Words for lip, mouth, throat and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *weblos = lip |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | bél [bʲeːl] = lip, mouth, opening belach = gap, pass, road bélat = crossroads bélbach = horse’s bit bélrae = speech, language |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | bél, beoil, beóil, beolu, beula = lip, mouth, edge, rim, orifice, opening belach, bealach, beluch = gap, pass, defile, (narrow) passage, road, path, way bélaire = reciter bélairecht = (oral) tradition bélat, belach = place where several roads meet, crossway, pass, frontier bélbach = horse’s bit bélrae = speech, language, people, nation |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | béal [bʲia̯l̪ˠ / bʲeːlˠ] = mouth, opening, entrance, lip, edge, sound, front, face, beginning béalach = loquacious, loose-tongued béalán = mouthful béalbhinn = mellifluous, flattering béalóg = small opening, gap, mouthpiece, grip, bite, mouthful, muzzle béaloideas = oral tradition, folklore béaltais = soft-lipped, bland, damp, drizzly |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | beul [bial̪ˠ] = mouth, beginning, opening, edge, gunwale, oral beulach [bial̪ˠəx] = plausible, two-faced, talkative, smooth-talking beulachas [bial̪ˠəxəs] = flattery, being mealy-mouthed beuladair [bial̪ˠədɪrʲ] = gossip (person) beulaiche [bial̪ʲɪçə] = speaker, talker, reciter, newsmonger beulas [bial̪ˠəs] = prattling, babbling, orality |
| Manx (Gaelg) | beeal [ˈbiəl] = mouth, muzzle, rictus, flue, outlet, orifice, cone, crater, rim, approach, passage beealagh = imprudent, impudent, thick-lipped beealeraght = babble, chatter, talk beealerey = babbler, talkative person beealragh(yn) = (horse’s) bit, snaffle |
Etymology: unknown [source].
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | gíall [ˈɡʲiːa̯l̪] = jaw |
|---|---|
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | gíall, giall = jaw |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | giall [ɟiəl̪ˠ] = jaw, cheek, (door) jamb, corner (of gable-end) giallach = jaw-like, long-jawed giallachán = a long-jawed / lantern-jawed person |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | giall [gʲiəl̪ˠ] = jaw, jowl, gill |
| Proto-Brythonic | *gweβl = lip |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | guefl, gwefl, gwefyl = lip, jaw(s) |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | gwefl = lip, jaw(s) gweflaf, gweflu, gweflo = to grin, grimace, pout, fret, snivel, blubbler, mouth (sth) gweflaid = mouthful gwefliad = labial gweflog = large-lipped, blubber-lipped, thick-lipped gweflwr = pouter, flatterer |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | gwelv = lip |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | gweol = lip |
Etymology: possibly from or related to Old English ċeafl (jaw, cheeck, bill, beak, snout), from Proto-West Germanic *kafl (jaw, cheek), from Proto-Germanic *kaflaz (jaw), from PIE *ǵep- (to eat, chew). Words from the same roots include jowl in English, gueule (gullet, snout, face, mouth) in French, and kæbe (jaw) in Danish [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *bussus = lip |
|---|---|
| Gaulish | *bussus = lip (?) |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | bus = lip |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | pus [pˠʊsˠ / pˠʌsˠ] = (protruding) mouth, sulky expression, pout, snout pusach = pouting, in a huff, whimpering, ready to cry pusachán = pouter, sulky person, sucking calf pusaire = sulky person, blubberer pusaireacht = (act of) pouting, sulking puisín = lip, calf’s muzzle |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | bus [bus] = mouth, cheek, lip, muzzle, snout, grimace, pout busach [busəx] = glum, sullen, pouting, blunt busag [busag] = slap on the mouth, smacking kiss, smack, dummy (sucking preventer) |
| Manx (Gaelg) | puiss = cheek, jowl, muzzle, pout puissagh = pouting, sullen, puffy, chubby |
| Proto-Brythonic | *gweβus = |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | gueus, gwëus, gweus = (human) lip, edge, brim, language, speech |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | gwefus, gwëus, gweus = (human) lip, edge, brim, language, speech gwefuso = to lip, touch with the lips, kiss, murmur, utter gwefusflew = moustache gwefusog = having (large) lips, large-lipped |
| Old Cornish | gueus = lip |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | gueus, gweuz = lip |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | gweus = lip |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | geux, gueux, gueus = lip gueusiec, gueusyec = lippy, blubber-lipped |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | gweuz [ˈɡwøːs / ˈɡɥøːs] = lip, labial gweuzek [ˈɡɥøːzɛk / ˈɡwøːzɛk] = lippy, blubber-lipped, labiate gweuzkenn = lip, pout |
Etymology: uncertain, possibly a sound-symbolic word [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *monis = neck *moniklos = neck |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | muinél = neck, narrow part |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | muinél, muinel, muineol = neck, narrow part |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | muineál [ˈmˠɪnɑːl] = neck muineálach = of the neck, cervical, long-necked |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | muineal [mun̪ʲəl̪ˠ] = neck muinealach [mun̪ʲəl̪ˠəx] = necked, long-necked |
| Manx (Gaelg) | mwannal [ˈmonal] = neck mwannalagh = cheeky, impudent, long-necked, giraffe |
| Proto-Brythonic | *munugl = neck |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | mvnugyl, mwnvgyl, mynwgyl, mwnwgl = neck, throat |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | mwnwg(l), mynwgl [ˈmʊnʊɡl] = neck, throat, instep, collar, necklace mwnwglwair = torque, collar mwnwg(l) y troed = instep |
Etymology: from PIE *mónis (neck), from *mon- (neck, nape). Words from the same roots include mane in English, Mähne (mane) in German, and maan (mane) in Dutch [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *wodwos = spoils |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | fodb = spoils |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | fodb, fadb = booty, spoils |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | fadhbh = dead man’s possessions, plunder, spoils (literary) fadhbhach = spoil-laden faofa = stripped, despoiled, bare, naked |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | fadhbh [fɤːv] = spoils, booty (esp. of a dead person), windfall fadhbh a’ chogaidh = the spoils of war fadhbhachadh [fɤːvəxəɣ] = (act of) stripping (bare), denuding, despoiling, plundering, looting |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | gedueu, gwdwc, gwdyf, gwdwf, gwddw = neck, crag, throat |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | gwddf, gwddw(g) [ɡʊðv / ˈɡuːðu(g)] = neck, crag, throat gyddfol [ˈɡəðvɔl] = jugular, gutteral, throaty, hoarse |
| Old Breton (Brethonoc) | guodoc = throat, neck |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | gouzouc = throat, neck |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | gouzoug = throat, neck |
Etymology: uncertain, possibly related to Proto-Celtic *wodwo- (cutting), from Proto-Indo-European *wedʰH- (strike) [source].
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | ceg, ceeg, cêg = throat, gullet, windpipe, neck, mouth |
|---|---|
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | ceg [keːɡ] = throat, gullet, windpipe, neck, mouth, opening, entrance, roup, pip, thrush cega(f), cegu, cego = to swallow, consume greedily, guzzle, gulp, choke, throttle, scold, wrangle, gossip, shout cegaid = mouthful, draught cegen = gorge, gullet, windpipe cegog = mouthy |
Etymology: possibly from Old English ċēce (jaw, jawbone, cheek), from Proto-West Germanic *kākā (jaw, cheek), from Proto-Germanic *kēkǭ. The English words cheek and choke come from the same roots, as does kaak (jaw, cheek, gill) 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
