Cheese

7th April 20218th April 2021 By Simon

Words for cheese and related words in Celtic languages.

Old Irish (Goídelc)	cáise = cheese
Irish (Gaeilge)	cáis [kɑːʃ / kæːʃ] = cheese cáiseoir = cheese-maker, cheese-monger cáisiúil = cheesy
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig)	càise [kaːʃə] = cheese càisean, cùl-càise = cheese rind brèid-càise, anart-càise = cheesecloth
Manx (Gaelg)	caashey = cheese, cheesy caasheydagh = cheesy
Proto-Brythonic	*kọs = cheese
Middle Welsh (Kymraec)	caws, caus = cheese
Welsh (Cymraeg)	caws [kau̯s] = cheese, curds, a cheese cawsa = to beg cheese, collect cheese cawsai = cheese begger, one who makes cheese cawsaidd = caseous, cheesy cawsion = curd, curds, curdlings cawslestr = cheesel, cheese vat/mould cawslïain = cheese-cloth cawsty = cheese house, dairy cosyn [ˈkɔsɨ̞n / ˈkɔsɪn] = a piece of cheese
Cornish (Kernewek)	keus [køːs] = cheese keuswask = cheese press
Breton (Brezhoneg)	keuz = cheese keuzerezh = cheese factory

Etymology: from the Latin cāseus (cheese), from the Proto-Indo-European *kwh₂et- (to ferment, become sour) [source].

Middle Breton)	fourondec, foulondec = cheese
Breton (Brezhoneg)	formaj = cheese fourmajerezh = cheese factory

Etymology: from the Latin Latin fōrmāticum (cheese), short for cāseus fōrmāticus (form cheese), from cāseus (cheese) amd fōrma (form, mold) [source]. More cheesy words in European languages.

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, Online Manx Dictionary, Teanglann.ie, eDIL – Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis

Sweet

16th October 201823rd February 2024 By Simon

Words for sweet and related things in Celtic languages.

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

Proto-Celtic	melissis, melisti = sweet
Old Irish (Goídelc)	milis [ˈmʲilʲisʲ] = sweet
Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)	milis = sweet, fresh (water)
Irish (Gaeilge)	milis [ˈmʲɪlʲɪʃ] = sweet, tender, tasty, fresh (water); honeyed (words), flattering milisbhriathrach = sweet-spoken, honey-tongued milisín = sweet morsel milseán = sweet, bonbon, candy; sweet dish, dessert milseog = dessert; sweetheart, darling milsigh = to sweeten uisce milis = sweet/fresh water teange mhilis = flattering tongue
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig)	milis [milɪʃ] = sweet; melodious, musical; flattering aran-milis = gingerbread baine milis = sweet milk, condensed milk buntàta milis = sweet potato, yam coirce-milis = sweet corn, maize slaman-milis = jelly
Manx (Gaelg)	millish = sweet, darling, sugary, dulcet, honeyed, luscious, fruity, balmy bee millish = sweetmeat, sweet feddan millish = recorder, fipple flute fooillagh millish = trifle slumm millish = jelly ushtey millish = fresh water focklyn millish = honeyed words
Proto-Brythonic	*melɨs = sweet
Middle Welsh (Kymraec)	melis, melys = sweet, pleasant-tasting, delicious meledic = sweetened with honey melysvwyt, melysvwyd, melys-fwyd = sweet food, sweet dish, delicacy, dainty food, sweetmeat, dessert melûsrwyth, melyssrwydd = sweetness, sweet or delicious taste
Welsh (Cymraeg)	melys [ˈmɛlɨ̞s/ˈmeːlɪs/ˈmɛlɪs] = sweet, pleasant-tasting, delicious, tasty; not salty, fresh (water); delightful, agreeable, pleasant, charming; sweet-sounding, euphonious, melodious; sweet-smelling, fragrant dant melys = sweet tooth pethau melys = sweets tatws melys = sweet potato melysaf, meluso = to sweeten, mitigate, alleviate melysaidd, melusaidd = rather sweet, delightful, agreeable melyfwyd, melusfwyd = sweet food, sweet dish, delicacy, dainty food, sweetmeat, dessert melyfwyd, melusfwyd = sweet, delicious, delightful, agreeable, pleasant, melodious, fond of sweet food or drink, greedy, voracious melysrwydd, melusrwydd = sweetness, sweet or delicious taste, melodiousness, fondness for delicate food
Cornish (Kernewek)	melys [‘mɛlɪs/’mɛləʃ] = very sweet, honeyed kleves melys = diabetes
Old Breton (Brethonoc)	milis = honeyed
Middle Breton (Brezonec)	milis = honeyed, sweetish, sneaky
Breton (Brezhoneg)	melis, milis = honeyed

Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *mélid (honey)), which is also the root of the English words mildew and mulch [source].

Proto-Celtic	*su̯eko-s = to smell (good)
Middle Welsh (Kymraec)	chwech = sweet wech, chweg, chwec = sweet, lucious, pleasant, comely
Welsh (Cymraeg)	chwech [χweːχ/hweːχ] = sweet chweg = sweet, lucious, pleasant, comely chwegaidd = sweetish chwegrwydd = sweetness, lusciousness
Middle Cornish (Cernewec)	hwec, hwecah, hweg, hwêg, whêk = sweet, pleasant, dear hwecter, whecter = sweetness, pleasantness, suavity, delight hwegol, whegol = dear
Cornish (Kernewek)	hweg = sweet, dear, gentle, kind, nice, pleasant, pleasing hwegednow, hwegnnow = candy hwegen = darling, pet, lozenge, sweet hwegoll = darling, delightful, sweetest hwegys = sweetcorn, maize hweg-oll = darling, delightful, sweetest ys hweg = sweetcorn, maize
Middle Breton (Brezonec)	huec = sweet, delicate
Breton (Brezhoneg)	c’hwek [xweːk] = soft, suave, sugar, delicious, exquisite, pleasant c’hwekaat = to sweeten c’hwekted [ˈxwek.tet] = softness, suavity c’hwekter = delicacy mel c’hwek = sweet honey gwin c’hwek = sweet wine

Etymology: unknown

The usual Breton word for sweet is dous, which probably comes from the Old French dous (soft, tender), form the Latin dulcis (sweet, fragrant, melodious), from the Proto-Indo-European *dl̥kú- (sweet) [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, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, English – ProtoCeltic WordList (PDF), Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic

Honey

15th October 201823rd February 2024 By Simon

Words for honey in Celtic languages.

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

Proto-Celtic	*meli(t) = honey
Old Irish (Goídelc)	mil = honey
Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)	mil, mel = honey criathar mela = honeycomb
Irish (Gaeilge)	mil [mʲɪlʲ] = honey militeach = honey-eating miliúil = honey-like, honeyed beach mheala = honey bee blas meala = taste of honey, delicious taste briathra meala = honeyed words broc meala = honey badger ceo meala = honey dew cíor mheala = honeycomb lá meala = delightful day mí na meala = honeymoon chomh milis le míl = as sweet as honey
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig)	mil [mil] = honey mil an fhraoich = heather honey mil-dheoch = mead mil air do bheul! = that’s wonderful/excellent news! (“honey on your mouth”) teillean-meala = honey bee cho milis ris an t-siùcar / cho milis ris a’ mhil = as sweet as honey
Manx (Gaelg)	mil [mɪl] = honey mill freoaie = heather honey mill kerey = comb honey mill freoaie = heather honey cha millish as mill = as sweet as honey
Proto-Brythonic	mel = honey
Old Welsh (Kembraec)	mel = honey
Middle Welsh (Kymraec)	mel, mêl = honey meledic = sweetened with honey
Welsh (Cymraeg)	mêl [meːl] = honey, nectar mêl ar ei frechdan/fara = source of pleasure (“honey on his sandwich/bread”) mêl ar ei fysedd = schadenfreude (“honey on his fingers”) mêl grug = heather honey mêl gwyllt = wild honey dil mêl = honeycomb gwenynen mêl = honey bee mis mêl, melfis = honeymoon melaf, mela, melu = to gather nectar to make honey, to sweeten (with honey) melaidd = sweet, honey-like meledig = sweetened with honey
Old Cornish	mel = honey
Middle Cornish (Cernewec)	mel, mêl = honey melder = sweetness
Cornish (Kernewek)	mel = honey melder = darling, sweetness, love
Middle Breton (Brezonec)	mel, mèl, meel, mil = honey
Breton (Brezhoneg)	mel [meːl] = honey, compliments mela = to look for honey, honeydew meladour = honey merchant melek = honeyed meler = honey maker

Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *mélid (honey), which is also the root of the English words mildew and mulch [source].

Celtiadur

Exploring connections between Celtic languages

Category: Food & Drink

Cheese

Sweet

Honey