{"id":3681,"date":"2018-11-22T19:05:56","date_gmt":"2018-11-22T19:05:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/?p=3681"},"modified":"2026-03-02T21:53:01","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T21:53:01","slug":"backs-ridges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/2018\/11\/22\/backs-ridges\/","title":{"rendered":"Backs &#038; Ridges"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Words for <strong>back<\/strong>, <strong>ridge<\/strong> and related things in Celtic languages.<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/omniglot\/27355989425\/in\/album-72157626541135224\/\" title=\"View from Snowdon\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/7472\/27355989425_0d21d791e7_z.jpg\" alt=\"View from Snowdon\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\"><\/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>*drosman<\/strong> = <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>druimm<\/strong> [\u02c8d\u032a\u027eum\u02b2] = back, ridge<br \/>\n<strong>druimm tar ais<\/strong> = backwards, upside down<br \/>\n<strong>druimm tar druimm<\/strong> = topsy-turvy, upside down<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>druim(m)<\/strong> = back, surface, ridge, hill<br \/>\n<strong>druimne<\/strong> = back, elevation, ridge, hill<br \/>\n<strong>drumman<\/strong> = humped, back, hillock<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Irish (Gaeilge)<\/th>\n<td><strong>droim<\/strong> [d\u032a\u02e0\u027e\u02e0i\u02d0m\u02b2 \/ d\u032a\u02e0\u027e\u02e0\u026am\u02b2] = back, ridge, carapace, wave<br \/>\n<strong>droimeann<\/strong> = white-backed, white-backed cow<br \/>\n<strong>droimfhada<\/strong> = long-backed, long-ridged<br \/>\n<strong>droim\u00edn<\/strong> = low ridge, slight elevation, saddle, arch (in back)<br \/>\n<strong>droim\u00edneach<\/strong> = tiny humpbacked person<br \/>\n<strong>droiminne<\/strong> = white colour, white streak, on back<br \/>\n<strong>droimne<\/strong> = ridge<br \/>\n<strong>droimeach<\/strong> = black-backed gull, ridged, undulating, arched, convex<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Scottish Gaelic (G\u00e0idhlig)<\/th>\n<td><strong>druim<\/strong> [dr\u026fim] = back, ridge, keel, backline, camber<br \/>\n<strong>druimeag<\/strong> [dr\u026fmag] = small ridge, small load, lump, hump<br \/>\n<strong>druimean<\/strong> [dr\u026fman] = (mountain) saddle<br \/>\n<strong>druimneach<\/strong> [dr\u026fimn\u0259x] = dorsal, pertaining to backs, ridged<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Manx (Gaelg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>dreeym<\/strong> = back, ridge, hillside, down, terrace, shed, camber, saddle, fret, arch, edge<br \/>\n<strong>dreeymagh<\/strong> = ridged<br \/>\n<strong>drommey<\/strong> = dorsal, spinal<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: possibly from Proto-Indo-European <em><\/em> (end, boundry), which is also the root of the English word <strong>tram<\/strong>, or related to Latin <em>dorsum<\/em> (back, ridge) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/druimm\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Proto-Celtic<\/th>\n<td><strong>*kebno-<\/strong> = back<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Gaulish<\/th>\n<td><strong>Cebenna<\/strong> [ke\u02c8ben.na] = ridge, height, and name of the mountins now known as the C\u00e9vennes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Welsh (Kembraec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>ceng, cemn, kewin<\/strong> = back, ridge<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Welsh (Kymraec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>keuen, kefneu, kefyn, cefn, cefen<\/strong> [\u02c8ke.ven] = back, ridge<br \/>\n<strong>kein, cain, ceing<\/strong> = back, ridge<br \/>\n<strong>cefnai, kefnu, kefnv, cevnu<\/strong> = to turn one&#8217;s back upon<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Welsh (Cymraeg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>cefn<\/strong> [k\u025bvn \/ \u02c8ke\u02d0v\u025bn] = back, support, ridge, middle, center<br \/>\n<strong>cefnaf, cefnu<\/strong> = to turn one&#8217;s back upon, to forsake, to withdraw, to give way, to finish, to accomplish, to settle, to overcome, to back, to support<br \/>\n<strong>cefnog<\/strong> = valiant, stout, brave, strong, wealthy, backed, ridged<br \/>\n<strong>cefnogaeth<\/strong> = support, encouragement, backing<br \/>\n<strong>cefnogi<\/strong> = to encourage, support, back, strengthen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Cornish (Cernewec \/ Kernuak)<\/th>\n<td><strong>cein, chein, keyn<\/strong> = back, ridge<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Cornish (Kernewek)<\/th>\n<td><strong>keyn<\/strong> [k\u025b\u026an \/ k\u0259\u026an] = back, keel, ridge<br \/>\n<strong>keynek<\/strong> = convex<br \/>\n<strong>keyner<\/strong> = full back<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Breton (Brezonec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>queyn, quein<\/strong> = back<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Breton (Brezhoneg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>kein<\/strong> [\u02c8k\u025bjn] = back, keel, binding, convexity<br \/>\n<strong>keina\u00f1<\/strong> = to lean back, to support, to connect, to put a keel on<br \/>\n<strong>keineg<\/strong> = having a good back, important, mackerel<br \/>\n<strong>keinek<\/strong> = having a back<br \/>\n<strong>keinel<\/strong> = dorsal<br \/>\n<strong>keinet<\/strong> = backed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: possibly related to Proto-Celtic <em>*kambos<\/em> (crooked, bent) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/druimm\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>escir<\/strong> = ridge, elevation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>e(i)scir<\/strong> = ridge, elevation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Irish (Gaeilge)<\/th>\n<td><strong>eiscir<\/strong> [\u02c8e\u0283c\u0259\u027e\u02b2] = glacial ridge, esker (a long, narrow, sinuous ridge created by deposits from a stream running beneath a glacier)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Scottish Gaelic (G\u00e0idhlig)<\/th>\n<td><strong>aisgeir<\/strong> = rocky mountain, ridge of high mountains<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Manx (Gaelg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>sker<\/strong> = ridge, crag, rockface, skerry, sea rock<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Welsh (Kembraec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>escier<\/strong> = limb<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Welsh (Kymraec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>eskeir, esgeir, ysgeir, esgair<\/strong> = leg, shank, ridge, mountain spur<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Welsh (Cymraeg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>esgair, ysgair<\/strong> = leg, shank, limb, ridge, mountain spur<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Cornish<\/th>\n<td><strong>(el)escher<\/strong> = the shank, shin bone<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Cornish (Cernewec \/ Kernuak)<\/th>\n<td><strong>elesc(h)er<\/strong> = the shank, shin bone<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Cornish (Kernewek)<\/th>\n<td><strong>esker<\/strong> = esker (long hill of outwash formed at glacier snout)<br \/>\n<strong>el esker<\/strong> = shin<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Breton (Brezhoneg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>esker<\/strong> = (carpenter&#8217;s) leg, knee<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: unknown  [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/esgair\">source<\/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 back, ridge and related things in Celtic languages. Words marked with a * are reconstructions. Proto-Celtic *drosman = Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc) druimm [\u02c8d\u032a\u027eum\u02b2] = back, ridge druimm tar ais = backwards, upside down druimm tar druimm = topsy-turvy, upside down Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) druim(m) = back, surface, ridge, hill druimne = back, elevation, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,26,19,25,21,3,22,7,27,41,12,23,18,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3681","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-breton","category-kernewek-cornish","category-english","category-gaulish","category-gaeilge-irish","category-language","category-gaelg-manx","category-middle-welsh-kymraec","category-nouns","category-parts-of-the-body","category-proto-celtic","category-gaidhlig-scottish-gaelic","category-cymraeg-welsh","category-words"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3681","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\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3681"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3681\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9135,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3681\/revisions\/9135"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3681"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3681"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3681"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}