gwern [ɡwɛrn] = alder (tree), made of alder; mast of a ship; (alder) stick, stave, shaft of lance; alder-grove, alder-marsh, swamp, quagmire; damp meadow; hell
Words for oak (tree) and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
Proto-Celtic
*daru [d̪ˠaɾʲ] = oak
Gaulish
Dervo = used in placenames
Old Irish (Goídelc)
dair [d̪ˠaɾʲ] = oak
Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)
dair, daur = an oak, the letter D in the Ogham alphabet (ᚇ) dairbre, dairbhre = an oak, oakling, a grove of oak grees, an oak wood dairde, daurde = oaken dair-ḟid, dauruth = an oak wood
Irish (Gaeilge)
dair [d̪ˠaɾʲ] = oak, the letter D in the Ogham alphabet (ᚇ) dairbhre = oaks, oak-grove daireach = planted with / full of oaks doire [ˈd̪ˠɛɾʲə] = oak-wood; wood, grove, thicket
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig)
dair [darʲ] = oak (archaic), the letter D, ᚛ᚇ᚜ in Ogham dairbhre = oak, nursery or grove of oaks darach [darəx] = oak, oaken, made of oak; ship (poetic) darag [darag] = small/dwarf oak, stunted/branchy tree (which is not useable for working)
Manx (Gaelg)
darragh = oak, oaken, oak grove, oak wood darrag = oak, beam, cast (fishing), snood, hairline darree = oak
Proto-Brythonic
*dar [ˈdar] = oak tree
Middle Welsh (Kymraec)
dar, dâr = oak derwd(y) = oak house, oratory, prayer house, coffin derwin, deruin = make of oak, oaken, abounding in oaks, strong, robust, oak timber
Welsh (Cymraeg)
dâr [ˈdaːr] = oak tree, foremost warrior, leader, mighty lord derw = oak trees derwen [ˈdɛrwɛn] = oak tree derwin = make of oak, oaken, abounding in oaks, strong, robust, oak timber der(w)lwyn = oak grove, oak wood
Old Cornish
dar = oak
Middle Cornish (Cernewec)
dar = an oak
Cornish (Kernewek)
dar [daːr / dæːr] = oak derwen = oak tree derw = oak trees
Old Breton
daeru = oaks
Middle Breton (Brezonec)
deru = oaks
Breton (Brezhoneg)
dar [dɑːr] = oak derv [ˈdɛrw/ˈdɛː.ro] = oaks dervenneg = with oak trees dervoed [dɛʁwət] = oak grove, oak wood
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *dóru (tree) [source].
Words from the same Proto-Celtic root possibly include làrix (larch) in Catalan, lariks (larch) in Dutch learag (larch) in Scottish Gaelic, larch in English, Lärche (larch) in German, and lærk (larch) in Danish [source].
Words from the same PIE root include δόρυ (dóry – spear) in Greek, dervà (tar, resin) in Lithuanian terva (tar) in Finnish, dearbh (sure, certain) in Irish, tree, trim, and trough, true in English, and trä (wood) in Swedish [source].
Proto-Celtic
*tannos = green oak
Gaulish
*tannos = oak
Old Irish (Goídelc)
tinne = holly, elder
Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)
tinne = holly, elder, the letter t in the Ogham alphabet (ᚈ)
Irish (Gaeilge)
tinne = the letter t in the Ogham alphabet (ᚈ)
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig)
teine/tinne [tʲenə] = gorse, whin, furze (archaic), the letter t (ᚈ) in Ogham
Welsh (Cymraeg)
taneru, tener(i)o = to tan (hide) tanerdy = tannery tanerwr = tanner (of hides)
Old Cornish
tannen = oak (?)
Middle Cornish (Cernewec)
tonnen = bark glastanen, glastennen, glastan = (scarlet) oak
Cornish (Kernewek)
glastanen gelyn = holly/holm oak glastanen gork = cork oak
Middle Breton (Brezonec)
glastann(enn) = holm oak(s)
Breton (Brezhoneg)
tann [tānː] = sessile oaks tannañ = to tan glastann = holm oaks
Note: the Welsh words were borrowed from English tanner, which ultimately comes from Proto-Celtic *tannos, via French, Latin and Gaulish.
Etymology: from Proto-Celtic *(s)tannos, the Proto-Indo-European *(s)dʰnwos/*(s)dʰonu (fir). Words from the same Proto-Celtic roots, via Gaulish and Latin tannum (oak bark), include tan (pulped oak bark used in the tanning process of leather) in French, tano (stem, slip) in Galician, tanería (tannery), Tannenbaum (fir tree, Christmas tree) in German, θάμνος (thámnos – bush) in Greek, and tan, tannery, tannin (tannic acid) in English.
Words from the same PIE roots include thanë (cranberry bush) in Albanian, and धनु (dhanu – bow) in Sanskrit. [source].
Etymology
From the Proto-Indo-European gʷowkólos, from *gʷṓws (cow) and *kʷel- (to revolve, move around, sojourn) [source]. English words from the same roots include beef, bovine, bucolic, buffalo, butter and cow [source].
cloan [klɔːn] = children, descendent, family circle plant = plant plantal = to plant
Old Welsh
plant = children, young people, offspring
Middle Welsh (Kymraec)
plant = children, young people, offspring
Welsh (Cymraeg)
plant [plant] = children, young people, offspring, progeny, descendents, followers, disciples, servants plentyn = child, young person, etc panta(f) = to beget or bear (children), procreate, breed plantaidd = childlike, innocent
Middle Cornish (Cernewec)
plans = plant plansa = to plant
Cornish (Kernewek)
plans = plant plansa = to plant, stick
Middle Breton
plantenn, planten, plantenn = plant, beautiful woman plantenniñ = to take root, to layer planter = planter planterez = planting
Breton (Brezhoneg)
plantenn = plant
Etymology: from the Latin planta (vegetable, sprout, shoot, twig, shrub), possibly from the Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂- (flat) [source]. English words from the same roots include clan (via Irish and/or Scottish Gaelic) and plant (via Middle and Old English) [source].
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
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
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)
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].
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.
