{"id":4237,"date":"2019-04-08T13:11:33","date_gmt":"2019-04-08T12:11:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/?p=4237"},"modified":"2025-07-05T21:03:35","modified_gmt":"2025-07-05T20:03:35","slug":"doctor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/2019\/04\/08\/doctor\/","title":{"rendered":"Doctor"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Words for <strong>doctor<\/strong> and related things in Celtic languages.<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/rolandcliff\/4606439984\/in\/photolist-824d83-bxRvei-6dxRuB-bcnrB4-YipW-9P1jui-6Vb1bp-4FgJfr-aCQfJH-5SjTtq-iCWVAk-6Nr7rj-bkYFJg-8Qv5p-LbUfSE-5vHg6i-JDsC4K-2mj5YmN-JBeXLQ-JDsC9p-E9iQRt-2nYS3iw-6LfdyA-27K8itW-pKqWBZ-pKqWyH-qpCPfC-qG8Das-53KWev-dhBHr2-2f1vBMP-2ZSebP-asknMg-2mytK3A-9h69Wo-aso16w-2duJCf8-ebosuG-7kAR3S-askevH-askidn-2eP8yB-BqnSci-91jqBr-YmKReS-2mya5rn-en7mGk-bRvmu-5Ez381-YmKQZy\" title=\"Doctor\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/1117\/4606439984_f28bf69690_z.jpg\" width=\"600\" height=\"401\" alt=\"Doctor\"\/><\/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>Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>docht\u00fair, doct\u00fair<\/strong> = learned ma, teacher, professor, physician<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Irish (Gaeilge)<\/th>\n<td><strong>docht\u00fair<\/strong> [d\u032a\u02e0\u0254x\u02c8t\u032a\u02e0u\u02d0\u027e\u02b2 \/ \u02c8d\u032a\u02e0\u028cxt\u032a\u02e0u\u027e\u02b2] = doctor<br \/>\n<strong>docht\u00faireacht<\/strong> = doctorate, medical practice, doctoring<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Scottish Gaelic (G\u00e0idhlig)<\/th>\n<td><strong>dotair<\/strong> [d\u0254hd\u025br\u02b2] = doctor, surgeon, physician<br \/>\n<strong>dotaireachd<\/strong> [d\u0254hd\u026ar\u02b2\u0259xg] = doctorate, knowledge of medicine, (act of) curing, healing<br \/>\n<strong>dotaireas<\/strong> [d\u0254hd\u026ar\u02b2\u0259s] = doctorate, knowledge of medicine<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Manx (Gaelg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>doghtoor<\/strong> = doctor<br \/>\n<strong>doghtoorahgt<\/strong> = doctorate<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Welsh (Kymraec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>doethur<\/strong> = doctor, teacher, sage, learned man<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Welsh (Cymraeg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>doethur, doethor<\/strong> = doctor, teacher, sage, learned man<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Cornish (Kernewek)<\/th>\n<td><strong>doktour<\/strong> = doctor<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: from the Latin <em>doctor<\/em> (teacher, instructor), from <em>doce\u014d<\/em> (teach), from the Proto-Italic <em>*doke\u014d<\/em> (tell, inform, teach, instruct), from the Proto-Indo-European <em>*de\u1e31-<\/em> (to take) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/doctor#Latin\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Proto-Celtic<\/th>\n<td><strong>*l\u012b(\u03c6)agi-<\/strong> = doctor<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>l\u00edaig<\/strong> = leech, doctor, physician<br \/>\n<strong>f\u00e1ithl\u00edaig<\/strong> = doctor, physician<br \/>\n<strong>leiges<\/strong> = healing, medicine, curing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>l\u00edaig, liag, leaga, lega, lieig<\/strong> = leech, doctor, physician, adviser, healer<br \/>\n<strong>leiges. leges, leighis<\/strong> = healing, medical treatment, cure, remedey, medicine, medicament, curing, healing<br \/>\n<strong>leigesamail<\/strong> = medicinal, healing<br \/>\n<strong>leigisid, leigiste<\/strong> = medicinal, healing, to cure, to heal<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Irish (Gaeilge)<\/th>\n<td><strong>lia<\/strong> [l\u0320\u02b2i\u0259] = healer, physician<br \/>\n<strong>lia ban<\/strong> = gynaecologist<br \/>\n<strong>lia s\u00fal<\/strong> = oculist<br \/>\n<strong>leigheas<\/strong> = art of healing, medicine, medical treatment<br \/>\n<strong>leigheasach<\/strong> = healing, curative, medicinal<br \/>\n<strong>leigheas\u00f3ir<\/strong> = healer, curer<br \/>\n<strong>leigheasra<\/strong> = cures, medicines<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Scottish Gaelic (G\u00e0idhlig)<\/th>\n<td><strong>l\u00e8igh<\/strong> [l\u032a\u02b2e\u02d0] = physician, surgeon<br \/>\n<strong>l\u00e8ighadair<\/strong> = pharmacist<br \/>\n<strong>l\u00e8igheadairachd<\/strong> = pharmacy<br \/>\n<strong>l\u00e8igheadh<\/strong> = (act of) healing<br \/>\n<strong>leigheas<\/strong> [l\u032a\u02b2e.\u0259s] = curing, healing, medicine<br \/>\n<strong>l\u00e8igheil<\/strong> = medical<br \/>\n<strong>lighiche<\/strong> [l\u032a\u02b2i.\u026a\u00e7\u0259] = healer, physician, surgeon<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Manx (Gaelg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>(fer\/ben) lhee<\/strong> = (male\/female) doctor, physician<br \/>\n<strong>lheihys<\/strong> = cure, curing, heal(ing), remedy<br \/>\n<strong>lheihyssagh<\/strong> = curable, curative, healing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: possibly from Proto-Germaic <em>*l\u0113kiz <\/em> (healing, medicine, healer), or directly from the Proto-Indo-European <em>*h\u2082leg-<\/em> (to care for) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic\/leigis\">source<\/a>]. Words from the same Proto-Celtic \/ PIE root possibly include <strong>leech<\/strong> in English, <strong>l\u00e6knir<\/strong> (medical practitioner, doctor) in Icelandic, <strong>l\u00e4kare<\/strong> (doctor, physician) and <strong>l\u00e4ka<\/strong> (to heal) in Swedish, <strong>l\u00e4\u00e4k\u00e4ri<\/strong> (phyisican, doctor) in Finnish, and <strong>l\u00e6ge<\/strong> (doctor, physician, surgeon) in Danish [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic\/l%C4%93kijaz\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>midach<\/strong> = physician<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>midach, midech, midaig<\/strong> = physician<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Proto-Brythonic<\/th>\n<td><strong>*me\u00f0\u00efg<\/strong> = doctor<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Welsh (Kymraec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>metic, medyc, med(d)ic, meddig<\/strong> = doctor, medical practitioner, physician, surgeon, healer<br \/>\n<strong>methygaeth<\/strong> = (science of) medicine, surgery, drug<br \/>\n<strong>medyges, meddyges<\/strong> female doctor or healer, female herbalist<br \/>\n<strong>medegynyaeth, medeginyaeth, medegynyaeth<\/strong> = medicine, remedy, medical treatment, surgery, cure, healing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Welsh (Cymraeg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>meddyg<\/strong> [\u02c8m\u025b\u00f0\u026a\u0261 \/ \u02c8me\u02d0\u00f0\u026a\u0261] = doctor, medical practitioner, physician, surgeon, healer<br \/>\n<strong>meddyg(i)adwy<\/strong> = curable, treatable<br \/>\n<strong>meddyg(i)aeth<\/strong> = (science of) medicine, surgery, drug<br \/>\n<strong>meddygu<\/strong> = to practise medicine, to treat medically, to prescribe, to heal, to cure<br \/>\n<strong>meddyges<\/strong> female doctor or healer, female herbalist<br \/>\n<strong>meddygfa<\/strong> = surgery, clinic, pharmacy, hospital<br \/>\n<strong>meddygin(i)aeth<\/strong> = medicine, remedy, medical treatment, surgery, cure, healing<br \/>\n<strong>meddygol<\/strong> = medical, medicinal, healing, curative<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Cornish<\/th>\n<td><strong>medhec<\/strong> = physician<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Cornish (Cernewec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>methic, medhic<\/strong> = physician<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Cornish (Kernewek)<\/th>\n<td><strong>medhek<\/strong> [m\u025b\u00f0\u025bk \/ &#8216;m\u025b\u00f0\u0250k] = doctor, physician<br \/>\n<strong>medhegel<\/strong> = medical<br \/>\n<strong>medhegieth<\/strong> = medical science, medicine<br \/>\n<strong>medhegiethel<\/strong> = medicinal<br \/>\n<strong>medhegneth<\/strong> = medication, medicine<br \/>\n<strong>medhegva<\/strong> = clinic, (doctor&#8217;s) surgery<br \/>\n<strong>medhegvael<\/strong> = clinical<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Breton (Brezonec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>mezec<\/strong> = doctor<br \/>\n<strong>mezeyaff<\/strong> = to treat, to care for<br \/>\n<strong>mezeyet, mezeguet<\/strong> = medicine<br \/>\n<strong>mezegioez<\/strong> = medicine<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Breton (Brezhoneg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>mezeg<\/strong> [\u02c8me\u02d0(z)ek] = doctor<br \/>\n<strong>mezega\u00f1<\/strong> [me\u02c8(z)e\u02d0.\u0261\u00e3] = to care for (medically), to treat<br \/>\n<strong>mezegiezh<\/strong> [me(z)e\u02c8\u0261i\u02d0\u025bs] = medicine<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: from the Latin <em>medicus<\/em> (doctor), from <em>medeor<\/em> (I heal, cure, remedy), from the Proto-Italic <em>*med\u0113\u014dr<\/em> (to heal), from Proto-Indo-European <em>*med-<\/em> (to measure, give advice, heal). Words from the same roots include <strong>medico<\/strong> (doctor, physician, medical) in Italian, <strong>medicus<\/strong> (doctor, physician) in Dutch, <strong>medic<\/strong>, <strong>medical<\/strong>, <strong>medicine<\/strong>, <strong>meditate<\/strong> and <strong>remedy<\/strong> in English, and <strong>m\u00e9dico<\/strong> (doctor, physician) in Spanish [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/medicus#Latin\">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 doctor and related things in Celtic languages. Words marked with a * are reconstructions. Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) docht\u00fair, doct\u00fair = learned ma, teacher, professor, physician Irish (Gaeilge) docht\u00fair [d\u032a\u02e0\u0254x\u02c8t\u032a\u02e0u\u02d0\u027e\u02b2 \/ \u02c8d\u032a\u02e0\u028cxt\u032a\u02e0u\u027e\u02b2] = doctor docht\u00faireacht = doctorate, medical practice, doctoring Scottish Gaelic (G\u00e0idhlig) dotair [d\u0254hd\u025br\u02b2] = doctor, surgeon, physician dotaireachd [d\u0254hd\u026ar\u02b2\u0259xg] = doctorate, knowledge [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,26,63,81,19,20,129,65,21,83,3,36,22,5,6,37,7,27,8,10,11,12,13,60,23,82,64,18,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4237","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-breton","category-kernewek-cornish","category-danish-dansk","category-dutch-nederlands","category-english","category-etymology","category-finnish-suomi","category-icelandic-islenska","category-gaeilge-irish","category-italian-italiano","category-language","category-latin","category-gaelg-manx","category-middle-breton","category-middle-cornish","category-middle-irish","category-middle-welsh-kymraec","category-nouns","category-old-breton","category-old-irish-goidelc","category-proto-brythonic","category-proto-celtic","category-proto-indo-european","category-proto-italic","category-gaidhlig-scottish-gaelic","category-spanish-espanol","category-swedish-svenska","category-cymraeg-welsh","category-words"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4237","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=4237"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4237\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8879,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4237\/revisions\/8879"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4237"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4237"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4237"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}