{"id":5170,"date":"2020-04-07T22:39:11","date_gmt":"2020-04-07T21:39:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/?p=5170"},"modified":"2025-11-09T21:17:40","modified_gmt":"2025-11-09T21:17:40","slug":"deer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/2020\/04\/07\/deer\/","title":{"rendered":"Deer"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Words for <strong>deer<\/strong> in Celtic languages. There were several different words for deer in Proto-Celtic: <em>*w\u0113dus<\/em>, <em>*karwos<\/em>, <em>*ellan(t)\u012b-<\/em>, <em>*dan\u012b-<\/em> and <em>*yorkos<\/em>, and also <em>*sidos<\/em> (stag). They may have referred to different types of deer, but it is not certain which types, apart from <em>*yorkos<\/em>, which is a roe deer.<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/flamesworddragon\/15933948545\/in\/photolist-qh2DLM-oHUyP7-vk2tGD-8JMVxS-oBeKnf-mEFPNe-oKEBYp-saJAGi-7bMGuT-px7rAT-dEfZsT-5XjDrF-53BwrQ-otrYPG-f3gxr-6QYywg-6Bx5z5-54ZHFJ-efYW4x-5pdMLS-2P7PBm-7jQ5vN-d1Fcr9-b6g6Ac-29zc4W-75WZwp-2P7Jwm-ai2Zxb-UB9meE-7gcYKB-7gcVFz-6BsVAV-7nXz4s-5pdMNo-5vwVnu-8kBoGc-8kEywE-4CxTqB-2wnmTR-AVULM-cHwgnq-eg5HyS-nLdnwN-efZ1wc-4C7ER4-fDo63J-2aqxMb-9SsF7f-3uVKXi-iTvTQP\" title=\"Deer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/7543\/15933948545_32f7ac209e_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Deer\"\/><\/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>*w\u0113dus<\/strong> [\u02c8we\u02d0.dus] = wild<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>f\u00edad<\/strong> [f\u02b2i\u02d0a\u032f\u00f0] = wild animals, game, especially deer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>f\u00edad, fiad<\/strong> = wild animals, game, esp. deer<br \/>\n<strong>f\u00edadamail<\/strong> = deer-like, wild, uncultivated<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Irish (Gaeilge)<\/th>\n<td><strong>fia<\/strong> [f\u02b2i\u0259] = deer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Scottish Gaelic (G\u00e0idhlig)<\/th>\n<td><strong>fiadh<\/strong> [fi\u0259\u0263] = deer<br \/>\n<strong>fiadhach<\/strong> [i\u0259.\u0259x] = deer hunting, venision, wildness, wilderness<br \/>\n<strong>fiadhachadh<\/strong> = deer hunting<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Manx (Gaelg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>feeaih, feea\u00efh<\/strong> = deer, hart<br \/>\n<strong>feeaihagh<\/strong> = deer hunting<br \/>\n<strong>feeaihaght<\/strong> = deer hunt<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: from the Proto-Indo-European <em>*weyd\u02b0-<\/em> (wood, wilderness) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/f%C3%ADad#Old_Irish\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Proto-Celtic<\/th>\n<td><strong>*karwos<\/strong> = deer, stag<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Gaulish<\/th>\n<td><strong>caruus, carvos, *caruos<\/strong> = deer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>carbh<\/strong> = deer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>cairr\u1e1fiad, cairrfiadh<\/strong> = stag<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Irish (Gaeilge)<\/th>\n<td><strong>carria \/ cairrfhiadh<\/strong> = deer, stag<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Scottish Gaelic (G\u00e0idhlig)<\/th>\n<td><strong>cair-fhiadh \/ carbh-fheadh<\/strong> = hart, stag<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Manx (Gaelg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>\u00e7harroo, charroo<\/strong> = stag<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Proto-Brythonic<\/th>\n<td><strong>*karw<\/strong> = deer, stag<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Welsh<\/th>\n<td><strong>*caru<\/strong> = deer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Welsh (kymraec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>caru, carv, keyru, carw, karw<\/strong> = deer, hart, stag<br \/>\n<strong>carwaidd<\/strong> = having the attributes of a stag, pertaining to a stag, noble, wise<br \/>\n<strong>carwnaid, karwnaid<\/strong> = stag&#8217;s leap, a great leap<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Welsh (Cymraeg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>carw<\/strong> [\u02c8karu \/ \u02c8ka\u02d0ru] = deer, hart, stag; lord, nobleman, patron<br \/>\n<strong>carw coch \/ carw rhudd<\/strong> = red deer, stag<br \/>\n<strong>carw Llychlyn<\/strong> = reindeer<br \/>\n<strong>carwfarch<\/strong> = camel, elephant<br \/>\n<strong>carwfil<\/strong> = stag, camel<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Cornish<\/th>\n<td><strong>caruu<\/strong> = stag<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Cornish<\/th>\n<td><strong>carow<\/strong> = stag<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Cornish (Kernewek)<\/th>\n<td><strong>karow<\/strong> = stag, buck, hart, stag<br \/>\n<strong>karow ergh<\/strong> = caribou, reindeer<br \/>\n<strong>karow rudh<\/strong> = red deer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Breton<\/th>\n<td><strong>caro, carv, caru<\/strong> = deer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Breton (Brezhoneg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>karv<\/strong> [\u02c8karw \/ \u02c8k\u0251\u02d0ro] = deer, roe deer, red deer<br \/>\n<strong>karv-erc&#8217;h<\/strong> = caribou, reindeer<br \/>\n<strong>karvez<\/strong> = doe<br \/>\n<strong>karvig<\/strong> = fawn<br \/>\n<strong>karvken<\/strong> = deer hide<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: from Proto-Indo-European <em>*\u1e31erh\u2082w\u00f3s<\/em>, from <em>*\u1e31erh\u2082-<\/em> (horn) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic\/karwos\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Proto-Celtic<\/th>\n<td><strong>*sidos<\/strong> = stag<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>s\u00e9d<\/strong> = deer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>s\u00e9g, s\u00e9g, sedh<\/strong> = deer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Welsh (Kymraec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>hit, hyd, hed, hydd<\/strong> = stag, hart<br \/>\n<strong>hyddgarw, hawddgar<\/strong> = stag, deer, lord, patron, wise leader, horse<br \/>\n<strong>hyddgen, hydgen<\/strong> = deer-skin, buckskin<br \/>\n<strong>hyddgi<\/strong> = buck-hound, stag-hound, greyhound<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Welsh (Cymraeg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>hydd<\/strong> = stag, hart<br \/>\n<strong>hyddaidd<\/strong> = having the attributes of a stag, cervine<br \/>\n<strong>hyddgarw<\/strong> = stag, deer, lord, patron, wise leader, horse<br \/>\n<strong>hyddgen, hyddgroen<\/strong> = deer-skin, buckskin<br \/>\n<strong>hyddgi<\/strong> = buck-hound, stag-hound, greyhound<br \/>\n<strong>hyddgig<\/strong> = venison<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Cornish (Kernewek)<\/th>\n<td><strong>hedh<\/strong> = buck, hart, stag<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Breton (Brethonoc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>hed<\/strong> = deer, fallow deer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Breton (Brezonec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>heizes, eizec<\/strong> = doe, hind<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Breton (Brezhoneg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>heizez<\/strong> = doe, hind<br \/>\n<strong>heizezig<\/strong> = darling<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: uncertain<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Proto-Celtic<\/th>\n<td><strong>*ellan(t)\u012b- \/ *agliones<\/strong> = deer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>ag<\/strong> [a\u0263] = bullock, cow, ox, deer, stag<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>ag, agh<\/strong> = cow, ox, deer, stag<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Irish (Gaeilge)<\/th>\n<td><strong>agh<\/strong> = cow, ox<br \/>\n<strong>agh alla<\/strong> = deer<br \/>\n<strong>agh d\u00e1ra<\/strong> = cow, ox<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Scottish Gaelic (G\u00e0idhlig)<\/th>\n<td><strong>agh<\/strong> [\u0264\u0263] = heifer, hind<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Welsh (Kymraec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>eilon, eilion<\/strong> = deer, hart, stag<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Welsh (Cymraeg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>eil(i)on<\/strong> = deer, hart, stag<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: possible from the same root as the English word <strong>eland<\/strong> (a type of antelope found in South Africa), which from the Dutch <em>eland<\/em> (elk), from the Old High German <em>elent<\/em>.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Proto-Celtic<\/th>\n<td><strong>*ou\u032f\u012bjk\u0101<\/strong> = ?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Gaulish<\/th>\n<td><strong>cerua<\/strong> = ?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Welsh<\/th>\n<td><strong>eguic<\/strong> = hind, deer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Welsh (Kymraec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>eguic, euic, euychet, euchyc, ewic, ewig<\/strong> = deer, hart, stag<br \/>\n<strong>ewigaidd<\/strong> = pertaining to hind(s), hind-like<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Welsh (Cymraeg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>ewig<\/strong> = hind, doe, roe; graceful light-footed woman; deer, hart<br \/>\n<strong>ewigfa<\/strong> = deer-park<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Cornish<\/th>\n<td><strong>euhic<\/strong> = hind, deer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Cornish (Cernewec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>ewic, euhic, ewig<\/strong> = hind, deer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Cornish (Kernewek)<\/th>\n<td><strong>ewik<\/strong> = deer, doe, hind<br \/>\n<strong>ewik ergh<\/strong> = caribou, reindeer<br \/>\n<strong>ewik gowr<\/strong> = elk, moose<br \/>\n<strong>ewik rudh<\/strong> = red deer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: possibly from the Proto-Indo-European <em>*h\u2082\u00f3wis<\/em> (sheep) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/ovis\">source<\/a>]<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Proto-Celtic<\/th>\n<td><strong>*yorkos<\/strong> = roebuck, deer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Gaulish<\/th>\n<td><strong>iorkos, iorcos<\/strong> = deer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Proto-Brythonic<\/th>\n<td><strong>*jorx<\/strong> = deer, stag<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Welsh (Cymraeg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>iwrch<\/strong> [j\u028ar\u03c7] = roe-deer, roebuck<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Cornish<\/th>\n<td><strong>yorch<\/strong> = roe-deer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Cornish (Cernewec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>iorch, yorch<\/strong> = roe buck<br \/>\n<strong>iorches<\/strong> = roe deer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Cornish (Kernewek)<\/th>\n<td><strong>yorgh<\/strong> = roe deer<br \/>\n<strong>yorghes<\/strong> = (female) roe deer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Breton<\/th>\n<td><strong>iorch<\/strong> = roe deer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Breton (Brezonec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>yourch<\/strong> = roe deer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Breton (Brezhoneg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>yourc\u2019h<\/strong> [\u02c8jurx] = roe deer, venison, intrepid boy, wild<br \/>\n<strong>yourc\u2019hez<\/strong> = (female) roe deer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: from the Proto-Indo-European <em>*york-<\/em> (antelope, gazelle) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/iwrch\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Proto-Celtic<\/th>\n<td><strong>*dan\u012b-<\/strong> = deer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Welsh (Kymraec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>danys, danas<\/strong> = deer, fallow deer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Welsh (Cymraeg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>danas, danys, daenas<\/strong> [\u02c8danas] = deer, fallow deer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Breton (Brezonec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>dem<\/strong> = deer, fallow deer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Breton (Brezhoneg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>demm<\/strong> = deer, fallow deer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: related to the French <em>daim<\/em> (hind, doe), from the Latin <em>d\u0101ma<\/em> (fallow deer, buck, doe) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/daim\">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","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Words for deer in Celtic languages. There were several different words for deer in Proto-Celtic: *w\u0113dus, *karwos, *ellan(t)\u012b-, *dan\u012b- and *yorkos, and also *sidos (stag). They may have referred to different types of deer, but it is not certain which types, apart from *yorkos, which is a roe deer. Words marked with a * are [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[73,16,26,81,19,20,44,25,21,3,36,22,5,6,7,27,8,9,40,11,12,13,23,18,14],"tags":[52,80,51,79,56,47,49,55,50],"class_list":["post-5170","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-animals","category-breton","category-kernewek-cornish","category-dutch-nederlands","category-english","category-etymology","category-french","category-gaulish","category-gaeilge-irish","category-language","category-latin","category-gaelg-manx","category-middle-breton","category-middle-cornish","category-middle-welsh-kymraec","category-nouns","category-old-breton","category-old-cornish","category-old-welsh","category-proto-brythonic","category-proto-celtic","category-proto-indo-european","category-gaidhlig-scottish-gaelic","category-cymraeg-welsh","category-words","tag-breton","tag-celtic","tag-cornish","tag-deer","tag-gaulish","tag-irish","tag-manx","tag-scottish-gaelic","tag-welsh"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5170","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=5170"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5170\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9036,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5170\/revisions\/9036"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5170"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5170"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5170"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}