Today we’re looking at the words for corners, backs and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *kūlos = corner |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | cúl [kuːl] = back, rear iarcúl = remote place |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | cúl [kuːlˠ] = back, reserve, support, rear, reverse (of coin), counter cúlaí = back (in rugby, etc) cúlaigh = to back, move back, reverse, retreat cúláire = recess, nook, back of throat cúlaistín = backer, henchman cúlsráid = back street iargcúil = remote corner, backward, out-of-the-way place, isolated |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | cùl [kuːl̪ˠ] = back, hind part, tress, shadow cùl-fraon = background cùl-chainnt = backbiting, slander, defamation, calumny cùl-taic = patron, supporter, patronage, support, (military) reserves cùl-shràid = back street |
| Manx (Gaelg) | cooyl = back, behind, astern, reverse cooyl-charrey = backer cooyl-eaishtagh = to eavesdrop cooyl-pholt(al) = backfire cooyl-raad = back street |
| Proto-Brythonic | *kil = corner, angle |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | kil = corner, angle |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | cil [kiːl] = corner, angle, back, nape of the neck, retreat, flight, recess, covert, nook, eclipse, wane cilaidd = retiring, elusive, furtive cilio = to retreat, withdraw, depart, recede, retire, pass away |
| Old Cornish | chil = back |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | kil = back, nape of the neck, book, reverse kilans = recession kilden = retreat kildenna / kildedna = to back off, withdraw kildennans / kildednans = withdrawal |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | kil = back, reverse, lapel, neck, heel kiladenn = reverse kilañ = to return kilober = feedback kilseller = retrospective |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewH-lo-, from *(s)kewH- (to cover, conceal, hide). The English words such as hide, hose, house and sky come from the same PIE root [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *kernā = corner, angle *Kornowī = Cornwall (“people of the horn”) |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | cern = angle, corner cernach = angular |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | cern = angle, corner, recess, swelling cernach = angular, having corners |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | cearn [caːɾˠn̪ˠ] = corner, angle, (geographical) quarter cearnach = angular, square, quadratic cearnacht = squareness cearnaigh = to square cearnóg = square |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | ceàrn [kʲaːr̪ˠn̪ˠ] = corner, area, district, part, region, quarter, square / rectangular container, angle ceàrnach [kʲaːr̪ˠn̪ˠəx] = square ceàrnagaichte [kʲaːr̪ˠn̪ˠagɪçdʲə] = squared ceàrnaichte [kʲaːr̪ˠn̪ʲɪçdʲə] = angled |
| Proto-Brythonic | *kern = side, corner (?) *Körnɨw = Cornwall, Cornouaille |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | cern, kern = side, corner Kernyw = Cornwall Kerniweg = Cornish (language) |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | cern = cheek-bone, side of the head, side (of hill, mountain, etc), exposed slope, corner cernio, cernu = to slap or smack on the cheek, to butt cerniog = having prominent cheek-bones, whiskered Cernyw = Cornwall Cernyweg = Cornish (language) |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec / Kernuak) | corn = horn, trumpet, corner Kernow = Cornwall |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | korn = horn, corner kornel = small corner, recess kornella = to corner kornet = nook Kernow [ˈkɜːnəʊ] = Cornwall Kernewek, Kernowek [kɛrˈnɛwɛk / kərˈnuːɐk] = Cornish |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | quern, quernn, quern = peak, the top of the head Querne(au) = Cornouaille |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | kern [kɛrn] = summit, peak, point, tonsure, hopper, crest Kernev(-veur) = Cornwall Kerne(v) = Cornouaille (historic region in western Brittany, also known as Bro-Gernev in Breton) Kernneveg = Cornish (language) |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂- (head, top, horn) [source]. Words from the same roots possibly include cerebral (relating to the brain, intellectual), hart (male deer) and hornet in English, cerebro (brain, nerd) in Spanish, hirvas (reindeer, stag) in Finnish, kráva (cow) in Czech, and carn (hoof, handle, hilt) in Welsh [source].
Words for Cornish in the Goidelic languages ultimately come from the same roots, but via Latin cornū (horn, antler, tusk) rather than Proto-Celtic.
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