Tag: confluence

Confluent Ravines

By Simon

In this post we’re looking at words for ravine and related things in Celtic languages.

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Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

Proto-Celtic *komberos. *komboros = place where river water brews up, confluence (place where rivers meet), dam, barrage
Gaulish *comberos = river dam
Old Irish (Goídelc) commar = confluence, meeting place
Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) commar, commur, commor = confluence (of rivers), assembly, meeting place
Irish (Gaeilge) cumar = ravine (usually with a stream), steep-sided inlet (of the sea), channel, rut
cumarach = channelled, rutted
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) comar [komər] = confluence, concourse
comarach [komərəx] = pertaining to or abounding in confluences; confluent
Old Welsh (Kembraec) cmer = confluence, meeting of waters, meeting place or clash of armies
Middle Welsh (Kymraec) cimer, kimer = confluence, meeting of waters, meeting place or clash of armies
Welsh (Cymraeg) cymer [ˈkəmɛr] = confluence (of rivers or streams), meeting of waters, meeting place or clash of armies
Cornish (Kernewek) kemper = confluence, junction of streams
Breton (Brezhoneg) kember [ˈkɛm.bɛr] = confluence
kemberiñ [kɛm.ˈbeː.rĩ] = to converge

Etymology: from Proto-Celtic *kom- (with, together) and *berwos- (stew), from PIE *ḱóm (beside, near, by with) and *bʰrewh₁ (to boil, brew).

Words from the same Proto-Celtic roots, via Gaulish *comberos and Latin combrus (river dam, may include encombrer (to block off, clutter, congest, encumber, burden) in French, escombrar (to clear out, clean out) in Spanish, and cumbersome, encumber and incumbrance in English [source].

Words from the same PIE roots possibly include berwi (to boil) and brwd (eager, keen) in Welsh, brænde (to burn, distill) in Danish, brouwen (to brew) in Dutch, brouiller (to blur, confuse) in French, bruth (heat, rash) in Irish, and bread, brew, broth, burn, fervor in English [source].

For more words for confluence and related things see the Rivers Mouths post.

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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

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River Mouths

By Simon

Words for estuary / mouth (of a river) in Celtic languages.

Aberaeron

Proto-Celtic *adberos = mouth, confluence (of a river)
Pictish *ᚐᚁᚓᚏ (aber) = mouth, confluence (of a river)
Old Irish (Goídelc) abar [ˈfʲilʲi] = confluence, river mouth
Irish (Gaeilge) abar [ˈabˠəɾˠ] = boggy ground, morass
abarach = boggy, muddy, sloughy
abracht = boggy place
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) abar / obar = confluence, place where two or more streams meet; marsh, bog, fen
Manx (Gaelg) aber = range, pasturage, river mouth, bunker, run
Proto-Brythonic *aber [aˈbɛːr] = mouth, confluence (of a river)
Old Welsh) oper, aper = estuary, mouth of a river
Middle Welsh (Kymraec) aber = estuary, mouth of a river
Welsh (Cymraeg) aber [ˈabɛr/ˈaːbɛr] = river mouth, estuary, confluence, bay, harbour, port, anchorage
Old Cornish aber = estuary, mouth of a river
Middle Cornish (Cernewec) aber = confluence of waters, the junction of rivers
Cornish (Kernewek) aber = river mouth
Old Breton aperou = estuary, mouth of a river
Breton (Brezhoneg) aber = estuary, mouth of a river, confluence, creek

Etymology: from the Proto-Celtic *ad- (to(wards), at) and *beros (bearer, flow) [source].

Proto-Celtic *eni-berom = carrying in
Old Irish (Goídelc) *in(d)ber = river mouth
Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) inber, indber, inbir = rivermouth
Irish (Gaeilge) inbhear / inbhir [ˈabˠəɾˠ] = river mouth, estuary, firth
inbhearach = having many estuaries
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) inbhir [in̪ʲɪrʲ] = estuary, river mouth, (internet) feed
Manx (Gaelg) inver = estuary, river mouth

Etymology: from the Proto-Celtic *eni- (in) and *beros (bearer, flow), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- (to bear, carry) [source].

Notes
These words appear mainly in placenames such as Aberaeron, Abererch, Aberffraw, Abergavenny (Y Fenni), Abergynolwyn, Aberystwyth, Abergwaun (Fishguard), Aberhonddu (Brecon), Aberteifi (Cardigan), Aberdaugleddau (Milford Haven), Aberpennar (Mountain Ash) and Abertawe (Swansea) in Wales.

Aberdeen (Obar Dheathain) , Aberfeldy (Obar Pheallaidh), Aberfoyle (Obar Phuill), Abernethy (Obar Neithich), Arbroath (Aber Brothaig), Invergowrie (Inbhir Ghobharaidh), Inverkeithing (Inbhir Chèitinn), Inverness (Inbhir Nis), Inbhir Nàrann (Nairn), Inbhir Pheofharain (Dingwall), Inbhir Ùige (Wick) in Scotland.

Aber/Obar appear in Scottish placenames of Pictish origin, and may have been borrowed from Pictish. Inbhir/Inver appear in other placenames [source].

More details of placenames featuring Aber and Inver.

Old Irish (Goídelc) gáeth = the sea, a stream, an estuary
Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) gáeth, gáoth, gaoth = the sea, a stream, an estuary
gáethlach = marsh, swamp
Irish (Gaeilge) gaoth [ɡeːh / ɡiːh] = inlet of sea, estuary
Gaoth Dobhair [ɡiːˈd̪ˠoːɾʲ] = Gweedore (a parish in County Donegal)
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) geodha [gʲɔ.ə] = inlet, cove, gully (by the sea), indent(ation)
Manx (Gaelg) giau = creek, inlet, cove
Giau Vooar ny Pershey = Persian Gulf

Etymology: possibly from the Old Norse gjá (chasm, rift, crack) [source].

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.

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

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