Words for wheat, winnow and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *nixtos = (something) winnowed, wheat *uɸo-nixtos = (?) |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | *necht = (?) cruithnecht = wheat |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | cruithnecht, cruithneachd = wheat cruithnechtach, cruithneachtach = abounding in wheat cruithnechtdae = relating to wheat |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | cruithneacht [ˈkɾˠɪ(h)nʲəxt̪ˠ] = wheat |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | cruithneachd [krɯn̪ʲəxg] = wheat, best of somethign cruithneachd-choitcheann = common / bread wheat (triticum aestivum) cruithneachd-Innseanach = maize, corn (zea mays) cruithneachd nan gaisgeach = the greatest of heroes |
| Manx (Gaelg) | curnagh(t) = wheat |
| Proto-Brythonic | *niθ = (something) winnowed, wheat *gwöniθ = wheat *niθjɨd = to winnow |
| Old Welsh (Kembraec) | gueinth = wheat |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | guenith, gwenith, gỽenith = wheat gwenithaidd = excellent, fine, of the purest, wheaten gwenythdyr, gwenithdir = land under wheat, land suitable for wheat-growing gwenithuein, gwenithfaen = granite gwenith gwrwf, gwenithgwrw = wheat-ale nithiau, nithiaw, nithio = to winnow, sift nithydd, nithiwr = winnower |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | gwenith [ˈɡwɛnɪθ / ˈɡweːnɪθ] = wheat, good people, excellence, purity, fine man or woman, one of the best, a real good sort gwenithaidd = excellent, fine, of the purest, wheaten gwenithlyd, gwenithog = abounding in wheat gwenithol = wheaten, fine, of the highest quality, pure nithio = to winnow, sift nithiedig = winnowed, sifted nithiol = winnowing, sifting nithiwr, nithydd = winnower, winnowing machine |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | gwaneth = wheat nothlen = a winnowing sheet |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | gwaneth [ˈɡwanɛθ] = wheat gwanethek = wheat field gwanethen = (ear of) wheat gwanettir = wheat land notha, nothya = to winnow |
| Middle Breton | guiniz = birch niza = to winnow |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | gwinizh [ˈɡɥĩːnis] = wheat gwinizheg [ɡwĩ.ˈniː.zɛk] = wheat field gwinizhenn = stalk of wheat gwinizhus = abundant in wheat nizh, nizhadeg, nizherezh = winnowing nizhañ = to winnow nizher = winnower |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *nik-tó-s, from *neyk- (to winnow) & *-tós (creates verbal adjectives from verb stems) [source]. Words from the same PIE roots include λίκνο (líkno – cradle) and λιχνίζω (likhnízō – to thresh) in Greek, niekoti (trifle) in Latvian, and niekāt (nothing) in Lithuanian [source].
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | tuirenn = wheat |
|---|---|
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | tuirenn, tuirinn = wheat |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | tuireann = (lit.) wheat, faithful following, band, company |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | tuireann [tɯrʲən̪ˠ] = wheat (genus triticum) |
Etymology: unknown, possibly related to tuireann (a spark of fire from an anvil) [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