{"id":3203,"date":"2018-09-26T11:14:35","date_gmt":"2018-09-26T11:14:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/rywsut\/?p=3203"},"modified":"2025-07-04T18:40:47","modified_gmt":"2025-07-04T17:40:47","slug":"small","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/2018\/09\/26\/small\/","title":{"rendered":"Small"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Words for <strong>small<\/strong>, <strong>little<\/strong> and related words in Celtic languages.<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/berrega\/9558888766\/in\/photolist-fyFNB1-fyFKDU-oou418-Hyp3zs-o4b9sL-eNsdBD-HiUMiZ-9Afph7-8ixqEU-cnLeAj-bzeThc-9d5MSM-fby6a-nwZVwe-cnLdxd-9Acrzr-4FZu2b-8ixxpj-awH2ks-264d21M-cHde4U-d57bZ7-9Uf1Z1-8r9QBc-DLdb71-5PzhiT-KDJvp-dXQGtc-o1C9Hh-6g3aX3-K6muG-62fTPG-ayDCcQ-qNagWU-8x4q96-aa31Dz-HGPtF9-iCP3Ei-eXvJvb-6U1AYV-bqb7pf-MMwydP-9tgFaQ-e4vqzh-6FGun2-bRkFda-pMw7NR-ec1wAo-MMwKLi-ab1XCT\" title=\"Kittens\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/3694\/9558888766_c118f21170_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Kittens\"\/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Words marked with a * are reconstructions.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Proto-Celtic<\/th>\n<td><strong>*bikkos, *biggos, *bekkos, *beggos<\/strong> = small, little<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>bec(c)<\/strong> [\u02c8b\u02b2e\u0261] = small, little<br \/>\n<strong>bec\u00e1n<\/strong> = little<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>MIidle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>bec, beg<\/strong> = small, little, a small amount<br \/>\n<strong>becaid<\/strong> = to make small, deplete<br \/>\n<strong>becaigid, begaigh<\/strong> = to lessen, diminish, reduce<br \/>\n<strong>bec\u00e1n, beg\u00e1n, beccan<\/strong> = a little, small quantity, a few, a small number, little one, child, humble, lowly one<br \/>\n<strong>becda<\/strong> = lowly, humble<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Irish (Gaeilge)<\/th>\n<td><strong>beag<\/strong> [b\u02b2\u0254\u0261 \/ b\u02b2\u025e\u0261 \/ b\u02b2\u025b\u0261] = little, small, small amount; few<br \/>\n<strong>beagad\u00e1n<\/strong> = diminutive person, little one<br \/>\n<strong>beagaigh<\/strong> = to lesson, diminish<br \/>\n<strong>beag\u00e1n<\/strong> = little, a few, a little, somewhat<br \/>\n<strong>beagchainteach<\/strong> = silent, taciturn<br \/>\n<strong>beagch\u00e9ill\u00ed<\/strong> = senseless, foolish<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Scottish Gaelic (G\u00e0idhlig)<\/th>\n<td><strong>beag<\/strong> [beg] = small, little, wee; minor; petty, puny, trifling; slight<br \/>\n<strong>beagadh<\/strong> [beg\u0259g] = to diminish, lessen, reduce<br \/>\n<strong>beagachadh<\/strong> [beg\u0259x\u0259\u0263] = diminishing, lessening, reducing<br \/>\n<strong>beagag<\/strong> [begag] = small thing, trifle<br \/>\n<strong>beagan<\/strong> [began] = a little, a few<br \/>\n<strong>beaganas<\/strong> [began\u0259s] = slight, snub<br \/>\n<strong>beagnachd<\/strong> [begn\u0259xg] = parvity, smallness<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Manx (Gaelg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>beg<\/strong> = small, short, slight, few, poky, model, narrow, quiet, dwarf<br \/>\n<strong>beggan<\/strong> = somewhat, slightly, partly, faintly, a few, little, small piece<br \/>\n<strong>begganid<\/strong> = littleness, smallness, slightness<br \/>\n<strong>beggid<\/strong> =  diminutive, diminutiveness, littleness, paltriness<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Proto-Brythonic<\/th>\n<td><strong>*b\u0268x<\/strong> = small<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Welsh (Kymraec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>hach, bych, b\u00e2ch,<\/strong> = small, little<br \/>\n<strong>baches, ba\u00e7es<\/strong> = darling, little, little woman<br \/>\n<strong>bachken, bachcen<\/strong> = boy, lad, youngster, servant, son, child<br \/>\n<strong>bachcennes<\/strong> = young girl, maiden, damsel, lass, wench<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Welsh (Cymraeg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>bach<\/strong> [ba\u02d0\u03c7] = small, little, short; not fully grown or developed, young; insignificant, unimportant, humble; small (business); lower-case (letter); dear, beloved; poor<br \/>\n<strong>baches<\/strong> = darling, little, little woman<br \/>\n<strong>bachgen<\/strong> = boy, lad, youngster, servant, son, child<br \/>\n<strong>bachgennes<\/strong> = young girl, maiden, damsel, lass, wench<br \/>\n<strong>bachigol<\/strong> = diminutive, small, little<br \/>\n<strong>bychan<\/strong> [\u02c8b\u0259\u03c7an] = little, small, minute, diminutive; inconspicuous, obscure, unimportant, petty; young inexperienced; little one, young child<br \/>\n<strong>bychanaf, bychanu<\/strong> = to abase, disparage, disregard, slight, minimize<br \/>\n<strong>bychander, bychandod<\/strong> = littleness, smallness, scarcity, contempt, pettiness<br \/>\n<strong>bychanig<\/strong> = very little\/small, minute, diminutive, bit, piece<br \/>\n<strong>bychan bach<\/strong> very little<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Cornish (Cernewec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>bechan, bian, bichan, bihan, bochan, byan, byhan<\/strong> = little, small<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Cornish (Kernewek)<\/th>\n<td><strong>byghan<\/strong> [&#8216;b\u026ahan] = little, small<br \/>\n<strong>byghanhe<\/strong> = to reduce, make smaller<br \/>\n<strong>byghanna<\/strong> = smaller<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Breton (Brezonec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>bihan, byhan<\/strong> = small<br \/>\n<strong>bihanaat, bihanhat, bihanat<\/strong> = to shrink, diminish<br \/>\n<strong>bihanaet, bihannaet<\/strong> = decrease<br \/>\n<strong>bihanded, bihandet, bihand\u00e6tt<\/strong> = smallness<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Breton (Brezhoneg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>bihan<\/strong> = small, insufficient, modest, little<br \/>\n<strong>bihanaat<\/strong> = diminutive, pet name<br \/>\n<strong>bihanadur<\/strong> = miniature<br \/>\n<strong>bihanniver<\/strong> = minority<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etmology<\/strong>: possibly from the Proto-Indo-European <em>*b\u02b0\u00e9g-ko-s<\/em>, from <em>*b\u02b0eg-<\/em> (to break) +\u200e the suffix <em>*-kos<\/em> [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic\/biggos\">source<\/a>]. Words for small and little in Romance languages, such as <strong>petit<\/strong> in French, <strong>pequeno<\/strong> in Portuguese and <strong>peque\u00f1o<\/strong> in Spanish, possibly come from the same Proto-Celtic root, via the Latin word <em>*pittus<\/em> (small, little) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Latin\/pittus\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Proto-Celtic<\/th>\n<td><strong>*legus<\/strong> = small<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Gaulish<\/th>\n<td><strong>lau<\/strong> = small<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>lagu, lugu, laigiu<\/strong> = smaller<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>lagu<\/strong> = smaller<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Irish (Gaeilge)<\/th>\n<td><strong>laghad<\/strong> = smallness, fewness<br \/>\n<strong>laghadaigh<\/strong> = to lessen, decrease, diminish, reduce<br \/>\n<strong>laghadaitheach<\/strong> = lessening, decreasing<br \/>\n<strong>laghad\u00fa<\/strong> = decrease, diminuition, reduction<br \/>\n<strong>laghad\u00fach\u00e1n<\/strong> = (act of) diminution<br \/>\n<strong>n\u00edos l\u00fa<\/strong> = smaller<br \/>\n<strong>is l\u00fa<\/strong> = smallest, least<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Scottish Gaelic (G\u00e0idhlig)<\/th>\n<td><strong>lugha<\/strong> = less, least, more or most disagreeable<br \/>\n<strong>nas lugha<\/strong> = smaller, less, shorter, minimum<br \/>\n<strong>as lugha<\/strong> = smallest, tiniest, shortest<br \/>\n<strong>laghad<\/strong> [\u032al\u032a\u02e0\u0264\u0263\u0259d] = smallness, littleness, minority<br \/>\n<strong>luighead<\/strong> = degree of smallness, littleness<br \/>\n<strong>laghdaich, l\u00f9ghdaich<\/strong> = (to) decrease, diminsh, lessen, reduce, decline<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Manx (Gaelg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>loo<\/strong> = fewer, least, little(r), minimim<br \/>\n<strong>(ny) sloo<\/strong> = less, lesser, smaller, shorter<br \/>\n<strong>by loo<\/strong> = smallest, fewest, less<br \/>\n<strong>leodagh<\/strong> = decreasing, degrading, dreogatory<br \/>\n<strong>leodaghey<\/strong> = to decrease, minimize, reduce, diminish<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Proto-Brythonic<\/th>\n<td><strong>*lla\u0263w<\/strong> = small, bad<br \/>\n<strong>*lla\u0263\u00fc<\/strong> = smaller<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Welsh (Kymraec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>llaw<\/strong> = small, little, low, mean, weak<br \/>\n<strong>llei, lley<\/strong> = smaller, less, fewer<br \/>\n<strong>leyhaf, lleyaf, lleiaf<\/strong> = least, smallest, lowest, fewest<br \/>\n<strong>leihaa, leihaei, lleihav, leihau<\/strong> = to become smaller or less<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Welsh (Cymraeg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>llaw<\/strong> = small, little, low, mean, weak<br \/>\n<strong>llai<\/strong> [\u026cai\u032f] = smaller, less, fewer<br \/>\n<strong>lleia(f)<\/strong> = least, smallest, lowest, fewest<br \/>\n<strong>lleiafrif<\/strong> = minority<br \/>\n<strong>lleihad<\/strong> = a lessening, decrease, easing<br \/>\n<strong>lleihadog<\/strong> = belittling, diminutive, derogative<br \/>\n<strong>lleihau<\/strong> = to become smaller or less, to diminish, to shink, to decrease, to less, to shorten<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Cornish (Cernewec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>le<\/strong> = less, smaller<br \/>\n<strong>leia<\/strong> = least, smallest<br \/>\n<strong>leyhy, lyha<\/strong> = to make smaller, diminish, lessen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Cornish (Kernewek)<\/th>\n<td><strong>le<\/strong> = smaller, less, lesser, fewer, minor<br \/>\n<strong>lehe<\/strong> = to lessen, extenuate, mitigate, reduce, shrink, zoom out<br \/>\n<strong>leheans<\/strong> = reduction<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Breton (Brethonoc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>lau<\/strong> = less, fewer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Breton (Brezonec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>lau<\/strong> = less, fewer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Breton (Brezhoneg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>lei<\/strong> = less, fewer<br \/>\n<strong>leiaat<\/strong> = to decrease, lower, attenuate<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: from <em>*h\u2081l\u00e9ng\u02b0us<\/em> (lightweight, easy, nimble), from <em>*h\u2081leng\u02b7\u02b0-<\/em> (to move lightly or effortlessly; lightweight) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic\/legus\">source<\/a>]. Words from the same PIE roots include <strong>gelingen<\/strong> (to turn out well, go smoothly) in German, <strong>light<\/strong> and <strong>lever<\/strong> in English, <strong>licht<\/strong> (light, easy, mild) in Dutch, and <strong>l\u00e9im<\/strong> (to jump, leap) in Irish [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European\/h%E2%82%81leng%CA%B7%CA%B0-\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.japanesepod101.com\/member\/go.php?r=759259&amp;i=b0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/images\/banners\/banner_japanesepod.jpg\" alt=\"The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com\" width=\"630\" height=\"83\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Sources: <em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/\">Wiktionary<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/embed\/EtymologicalDictionaryOfProtoCeltic\">Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www3.smo.uhi.ac.uk\/sengoidelc\/duil-belrai\/english.html\">In D\u00fail B\u00e9lrai English &#8211; Old Irish glossary<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/dil.ie\/\">eDIL &#8211; Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.teanglann.ie\/en\/fgb\/ceann\">Teanglann.ie<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.faclair.com\/\">Am Faclair Beag<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikisource.org\/wiki\/An_Etymological_Dictionary_of_the_Gaelic_Language\">An etymological dictionary of the Gaelic language<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/dictionaryq.com\/gaelg\/\">Fockleyreen: Manx &#8211; English Dictionary<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mannin.info\/Mannin\/fockleyr\/m2e.php\">Online Manx Dictionary<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/corpus.gaelg.im\/\">Gaelg Corpus<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/geiriadur.ac.uk\/gpc\/gpc.html\">Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/lexiconcornubrit00willuoft\/page\/n5\/mode\/2up\">Lexicon cornu-britannicum : a dictionary of the ancient Celtic language of Cornwall<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cornishdictionary.org.uk\/\">Gerlyver Kernewek<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/devri.bzh\/\">Devri : Le dictionaire diachronique du breton<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/geriafurch.bzh\/fr\">Geriafurch<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.brezhoneg.bzh\/87-termofis.htm\">TermOfis<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-5001128073855040\"\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- Blog horizontal --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\n     style=\"display:block\"\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5001128073855040\"\n     data-ad-slot=\"1685480124\"\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Words for small, little and related words in Celtic languages. Words marked with a * are reconstructions. Proto-Celtic *bikkos, *biggos, *bekkos, *beggos = small, little Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc) bec(c) [\u02c8b\u02b2e\u0261] = small, little bec\u00e1n = little MIidle Irish (Gaoidhealg) bec, beg = small, little, a small amount becaid = to make small, deplete becaigid, begaigh [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,16,26,19,20,44,21,3,36,22,5,6,37,7,10,93,11,12,13,23,82,18,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3203","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adjectives","category-breton","category-kernewek-cornish","category-english","category-etymology","category-french","category-gaeilge-irish","category-language","category-latin","category-gaelg-manx","category-middle-breton","category-middle-cornish","category-middle-irish","category-middle-welsh-kymraec","category-old-irish-goidelc","category-portuguese-portugues","category-proto-brythonic","category-proto-celtic","category-proto-indo-european","category-gaidhlig-scottish-gaelic","category-spanish-espanol","category-cymraeg-welsh","category-words"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3203","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3203"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3203\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8871,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3203\/revisions\/8871"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3203"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3203"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3203"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}