather dealer
clúmhúil = downy, mildewed
clúmhúlacht = downiness |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) |
clùimh, clòimh [kl̪ˠũːĩv / kl̪ˠɔːj] = wool, down (feathers), moult
clùimhteach [kl̪ˠũːĩdʲəx] = down (feathers) mop of hair
clòimhneag [kl̪ˠɔ̃ːin̪ʲag] = small feather, snowflake
clòimhteach [kl̪ˠɔ̃ːĩdʲəx] = down, downy, mop of hair
clòimhteachan [kl̪ˠɔ̃ːĩdʲəxan] = eiderdown |
| Manx (Gaelg) |
clooie = down, feather, plumage, bloom (on fruit), fluff, fur, fuzz
clooieagh, clooiagh = downy, feathered, feathery, woolly, fleecy
clooiesag, clooisag = pillow |
| Proto-Brythonic |
*plʉβ̃ = feathers
*plʉβ̃ọg = cushion, pillow |
| Old Welsh (Kembraec) |
*plum = feathers
plumauc = pillow, cushion |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) |
pluawr, plu, pluf, plvf = feathers, plumes
plufaw, pluo = to pluck, despoil, fleece
pluoc = feathered, feathery
plyvog = pillow, cushion |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) |
plu(f) [plɨː / plɨː] = feathers, plumes, (fishing) flies, quills, birdies (in golf)
plu(f)en = feather, plume
pluad = plumage
plu(f)aidd = feathery, feathered
pluo, pluf(i)o = to pluck, despoil, fleece
pluog = feathered, adorned or covered with feathers, feathery |
| Old Cornish |
*pluf = feathers
plufoc = bolster |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) |
plûv, plyv = feathers
pluven, plyven = feather, plen |
| Cornish (Kernewek) |
pluv = plumage
pluven = feather, pen, quill
pluven blomm/blobm = pencil
pluvennek, pluvednek = feathered
pluvek = cushion, pillow |
| Old Breton (Brethonoc) |
*plum = feathers, plumage
plumoc = bolster |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) |
pluff, plü = feathers, plumage
pluuenn, pluffenn, pluenn, plüen = feather
pluffec = bolster |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) |
pluñv [ˈplỹː] = feathers, plumage
pluñvenn = feather
pluñvaat = to feather oneself, to enrich oneself
pluñañ = to pluck
pluñvek = feathery, covered in feathers
pluñvet = feathered, fledged, feathery
plueg [ˈplyː.ek] = cushion, bolster, pillow |
Etymology: from Latin plūma (feather, plume), from Proto-Italic *plouksmā, from Proto-Indo-European *plewk-smeh₂, from Proto-Indo-European *plewk- (to fly flow, run) [source]. Words from the same PIE roots include flea, flee, flight, flock, fly, fowl, and plume in English, flèche (arrow, spire, needle) in French, pluma (plume) in Portuguese, and pláukas (hair) in Lithuanian [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
