In this post we’re looking at words for hedge, bush and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *kʷerstā, *kʷerkus, *kʷerxt- = hedge, bush |
|---|---|
| Gaulish | perth [pɛrθ] = bush, hedge |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | ceirt = apple tree, Ogham letter ᚊ (q) [kw] |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | ceirt, cert = apple tree, Ogham letter ᚊ (q) [kw] |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | ceirt [cɛɾˠtʲ] = apple tree, Ogham letter ᚊ (q) [kw] |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | ceirt [kʲer̪ʃdʲ] = Ogham letter ᚊ (q) [kw], crab / wild apple (archaic) |
| Proto-Brythonic | *perθ [pɛrθ] = bush, thicket |
| Pictish | *ᚚᚓᚏᚈ (pert) = wood, grove |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | perth = hedge, (thorn) bush, brake, thicket, copse |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | perth [pɛrθ] = hedge, (thorn) bush, brake, thicket, copse, coppice, bush, countryside, jungle |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec / Kernuak) | perth = a bush |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | perth = thicket |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *pérkus (oak) [source].
Perth, the city in Scotland, gets it’s name from the Pictish word *ᚚᚓᚏᚈ (pert). The Scottish Gaelic version of the name: Peairt comes from the same roots, as does the city of Perth in Australia [source].
Other words from the same roots include fjör (vitality, sprightliness, vigour, energy, fun, merriment, life) in Icelandic, fur (pinewood) in Swedish, quercia (oak) in Italian, pērkons (thunder) in Latvian, and fir and cork in English, and possibly the words below [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *kʷerkʷtā = (?) |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | ceirt = rag |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | ceirt, cert = rag, piece of cloth ceirtín = tatters certán = an item of clothing (?) |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | ceirt [cɛɾˠtʲ] = piece of clothing, rag, clout ceirtachán = ragged person |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | ceirt† [kʲer̪ʃdʲ] = rag ceirteach† [kʲer̪ʃdʲəx] = rag, ragged, pertaining to or abounding in rags ceirteachd† = tawdriness, raggedness ceirteag† = ragged girl |
Etymology: possibly from Proto-Indo-European *perkʷ-téh₂, from *perkʷ- (oak) [source].
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | garrda = garden, yard |
|---|---|
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | garrda, garrga = a plot, yard, enclosure, court, garden garrdadóir = gardener |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | garraí [ˈɡɑɾˠiː] = garden, yard, enclosure, ring, halo garrdaíodóir = gardener garraíodóireacht = gardening |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | gàrradh [gaːr̪ˠəɣ] = dyke, wall, garden, enclosure |
| Manx (Gaelg) | garey = garden, allotment, arbour gareyder = gardener, horticulturalist garagh, gareydys = gardening |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | gard, gart, gardd = garden, enclosure gard(d)wr = gardener |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | gardd = garden, enclosure garddio = to garden, cultivate a garden garddlan = garden, nursery garddol = garden, horticultural garddoriaeth = horticulture garddwr = gardener garddwriaeth = gardening, horticulture |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec / Kernuak) | garth = a garden |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | garth = courtyard, enclosure, yard |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | garz = bush, hedge |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | garzh [ɡars] = hedge, wooded embankment |
Etymology: from Old Norse garðr (enclosed space, yard), from Proto-Germanic *gardaz (court, yard, enclosure), from PIE *gʰórdʰos (hedge, fence), from *gʰerdʰ- (to enclose, encircle, enclosure, fence, belt). Words from the same roots include yard, garth, girth, girdle, garden and horticulture in English, jardin (garden) in French, gård (farm, estate, land, court, yard) in Danish, gård (estate, farmstead, ranch, yard) in Swedish [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, Dictionnaires bilingues de Francis Favereau / Edition Skol Vreizh, TermOfis