Today we’re looking at the words for brittle, fragile and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *briskos = brittle, fragile |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | brisc = brittle, fragile |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | brisc = brittle, fragile, easily broken brisce = brittleness, brittle matter |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | briosc [bʲɾʲisˠk] = brittle, crisp, brisk, lively, ready, good-natured briosca = biscuit brioscaigh = to crisp brioscán = crisp (potato chip) brioscarnach = crunching, crackling, crunch, crackle brioslach = brittle thing(s) |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | brisg [brʲiʃgʲ] = crisp, brittle, fragile, frangible, brisk, lively brisge(achd) [brʲiʃgʲə(xg)] = brittleness, fragility brisgean [brʲiʃgʲan] = gristle brisgeanan = crisps |
| Manx (Gaelg) | brishlagh = frangible, fragile, crips, brittle, breakable, easily broken brishtagh = bankrupt, brittle brishlid = crispness, brittleness, fragility, fatigue |
| Proto-Brythonic | *brɨsk = brittle, fragile (?) |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | bresq = brittle, fragile brechder = fragility |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | bresk [bresk] = brittle, fragile, weak breskaat = to weaken breskadurezh = fragility breskted [ˈbresk.tet] = fragility, precariousness |
Etymology: uncertain [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *bruso- = fragile |
|---|---|
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | breu, brau = brittle, fragile, weak, frail breulyt, breu-lyd = brittle, fragile, weak, frail, rotting breuaỽl, breuawl = brittle, fragile, weak, frail, broken, fleeting, transient, rotting, crumbly breuolaeth, breuolyaeth = brittleness, fragility, frailty, weakness |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | brau [braɨ̯ / brai̯] = brittle, fragile, weak, frail, withered, perishable (goods), tender (meat), short (pastry), loose (soil); generous, free, kindly, unsparing, easy; ready, swift, quick; fine, refined, elegant breuedig = brittle, fragile breuhau = to make or become brittle or fragile, to crumble, rot, perish, tenderize breul(l)yd = brittle, fragile, weak, frail, rotting breuol = brittle, fragile, weak, frail, broken, fleeting, transient, rotting, crumbly breuol(i)aeth = brittleness, fragility, frailty, weakness, precariousness, mortality, death |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec / Kernuak) | brau = brittle |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrus- (to break (apart), to shred) [source].
| Cornish (Kernewek) | hedor = fragile hedoreth = fragilility |
|---|---|
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | hedorr [ˈheː.dɔr] = fragile, breakable |
Etymology (Breton): from torr (broken) in Breton. Related to torri (to break, cut) in Welsh [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