Category: Verbs

Speaking

By Simon

Words for to speak and related words in Celtic languages.

Old Irish (Goídelc) labraithir = to speak, say
Irish (Gaeilge) labhair [l̪ˠəuɾʲ] = to speak, hail
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) labhair [l̪ˠau.ɪrʲ] = to speak, talk, commune
Manx (Gaelg) loayrt = to talk, utter, discourse, pipe up, express
Proto-Brythonic *laβar [laβaːr] = prone to talking, eloquent
Welsh (Cymraeg) llafaru [ɬɛˈvarɨ̞] / ɬɛˈvaːrɪ] = to speak (about), utter, say, tell, declare, express, use (language) in speech; cry out; sound, enunciate, pronounce; dictate
Cornish (Kernewek) leverel [lɛ’vɛrɛl / lə’vɛrɐl] = to say, tell, pronounce
Breton (Brezhoneg) lavaret = to speak

Etymology: from the Proto-Celtic *ɸlabros = (talkative, arrogant, boastful) [source].

Old Irish (Goídelc) asbeir, [asˈbʲerʲ] = to say, utter, mention, speak
Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) atbeir = to say, speak
Irish (Gaeilge) abair [ˈabˠəɾʲ] = to say, utter, speak, express, state, allege, give opinion, suppose, assume, mean, direct, report
abairt sentence, phrase
abartha given to repartee
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) abair [abɪrʲ] = to say, speak, utter, tell
abairt [abər̪ˠʃdʲ] expression, phrase, collocation, saying, comment
abartach [abər̪ˠʃdəx] talkative, bold. impudent
Manx (Gaelg) abbyr = to say, state, assume
abbyrt = sentence, dialect, phrase, expression, period

Etymology: from the Proto-Celtic *ess (ex-, out) and *beirid (to carry, bring, bear, give) [source].

Proto-Celtic *komweps
Welsh (Cymraeg) comio = to talk converse
ymgomio, ymgoniaf = to chat, converse, mention, discuss, dispute, debate
Cornish (Kernewek) kows [kɔʊz] = to speak, talk
kewsel [ˈkɛʊzɛl] = to speak, talk
Middle Breton comps = to say, tell, pronounce
Breton (Brezhoneg) komz [ˈkɔ̃ms] = to speak, to express oneself

Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *wekʷ- = (to speak) [source].

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

Alive & Living

By Simon

Words for alive & living in Celtic languages.

Proto-Celtic *biwos = alive, living, mortal
Old Irish (Goídelc) béo [bʲeːu̯] = alive, living
Irish (Gaeilge) beo [bʲoː / bʲɔː] = living, alive; live, active; living being; life; livelihood; quick; to live
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) beò [bjɔː] = alive, live, living; lively; vivid; vital; quick, lively, sprightly
Manx (Gaelg) bio [bʲoː] = alive, live, lifelike, bright, hot, activated, pictorial, afloat, live person, spring tide after neap
Proto-Brythonic *bɨw = alive, living
Welsh (Cymraeg) byw [bɨu̯ / bɪu̯] = alive, living, having life, animate, quick, existing, actual; lively, full of life, vivacious, vigorous, sprightly, spirited, eager, sparkling; vivid, graphic; susceptible to
byw (verb) = to live, lead one’s life, subsist, exist; dwell, inhabit, to animate, revive
Cornish (Kernewek) bew [beˑʊ] = active, agile, alive, lively, living,
switched on
bewa = to live, be alive
Breton (Brezhoneg) bev = alive, living, lively
bevañ = to live, feed

Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *gʷih₃wós (alive, living) [source].

Old Irish (Goídelc) forig, fuirset = to remain, stay
Irish (Gaeilge) fuirigh = to hold back, delay, wait, stay
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) fuirich [fuɾʲɪç] = to stay, wait, delay, linger, abide
Manx (Gaelg) fariagh [bʲoː] = to stay
Old Irish (Goídelc) cómnuigim = I rest
congaib [konˈɡavʲ] = to contain, preserve, keep, uphold
Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) cómnuigim = I rest
congaib [konˈɡavʲ] = to contain, preserve, keep, uphold
Irish (Gaeilge) cónaigh [ˈkoːn̪ˠɪɟ / ˈkoːnˠə / ˈkɔːnˠi] = living, alive; live, active; living being; life; livelihood; quick; to live
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) cumail [kumal] = (act of) keeping, holding, retaining; witholding; celebrating, observing
còmhnaidh [kɔ̃ːnɪ] = (act of) occupying, inhabiting, dwelling, residing; occupancy, occupation, habitation, residence; (act of) abiding; abode
Manx (Gaelg) cummal = to grip, hold, keep, arrest, contain, retain, live, inhabit

Etymology: from the Old Irish com- (with) and gaibid (to hold, grasp, take, seize, capture) [source].

Old Irish (Goídelc) maraid [ˈma.rəðʲ] = to last, persist, remain; to survive, live
Irish (Gaeilge) mair = to live, to last
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) mair [marʲ] = to live, to exist, to continue

Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *merh₂- (to seize, grip) [source].

Welsh (Cymraeg) trigio = to live (in), dwell, reside, lodge, stay, remain, delay, linger
godrig(af) = to stay, tarry, remain, abide, dwell, sojourn; stay or tarry for; rest upon, insist; linger, delay.
Middle Cornish trege, trega, tryga, tryge = to remain, stay, dwell
Cornish (Kernewek) triga = to remain, stay, dwell
Old Breton guotric = to stay

Etymology: from Latin trīcō (to delay) [source].

The word for to live in Breton, chom, comes from the Old French chômer (to be idle, to be out of work), from the Late Latin caumāre, from caumō (I rest during the heat), from the Ancient Greek καῦμα (kaûma – heat). [source].

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, Online Manx Dictionary, Teanglann.ie, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Dictionnaire Favereau

To Do & To Make

By Simon

The verb to do & to make in Celtic languages.

Proto-Celtic *gniyeti = to make, to do
Old Irish (Goídelc) dénai = to do
gníid [ɡʲnʲiː.iðʲ] = to do
Irish (Gaeilge) déan [dʲeːnˠ] = to do, to make
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) dèan [ʲian] = to do, to make, to act, to work, to perform
Manx (Gaelg) jean = to do, to make
Welsh (Cymraeg) geni [ˈɡɛnɪ / ˈɡeːni] = to be born, give birth to, bring forth; beget, produce

Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *werǵ- (to make) [source].

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, Online Manx Dictionary, Teanglann.ie, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru

Proto-Celtic *wregeti = to make, to do
Old Irish fairged = to make, to do
Middle Welsh (Kymraec) gwneuthur = to make, to do
Welsh (Cymraeg) gwneud [ɡwneɨ̯d / ɡwnei̯d] = to make, create, fashion, compose, construct, found, establish, pitch (a tent)
Cornish (Kernewek) gul [gy:l / gi:l ] = to do, to create, to make
Old Breton oper = to do, to make
Breton (Brezhoneg) ober = to do, to make

Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *werǵ- (to make), which is also the root of the English words work and wrought [source].

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

Sources: Wiktionary, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Dictionnaire Favereau

To Be

By Simon

The verb to be in Celtic languages.

Proto-Celtic *butā = to be
Old Irish (Goídelc) both = to be
Irish (Gaeilge) bí = to be, to exist
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) bì [bi] = to be, to exist
Manx (Gaelg) ve = to be
Welsh (Cymraeg) bod [boːd] = to be
Cornish (Kernewek) boz [bɔ:z] = to be, to become, to exist
Breton (Brezhoneg) bezañ = to be

Note: this verb is irregular in all the Celtic languages, and some of the different conjugations come from different roots.

Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuh₂- (to become, grow, appear) [source].

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, Online Manx Dictionary, Teanglann.ie, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Dictionnaire Favereau