Words for tough, tenacious, stiff and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic |
*reginis = hard, stiff, tough |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) |
rigin = hard, tough, slow |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) |
rigin = tough, hard, unyielding, slow, dilatory, prolix, slow-moving, tranquil
rigne = tenacity, toughness, slowness, prolixity, sluggishness |
| Irish (Gaeilge) |
righin [ɾˠiːnʲ] = tough, tenacious, unyielding, stubborn, slow, deliberate, lingering, tardy, vicous, stringy, ropy
righne = toughness
righneáil = (act of) lingering, loitering, dawdling
righneálach = lingering, loitering, dawdling
righneálaí = lingerer, loiterer, dawdler, stubborn person
righneas = toughness, tenacity, stubborness, slowness, tardiness, viscosity
righnigh = to toughen, persevere, linger, delay, become viscid |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) |
righinn [r̪ʲi.ɪn̪ʲ] = stiff, tough, sticky, adhesive
righinn-bheulach = tight-lipped
rìghneas [r̪ʲiːnəs] = stiffness, tenacity |
| Manx (Gaelg) |
reen = hard, rigid, stiff, unyielding, thick-skinned
reenagh = stringy, toughish, tight
reenaghey = stiffen, toughen(ing)
reeneyder = stiffener, toughener, tonic
reenid = rigidity, starkness, toughness
|
| Proto-Brythonic |
*rrėɣɨn = (?) |
| Old Welsh (Kembraec) |
Regin = tribal name |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) |
rein, rain, rhain = stiff (of corpse), stone-dead, rigid, stiffened |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) |
rhain [r̥ai̯n] = stiff (of corpse), stone-dead, rigid, stiffened |
Etymology: from Proto-Celtic *regeti (to stretch, to straighten), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃réǵeti (to be straightening, from *h₃réǵ- (to straighten, to righten) [source].
Words from the same roots include rail, rank, realm, regime, regular and rule in English, Regel (rule) in German, rang (row, line, position) in French, rheng (rank, row) in Welsh, reja (grate, grating, grille) in Spanish, rank [source].
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) |
serth = steep, sloping, precipitous, high
syrthaỽ, syrthav = to fall, tumble, prostrate oneself |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) |
serth = steep, sloping, precipitous, high, straight, vertical, upright, discourteous, uncivil, insulting, curt, surly, unseemly, uncouth
serthaf, serthu = to become steep, to revile, abuse, malign
serthaidd = steep, precipitous, discourteous
serthrwydd = steepness, obscenity, ribaldry
syrth(i)af, syrth(i)o [ˈsərθjɔ] = to fall, tumble, prostrate oneself |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) |
serth = stiff, hard |
| Cornish (Kernewek) |
serth = abrupt, erect, stiff, upright, vertical
serthals = precipice
serthi = to rise up sharply
serthter = abruptness, inflexibility, rigidity, rigour, steepness, stiffness, verticality |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) |
serz = abrupt, tightly, firmly |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) |
serzh [ˈsɛrs] = steep, robust, stable
serzhañ = to tackle, to go back up
serzhded = escarpment, cliff
serzhder = perpendicularity
serzhdenn = ascent, solid, robust |
Etymology: unknown, possibly related to start in English, styrte (to rush, fall down, overthrow, jump) in Dutch, and stürzen (to fall down, drop, tumble) in German [source].
| Proto-Celtic |
*razgo / *ringo- = torture (?) |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) |
riag = torture |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) |
ríag = torture |
| Irish (Gaeilge) |
riagh = rack, torture, execute (literary) |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) |
rag [r̪ˠag] = inflexible, rigid, stiff, pig-headed, stubborn, stark, tense
ragach [r̪ˠagəx] = stiff, tough
ragadh [r̪ˠagəɣ] = (act of) stiffening, making rigid, benumbing
ragaireachd [r̪ˠagɪrʲəxg] = extortion |
| Manx (Gaelg) |
rag = stiff |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) |
reut [røːt] = stiff, rigid, sharp, stocky
reutaat = to stiffen
reutadur = stiffening, rigidification
reutaer = stiffener
reuted = rigidity |
Etymology (Breton): from Old French roide (stiff, straight, steep, abrupt), from Latin rigidus (stiff, rigid, hard, stern), from rigeō (to be stiff, stiffen) from Proto-Italic *rigēō, from Proto-Indo-European *Hreyǵ- (to stretch out, reach, bind) [source]. The Goidelic words come from the same PIE roots, via Proto-Celtic *rigo- (to stretch) [source].
Words from the same roots include raide (stiff, straight, steep, abrupt) in French, rigid in English, recio (tough, robust, strong) in Spanish and rijo (hard, tough, stiff, wiry) in Portuguese [source].
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
