{"id":6682,"date":"2022-06-29T12:29:04","date_gmt":"2022-06-29T11:29:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/?p=6682"},"modified":"2025-05-29T14:24:46","modified_gmt":"2025-05-29T13:24:46","slug":"soft-and-tender","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/2022\/06\/29\/soft-and-tender\/","title":{"rendered":"Soft and Tender"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Today we&#8217;re looking at the words for <strong>soft<\/strong> and <strong>tender<\/strong> and related things in Celtic languages.<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/photomunki1977\/8012322984\/in\/photolist-dd2ftJ-2m8rkj7-rBVMEx-2mVvoWX-8CDNXa-n6QFiZ-XYZb-p25cWb-9SCLSH-apSzcV-2kZLiZh-2k4B7vt-2hGbV6D-8f4qWf-utcj9-PshcHX-2adqVM-bJ7ker-2kQLHav-ttL7L-e2ycj5-RZyQb-x78FbD-bA7B7r-r3tUg-2mZ7gtX-r3tTH-5ZcVqH-7Vbfqp-5KxZh3-6F2eVV-r3tUX-2mnHVZh-4SZrVm-7Eg9yv-2m6sove-7Y4z9m-qbxux-2gt3znd-2jhssqF-2x8rLL-7XDciD-2jjJ1o6-5SptoX-a2r9xA-5p96Qf-8hVYey-2jgnsoC-2gskfzE-JmJnf7\" title=\"soft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/8029\/8012322984_e700dbed11_z.jpg\" alt=\"soft\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\"><\/a><script async=\"\" src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Words marked with an * are reconstructions.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Proto-Celtic<\/th>\n<td><strong>*buggos<\/strong> = soft, tender<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>boc<\/strong> = soft, gentle, tender<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>boc<\/strong> = soft, gentle, tender, tepid<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Irish (Gaeilge)<\/th>\n<td><strong>bog<\/strong> [b\u02e0\u0254\u0261 \/ b\u02e0\u028c\u0261] (<em>noun<\/em>) = soft, tender, flabby, indulgent, lenient, mellow (<em>voice<\/em>), mild (<em>weather<\/em>), loose, lukewarm<br \/>\n<strong>bog<\/strong> (<em>verb<\/em>) = to soften, become soft, ease, warm, get milder, move, loosen, rock<br \/>\n<strong>bogach<\/strong> = soft, boggy ground<br \/>\n<strong>bogachar<\/strong> = softness, bogginess<br \/>\n<strong>bogadh<\/strong> = softening, easement, movement, stir<br \/>\n<strong>bog\u00e1nta<\/strong> = soft, squelchy<br \/>\n<strong>bogearra\u00ed<\/strong> = software<br \/>\n<strong>an rud a fhaightear go bog caitear go bog \u00e9<\/strong> = easy come, easy go<br \/>\n<strong>t\u00f3g go bog \u00e9<\/strong> = take it easy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Scottish Gaelic (G\u00e0idhlig)<\/th>\n<td><strong>bog<\/strong> [bo\u0261] =  flabby, soft, limp, pulpy; moist, marshy, boggy, slopp; foolish; damp, humid; indulgent; spiritless; flat (<em>in music<\/em>);  lax (<em>in linguistics<\/em>)<br \/>\n<strong>bogach<\/strong> = bog, fen, marsh, swamp, morass, quagmire<br \/>\n<strong>bogachadh<\/strong> = wetting, steeping, moistening, mellowing, softening, swilling<br \/>\n<strong>bathar-bog<\/strong> = software<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Manx (Gaelg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>bog<\/strong> = soft, easy, tender, flabby, pulpy, slack, limp, moist, soft-hearted, callow<br \/>\n<strong>boggagh<\/strong> = to soften, steep<br \/>\nstrong&gt;boggaghey = to soften, relax, ease, moisten, dissolve<br \/>\n<strong>boggyr<\/strong> = soft<br \/>\n<strong>boglagh<\/strong> = quagmire, morass, swamp, oozy, boggy<br \/>\n<strong>bog-roauyr<\/strong> = podgy<br \/>\n<strong>bog-vroiet<\/strong> = soft-boiled<br \/>\n<strong>bog- vroojit<\/strong> = squashy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Breton (Brethonoc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>buc<\/strong> = soft, tender<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Breton (Brezonec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>boug<\/strong> = soft, tender<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Breton (Brezhoneg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>bouk<\/strong> [bu\u02d0k] = soft, cozy, heavy, stifling (weather)<br \/>\n<strong>boukaat<\/strong> [bu\u02c8k\u0251\u02d0t] = to soften, tenderize<br \/>\n<strong>boukted<\/strong> = softness, weakness<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: from the Proto-Indo-European <em>*b\u02b0ewg\u02b0-<\/em> (to bend, curve, arch) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic\/buggos\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>The English word <strong>bog<\/strong> (wet spongy ground, marsh, swamp), was borrowed from the Irish or Scottish Gaelic <strong>bog<\/strong> [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/bog#English\">source<\/a>]. English words from the same PIE root include <strong>badge<\/strong>, <strong>bagel<\/strong>, (to) <strong>bow<\/strong>, <strong>buck<\/strong> and <strong>bow<\/strong> (and arrow) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Category:English_terms_derived_from_the_Proto-Indo-European_root_*b%CA%B0ewg%CA%B0-\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>muad<\/strong> = cloud, mist, fumes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>muad, muadh<\/strong> = cloud, mist, fumes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Scottish Gaelic (G\u00e0idhlig)<\/th>\n<td><strong>muadh<\/strong> = soft, moist<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Manx (Gaelg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>meeley<\/strong> = soft, bland, smooth, yielding, soft-spoken, moisten, delicate, fine<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Welsh (Kymraec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>medal, meddal<\/strong> [kam] = soft, yielding, tender, delicate, pliable<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Welsh (Cymraeg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>meddal<\/strong> [\u02c8m\u025b\u00f0al \/ \u02c8me\u02d0\u00f0al] = soft, yielding, tender, delicate, pliable; mild, gentle, placid, tolerant, merciful, lax, inexperienced, foolish, weak<br \/>\n<strong>meddalu<\/strong> = to soften, become soft, thaw; to lenite, cause lenition<br \/>\n<strong>meddalaidd<\/strong> = soft, softish, tender, immature, foolish, weak<br \/>\n<strong>meddalder<\/strong> = softness, soft spot, tenderness, sensitivity<br \/>\n<strong>meddaledig<\/strong> = softened, soft, tender<br \/>\n<strong>meddalwedd<\/strong> = software<br \/>\n<strong>treiglad meddal<\/strong> = soft mutation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Cornish<\/th>\n<td><strong>medhal, meddal<\/strong> = soft, mollient, tender<br \/>\n<strong>medhalder<\/strong> = softness, tenderness, mildness, gentleness<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Cornish (Kernewek)<\/th>\n<td><strong>medhel<\/strong> = soft<br \/>\n<strong>medhelhe<\/strong> = to lenite, soften, absorb<br \/>\n<strong>medhelheans<\/strong> = lenition<br \/>\n<strong>medhelweyth<\/strong> = software<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Breton<\/th>\n<td><strong>mezell<\/strong> = malleable, mean<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Breton (Brezhoneg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>mezel<\/strong> = malleable, mean, leprosy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: possibly from Proto-Indo-European <em>*ml\u0325dus<\/em> (soft, weak) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/meddal\">source<\/a>]. Words from the same PIE root include <strong>mild<\/strong> in English, <strong>mild<\/strong> (mild, gentle, lenient) in Dutch, <strong>mlad\u00fd<\/strong> (young) in Czech, <strong>molle<\/strong> (soft, flabby, weak, feeble) in Italian, <strong>mou<\/strong> (soft, mushy, squishy, slow, weak, comfortable) in French, and <strong>muelle<\/strong> (soft, mild) in Spanish [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European\/ml%CC%A5dus\">source<\/a>]. <\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Proto-Celtic<\/th>\n<td><strong>*m\u012bnis<\/strong> = smooth, soft, gentle<br \/>\n <strong>*meinos<\/strong> = tender, soft, gentle<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Gaulish<\/th>\n<td><strong>*m\u0113nos<\/strong> = (?)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>m\u00edn<\/strong> = fine, minor, petty, small, level, smooth<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>m\u00edn, min<\/strong> = smooth, level, calm, gentle, placid, courteous, docile, digestible, palatable, soft<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Irish (Gaeilge)<\/th>\n<td><strong>m\u00edn<\/strong> [m\u02b2i\u02d0n\u02b2] = smooth, fine<br \/>\n<strong>m\u00edneadas<\/strong> = gentleness, refinement<br \/>\n<strong>m\u00edneog<\/strong> = gentle, placid woman<br \/>\n<strong>m\u00ednigh<\/strong> = to smooth, polish, level, reclaim, make gentle, assuage, quiet, explain, expound, interpret<br \/>\n<strong>m\u00edn\u00edneacht<\/strong> = daintiness, refinement, gentleness, quietness, subtlety, preciosity, dainty, delicacy<br \/>\n<strong>m\u00ednitheoir<\/strong> = smoother, polisher, leveller, reclaimer, assuager, pacifier, explainer, interpreter<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Scottish Gaelic (G\u00e0idhlig)<\/th>\n<td><strong>m\u00ecn<\/strong> [mi\u02d0n] = smooth, silky, sleek, gentle, dainty, downy, powdery, fine, bland<br \/>\n<strong>m\u00ecneachd<\/strong> [mi\u02d0n\u0259xg] = smoothness, softness, delicacy, minuteness<br \/>\n<strong>m\u00ecnealas<\/strong> = softness, gentleness<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Manx (Gaelg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>meen<\/strong> = soft, sweet, meek, mild, bland, darling, dear, patient, quiet<br \/>\n<strong>meeninagh<\/strong> = soft, tameable, emollient<br \/>\n<strong>meeinid<\/strong> = softness, smoothness, patience, mildness, gentleness, blandness<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Proto-Brythonic<\/th>\n<td><strong>*mu\u0268n<\/strong> = mild, gentle<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Welsh (Kymraec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>mwyn<\/strong> = tender, mild, gentle, meek<br \/>\n<strong>mwynaidd<\/strong> = tender, mild, gentle, kind<br \/>\n<strong>mwynas<\/strong> = good, turn, kindness, courtesy, love<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Welsh (Cymraeg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>mwyn<\/strong> [mu\u02d0\u0268\u032fn \/ m\u028ai\u032fn] = tender, mild, gentle, meek, amiable, loving, kind, obliging, courteous, noble, fair, pleasant, sweet-sounding, melodious, soft, soothing<br \/>\n<strong>mwynaidd<\/strong> = tender, mild, gentle, kind<br \/>\n<strong>mwynas<\/strong> = good, turn, kindness, courtesy, love<br \/>\n<strong>mwyndeb<\/strong> = mildness, gentleness, pleasure<br \/>\n<strong>mwyndeg<\/strong> = gentle and fair, tender, genial, affable<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Cornish<\/th>\n<td><strong>muin<\/strong> = gracile<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Cornish (Cernewec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>mon, moyn<\/strong> = slender, <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Cornish (Kernewek)<\/th>\n<td><strong>moon<\/strong> = slender, slim, thin<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Breton (Brethonoc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>moin<\/strong> = delicate<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Breton (Brezonec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>moan<\/strong> = thin, slim, slender<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Breton (Brezhoneg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>moan<\/strong> [mw\u00e3\u02d0n] = thin, slim, slender, fine, subtle<br \/>\n<strong>moanaat<\/strong> = to get thinner, get slimmer, thin down, lose weight<br \/>\n<strong>moanard<\/strong> = a thin, slender, skinny person<br \/>\n<strong>moanded<\/strong> = slimming<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: from Proto-Indo-European <em>*meyh\u2081-<\/em> (mild, soft). Words from the same root possible include <strong>mite<\/strong> (mild, moderate, balmy, mild, meek) and <strong>mezzo<\/strong> (half, middle, means, method) in Italian, <strong>mi\u0142y<\/strong> (nice, pleasant, dear, gentle, soft) in Polish, and <strong>mielas<\/strong> (nice, sweet, cute) in Lithuanian [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic\/m%C4%ABnis\">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>Today we&#8217;re looking at the words for soft and tender and related things in Celtic languages. Words marked with an * are reconstructions. Proto-Celtic *buggos = soft, tender Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc) boc = soft, gentle, tender Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) boc = soft, gentle, tender, tepid Irish (Gaeilge) bog [b\u02e0\u0254\u0261 \/ b\u02e0\u028c\u0261] (noun) = soft, tender, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,16,26,75,81,19,20,21,83,3,110,22,5,6,37,7,27,8,10,105,11,12,13,23,82,43,18,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6682","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adjectives","category-breton","category-kernewek-cornish","category-czech-cestina","category-dutch-nederlands","category-english","category-etymology","category-gaeilge-irish","category-italian-italiano","category-language","category-lithuanian-lietuviu-kalba","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-polish-polski","category-proto-brythonic","category-proto-celtic","category-proto-indo-european","category-gaidhlig-scottish-gaelic","category-spanish-espanol","category-verbs","category-cymraeg-welsh","category-words"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6682","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=6682"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6682\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8823,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6682\/revisions\/8823"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6682"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6682"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6682"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}