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