Words for what? which? who? where? and related things in Celtic languages.
What?
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *kʷid? = what? |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | cid? = what? cote, cate, catte [ˈko.d̠ʲe] = of what sort is …? what is …? |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | cote, coteeet, codde, cate, cati, cáte = what (is)? |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | cad? [kad̪ˠ] = what? where? (in Munster) cad é? [kəd̪ˠˈeː] = what? (in Connacht & Ulster) cad é mar (atá tú)? = how (are you)? (in Ulster) céard? [ceːɾˠd̪ˠ] = what? (in Connacht) goidé? [ɡəˈtʲeː] = what? (in Connacht & Ulster) cad chuige? [kɑt̪ˠ ˈxɪɟɪ / kəˈt̪ˠiɟə] = why? (in Mayo,& Ulster) cad ina thaobh? [ˌkɑn̪ˠəˈheːvˠ] = why? (in Munster) |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | ciod? [kʲid] = what? ciod air bith = whichever, whatever ciod e? = what? ciod thuige? [kʲid hugʲə] = why? dè? [dʲeː] = what? who? dè man? dè mar? [deː man / dʲeː mar] = how? |
| Manx (Gaelg) | cre? = what? cre fa? = why? cre wooad? = how much? quoid? = how many? how much? |
| Old Welsh (Kembraec) | pa? = what? which? |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | pa? py? = what? which? paham? pam? = why? reason, cause, question |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | pa? [paː] = what? which? paham? pam? = why? reason, cause, question pa bryd? = when? at what time? pa un? p’un? = who(m)? which (one)? |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | pe? pa? py? = what? which? where? pa le? = where place? where? pahan = what perag? prâg? = for what? wherefore? why? pattel? patla? fattel? fatla? = how? by what means? pe? pa? py? = |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | py? pe? = what? which? py lies? = how many? pyth? = what?, that which ple? = where? prag? = why? what for? fatla? = how? |
| Old Breton | pe? = what? |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | pe? pé? = what? peguement? pe quement? = how much? how many? pe en lech? = where? penaus? penos? = how? perac? pe-rac? = why? petra? = who? what? |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | pe? [peː] = which one? pegeit? [peˈɡɛjt] = how long? how far? pegement? [pe.ˈɡẽ.mːɛnt] = how much? how many? pegoulz? [pe.ˈɡuls] = when? pehini? [peˈ(h)ĩːni] = which one? pelec’h? [peˈlɛːx] = where? penaos? [pẽ.ˈnɔːs] = how? perak? [pe.ˈrɑːk] = why? peseurt? [peˈsøʁt] = what? what kind? petra? [ˈpe.tʁa] = who? what? |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *kʷid (what? which?) [source]. Words from the same PIE roots include çë (what?) in Albanian, kas (that, which, who) in Latvian, что (što – that, what, which) in Russian, che (what, which) in Italian, ¿qué? (what? which?) in Spainish [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *kʷei? = who? |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | cía = what? where? who? how? if, although cía airet? = how long? cía airm? cairm? airm? = where? cía chruth? = how? cía méit? = how many? how much? |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | cía? ce? ci? = who? what? how? where? |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | cá? = what? how? where? cá hait? = (at) what place? where? cá huair? = at what hour? when? cá fhad? = how long? cá mhéad? = how much? how much? cé? = who? cén? = what? which? |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | cò? [koː] = who(m)? where? cò idir = whoever cò ann? = wherein? cò as? [ko as] = where from? |
| Manx (Gaelg) | quoi? [kwəi] = who? whom? which? whichever, who? quoi erbee = who(so)ever, whom(so)ever quoi jeu? = which one? quoid? c’wooad? = how many? how much? |
| Proto-Brythonic | *puɨ? = who? |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | pwy? = who(m)? what? pwy bynnac, pwybynnag = whoever |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | pwy? [puːɨ̯ / pʊi̯] = who(m)? what? pwy bynnag = whoever |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | pew? pyw? p(y)u? piwa? = who? pywpenag, piwha bennac, piwa bennac, pyu penagh = who(s)ever |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | piw? [piˑʊ] = who? piw penag, piw pynag = whoever piw? = who? |
| Old Breton (Brethonoc) | piu? = who? |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | piu? piou? = who? piupennac, piu pennac, piou bennac = whoever |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | piv? [piw] = who? piv bennak = whoever pivelezh = identity |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *kʷís (who? what? which, that) [source]. Words from the same PIE roots include ca (than, as) in Romanian, hve (how, like, as) in Icelandic, how and when in English, and hoe (how) in Dutch [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
