Words for left, north and related words in Celtic languages.
Words marked * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *kliyos = left (hand) *uɸokliyom = north |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | clé = left fochlae = the north, seat of honor |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | clé = left fochla = the north, seat of honour |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | clé [clʲeː / clʲiː] = left, left hand, left-hand side clébhord = port, larbord |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | clì [kliə] = left clì-làmhach = left-handed làmh chlì = left hand, left wing (in politics) clè [kleː] = left, left-handed, mistaken, wrong, lar-board, sinister (in heraldry) |
| Manx (Gaelg) | clee = left. leftist skian clee = left wing cleeid = left handedness |
| Proto-Brythonic | *kleð = left, northern *gwogleð [ɡwoˈɡlɛːð] = north |
| Old Welsh | cled = left hand, left side gogled = north |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | cled, kled = left, left hand, left side argled = left, unlucky, unfortunate guocled, goglet, gogled, gogledd = north |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | cledd [kleːð] = left, left hand/side argledd = left, unlucky, unfortunate gogledd = north, northern, northerly, North Wales, north wind |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | cledh, clêdh = left, north cledhec = left-handed dorn-kledh = left-handed |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | kledh [klɛ:ð / kle:ð] = left, left-handed, northern kledhbarth = north Kledhbarthyas, Kledhbarthyades = Northerner kledhek = awkward, clumsy, left-handed kledhek hy thowlow / y dowlow = impractical gogledh = north a-gledh = on the left a-gledh dhe = to the left of a-gledhbarth = on the north side |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | cleiz = left |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | kleiz [klɛj(s)] = left, north, northern, irrascible kleizell = left kleizenn = north wind kleiziad – left-handed, left-hander kleizour = left winger a-gleiz [aˈɡlɛj(s)] = to the left gougleiz, gouglez [ˈɡuɡlɛj(s)] = north (archaic) |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *ḱléyteh₂ (leaning, sloped, inclined) from *ḱley- (to lean, incline) [source].
Words from the same PIE roots include clement, client, climate, climax, clinic, ladder and to lean in English [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *(s)kīttos = left, left-handed, clumsy, awkward, wrong, sinister, sad |
|---|---|
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | cittach = left-handed, awkward |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | ciotach [ˈcɪt̪ˠəx / ˈcɪt̪ˠa(h)] = left-handed, awkward, clumsy, difficult, troublesome, inconvenient ciotachán = left-handed person, awkward, clumsy person ciotóg = left hand, left fist, lefthanded person ciotógach = left-handed, left-fisted, awkward |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | ciotach [kʲihdəx] = left-handed, awkward, sinister ciotachan = left-handed person |
| Manx (Gaelg) | kiuttag = left hand kyttagh = left-handed kiuttaght = left-handedness |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | chwith, hwidd = left, left-handed |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | chwith [χwiːθ] = left; left-handed, awkward, bungling, uncouth, unfortunate, sinister, sad, strange, unaccustomed, unusual, wrong, amiss; the left (hand); the Left chwithig = left, left-handed; strange, awkward, clumsy, bungling, wrong, inauspicious, unpleasant, suspicious chwithlyd = sinister, chilly gochwith, go chwith = contrary, opposite, inside out, clumsy, awkward, left-handed; evil, mishap, misfortune |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *skh₂ey- (left) [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *towto = left, north |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | túaid, thúaid = north, in the north túaidemain = in the north, northwards fa thuaith, fo thuaidh = northwards, to the north |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | túaid, thúaid = north, in the north, northern, northwards túaidebar = the north túaidemain = in the north túaiscert = the north, the left, northerly túaiscertach = northern, left hand, a northerner atúaid = from the north, to the north of |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | thuaidh [huəɟ / huə / huəj] = (in the) north, northern ó thuaidh = to the north, northwards aduaidh = from the north tuaisceart = north, northern part Tuaisceart Éireann = Northern Ireland tuaisceartach = Northerner, northern, awkward to deal with, surly, rude tuaisceartacht = awkwardness, surliness, rudeness |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | tuath [tuə] = north gu tuath = northward(s) tuathach [tuəhəx] = northerner, person from North Uist; northerly, northern, boreal tuathal = anti-clockwise, unlucky, ill-omended, confused, agitated, disorientated tuathar = place with a northerly aspect, land facing north tuathlach = unlucky, awkward, left-handed |
| Manx (Gaelg) | twoaie = north, northerly, northern, boreal, northward twoaieagh = northerner, northsider, northern (Manx) person goal twoaie = rainbow (“going north”) my hwoaie = north, northerly, northward Nerin Hwoaie = Northern Ireland |
| Old Breton | tut = good, favorable tuthe = a kind of demon |
Etymology: possibly from the Proto-Indo-European *tewto- or *tewH- (to look favorably, protect, observe). Cognate with the Latin tūtus (safe, prudent, secure, protected), which is the root of English words like tutor and intuition [source].
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, Lexicon Cornu-britannicum: A Dictionary of the Ancient Celtic Language of Cornwall, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, Le dictionnaire diachronique du breton, Geriafurch, English – ProtoCeltic WordList (PDF), Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic
