{"id":6710,"date":"2022-07-15T12:49:33","date_gmt":"2022-07-15T11:49:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/?p=6710"},"modified":"2026-04-08T15:19:01","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T14:19:01","slug":"sieving-riddles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/2022\/07\/15\/sieving-riddles\/","title":{"rendered":"Sieving Riddles"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Today we&#8217;re looking at the words for <strong>sieve<\/strong> and related things in Celtic languages.<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/peter_roberts\/5334386342\/in\/photolist-98o8dj-k5yQo-e14mK-9SZ8EQ-2nLfUMh-bWudYC-2qDUDF6-6iqVgz-2n7brGb-2qE1xdw-2mT5kPH-2kufowZ-59ypVv-fkZi52-2iRY5CV-2rCmMNp-fkZi5Z-2e2vnWq-bBFNm7-bA6Kay-2iS1UwK-7k3vbQ-B3JW6o-4ihsa8-EpV1zX-2ksr7BC-zQWZ97-GECib-4GXEYS-4pL1hi-bvkKvb-bWpyam-2qUVp6j-3awagg-XKdo3Y-giEf3X-8yQtot-2mWgWKe-bAX7jG-bBnvSA-2nfuq27-pbNSAk-6oXT7i-r1waXu-2ksr7B7-bWpv17-68ojUd-9a5fh2-bvkJKJ-bWprKm\" title=\"Sieving Flour\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/5202\/5334386342_1e696702a0_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"516\" alt=\"Sieving Flour\"\/><\/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>*kr\u0113tros<\/strong> = sieve<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>cr\u00edathar<\/strong> = sieve<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>cr\u00edathar<\/strong> = sieve, riddle<br \/>\n<strong>cr\u00edatharach<\/strong> = marsh, morass, boggy wasteland<br \/>\n<strong>cr\u00edathrad<\/strong> = act of winnowing, sifting, riddling<br \/>\n<strong>cr\u00edathraid<\/strong> = sifts, riddles, spreads<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Irish (Gaeilge)<\/th>\n<td><strong>criathar<\/strong> [\u02c8c\u027e\u02b2i\u0259h\u0259\u027e\u02e0 \/ \u02c8c\u027e\u02b2i\u02d0h\u0259\u027e\u02e0] = sieve, riddle<br \/>\n<strong>criathach<\/strong> = pitted, perforated, swampy<br \/>\n<strong>criathr\u00fa<\/strong> = winnowing, sifting, honeycombing<br \/>\n<strong>criathrad\u00f3ir<\/strong> = winnower, sifter, maker of sieves<br \/>\n<strong>criathraigh<\/strong> = to sieve, winnow, riddle, sift, honeycomb<br \/>\n<strong>criathr\u00f3ir<\/strong> = animal surefooted on boggy ground<br \/>\n<strong>criathar meala<\/strong> = honeycomb<br \/>\n<strong>criathar m\u00edn<\/strong> = fine sieve<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Scottish Gaelic (G\u00e0idhlig)<\/th>\n<td><strong>criathar<\/strong> [kr\u02b2i\u0259.\u0259r] = riddle, sieve<br \/>\n<strong>criathar-tomhais<\/strong> = bushel (measure and implement)<br \/>\n<strong>criathar-garbh<\/strong> = riddle (implement)<br \/>\n<strong>criatharair<\/strong> [kr\u02b2i\u0259h\u0259r\u025br\u02b2] = sieve-maker<br \/>\n<strong>criathradh<\/strong> [kr\u02b2iar\u0259\u0263] = (act of) filtering<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Manx (Gaelg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>creear<\/strong> = sieve, riddle<br \/>\n<strong>creearey<\/strong> = sieve, pan, sift, riddle<br \/>\n<strong>creear meein<\/strong> = fine sieve<br \/>\n<strong>creear garroo<\/strong> = rough sieve<br \/>\n<strong>jannoo creear<\/strong> = to honeycomb<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Proto-Brythonic<\/th>\n<td><strong>*kru\u0268dr<\/strong> = wandering, sieve<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Welsh<\/th>\n<td><strong>cruitr<\/strong> = winnowing shovel<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Welsh (Kymraec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>cruidir, crwydr<\/strong> = sieve<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Welsh (Cymraeg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>crwydr<\/strong> [\u02c8kr\u02b0\u028a\u0268\u032fdr\u0329 \/ \u02c8kr\u02b0\u028ai\u032fdr\u0329] = a wandering, a roaming; misfortune, trouble, confusion, rout, dispersion; a straying, aberration, error; winnowing-fan, winnowing-shovel, sieve<br \/>\n<strong>crwydro<\/strong> = to wander, roam, stroll, gad about, stray, go astray, deviate, digress<br \/>\n<strong>crwydredig<\/strong> = wandering, vagrant, roving, stray<br \/>\n<strong>crwydro<\/strong> = barn, granary, farm building<br \/>\n<strong>crwydrwr<\/strong> = wanderer, vagrant, vagabond, rover, nomad<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Cornish<\/th>\n<td><strong>croider<\/strong> = sieve, riddle<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Cornish<\/th>\n<td><strong>croider, crodar<\/strong> = sieve, riddle<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Cornish (Kernewek)<\/th>\n<td><strong>kroder<\/strong> = coarse sieve, strainer, riddle<br \/>\n<strong>kroder kroghen<\/strong> = bodhr\u00e1n, hold-all<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Breton<\/th>\n<td><strong>croitir<\/strong> = sieve, riddle<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Breton<\/th>\n<td><strong>croezr<\/strong> = sieve, riddle<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Breton (Brezhoneg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>krouer<\/strong> = sieve, riddle, screen<br \/>\n<strong>krouera\u00f1<\/strong> = to sift, riddle, sieve<br \/>\n<strong>krouer liammo\u00f9<\/strong> = link generator<br \/>\n<strong>rakkroueria\u00f1<\/strong> = pre-screening<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: from the Proto-Indo-European <em>*krey-trom<\/em> (sieve) from <em>*krey-<\/em> (to sift, separate, divide) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/criathar\">source<\/a>]. Words from the same PIE root include <strong>crime<\/strong>, <strong>crisis<\/strong>, <strong>riddle<\/strong> and <strong>secret<\/strong> in English, <strong>ceart<\/strong> (right, correct, true) in Irish, and <strong>crynu<\/strong> (to tremble, shake) and <strong>ergryn<\/strong> (horror, dread) in Welsh [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European\/krey-\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Proto-Celtic<\/th>\n<td><strong>*s\u012btl\u0101<\/strong> = vase<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>s\u00edthal<\/strong> = bucket<br \/>\n<strong>s\u00edthlaid<\/strong> = to filter, sift, strain<br \/>\n<strong>soithech<\/strong> = container, vessel<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Irish<\/th>\n<td><strong>s\u00edthal, sitheal<\/strong> = a vessel for drawing water, a bucket<br \/>\n<strong>s\u00edthlaid, s\u00edthlaigid, s\u00edth\u00f3ilid<\/strong> = to strain, filter, sift, scour, sweep across, flow away, melt<br \/>\n<strong>soithech, soitheach<\/strong> = vessel, container (for liquids), blood vessel, boat<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Irish (Gaeilge)<\/th>\n<td><strong>s\u00edothal<\/strong> [\u0283i\u02d0(h)\u02c8l\u032a\u02e0\u0251\u02d0n\u032a\u02e0] = vessel for drawing water, pail, bucket (<em>literary<\/em>)<br \/>\n<strong>s\u00edothlaigh<\/strong> = to strain, filter, drain away, subside, settle, expire, die<br \/>\n<strong>s\u00edothl\u00e1n<\/strong> = strainer, filter, colander<br \/>\n<strong>s\u00edothl\u00f3ir<\/strong> = (<em>of person<\/em>) strainer, filterer (person), weakly, dying person<br \/>\n<strong>s\u00edothl\u00fa<\/strong> = filtration, percolation, subsidence, abatement, expiry, death<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Scottish Gaelic (G\u00e0idhlig)<\/th>\n<td><strong>s\u00ecol<\/strong> [\u0283i\u0259l\u032a\u02e0] = compose, settle, filter, strain<br \/>\n<strong>s\u00ecol(t)achan<\/strong> [\u0283i\u0259l\u032a\u02e0(d)\u0259xan] = filter, strainer<br \/>\n<strong>s\u00ecoltag<\/strong> [\u0283i\u0259l\u032a\u02e0dag] = strainer, filter, sieve<br \/>\n<strong>s\u00ecol(t)an<\/strong> [\u0283i\u0259l\u032a\u02e0(d)an] = filter, strainer, sieve<br \/>\n<strong>s\u00ecoltachair<\/strong> [\u0283i\u0259l\u032a\u02e0d\u0259x\u025br\u02b2] = filter feeder<br \/>\n<strong>s\u00ecoltachadh<\/strong> [\u0283i\u0259l\u032a\u02e0d\u0259x\u0259\u0263] = (act of) filter feeding<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Manx (Gaelg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>sheeley<\/strong> = to flow, run, drip, trickle, dribble, seep, oose, filter, strain, drain<br \/>\n<strong>sheelaghey<\/strong> = to strain off, to filter, to refine, clarification, sober<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Proto-Brythonic<\/th>\n<td><strong>*sidl, *hidl<\/strong> = filter, sieve (?)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Welsh (Kymraec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>hidl, hidyl, hityl<\/strong> = filter, strainer, sieve<br \/>\n<strong>hitler, hidlir, hidlaw<\/strong> = to strain, filter, purify, cleanse, percolate, pour, sprinkle, scatter, sift<br \/>\n<strong>hidleit, hidlaid<\/strong> = strained, clarified, clear, flowing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Welsh (Cymraeg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>hidl, hiddl<\/strong> = filter, sieve, strainer<br \/>\n<strong>hidl(i)ad<\/strong> = straining, filtration, percolation<br \/>\n<strong>hidlai<\/strong> = strainer, filter<br \/>\n<strong>hidlaid<\/strong> = strained, clarified, clear, flowing<br \/>\n<strong>hidlo<\/strong> = to strain, filter, purify, cleanse, percolate, pour, sprinkle, scatter, sift<br \/>\n<strong>hidlwr, hidlydd<\/strong> = strainer, filter<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Cornish (Kernewek)<\/th>\n<td><strong>sidhel<\/strong> [\u02c8\u0279\u0254\u02d0z] = filter, strainer, colander<br \/>\n<strong>sidhla<\/strong> = to filter, strain, sift, sieve, percolate, purify, cleanse<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Breton (Brezonec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>sizl<\/strong> = filter, strainer<br \/>\n<strong>sila, sizla<\/strong> = to filter<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Breton (Brezhoneg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>sil<\/strong> [si\u02d0l] = filter, strainer<br \/>\n<strong>silad<\/strong> = filtrate, grout<br \/>\n<strong>siladenn<\/strong> = filtering<br \/>\n<strong>siladur<\/strong> = filtering, filtration<br \/>\n<strong>sila\u00f1<\/strong> = to filter<br \/>\n<strong>silerezh<\/strong> = filtering, percolation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: possibly from Proto-Indo-European <em>*seh\u2081-<\/em> (to impress, insert, sow, plant), and influenced by Latin <em>situla<\/em> (a vessel used to hold water, a voting urn, basin, jar) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic\/s%C4%ABtlom\">source<\/a>]. Words from the same PIE root include <strong>siets<\/strong> (sieve, sifter) in Latvian, <strong>sito<\/strong> (sieve, filter) in Polish, <strong>(to) sow<\/strong>, <strong>season<\/strong>, <strong>seminar<\/strong> and <strong>seed<\/strong> in English, <strong>zaaian<\/strong> (to sow, plant seed, spread) in Dutch, <strong>sold<\/strong> (sieve) in Danish [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European\/seh%E2%82%81-\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>scacaid<\/strong> = to filter, sift, strain<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>scacaid, scacad, sgacadh<\/strong> = to strain, filter, sift, purify<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Irish (Gaeilge)<\/th>\n<td><strong>scag<\/strong> = to strain, filter, drain off, refine, sift, screen, derive, spring (<em>from a source<\/em>)<br \/>\n<strong>scagach<\/strong> = permeable, porour, thin, flimsy, sparse<br \/>\n<strong>scagach\u00e1n<\/strong> = filtration<br \/>\n<strong>scagacht<\/strong> = porosity<br \/>\n<strong>scagadh<\/strong> = filtration, refinement, assortment, critical examination<br \/>\n<strong>scagaire<\/strong> = filter, screen, filterer, sifter, refiner<br \/>\n<strong>scagaireacht<\/strong> = (act of) filtering, sifting, refining<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Scottish Gaelic (G\u00e0idhlig)<\/th>\n<td><strong>sgag<\/strong> [sgag] = split, crack, chap<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: possibly from Old Norse [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/scag#Irish\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Proto-Celtic<\/th>\n<td><strong>*wokro-<\/strong> = (?)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Welsh (Kymraec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>goger, gogr, gogyr<\/strong> = sieve, riddle, screen, strainer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Welsh (Cymraeg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>gogr<\/strong> [\u02c8\u0261\u0254\u0261\u0254r \/ \u02c8\u0261o\u02d0\u0261\u0254r] = sieve, riddle, screen, strainer<br \/>\n<strong>gogrwr, gogrydd<\/strong> = sieve-maker, sifter<br \/>\n<strong>gogru<\/strong> [\u02c8\u0261\u0254\u0261r\u0268\u031e \/ \u02c8\u0261\u0254\u0261ri] = to sieve, sift<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: from PIE <em>*sker-<\/em> (to separate, cut off) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/gogr\">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>Today we&#8217;re looking at the words for sieve and related things in Celtic languages. Words marked with a * are reconstructions. Proto-Celtic *kr\u0113tros = sieve Old Irish (Gaoidhealg) cr\u00edathar = sieve Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) cr\u00edathar = sieve, riddle cr\u00edatharach = marsh, morass, boggy wasteland cr\u00edathrad = act of winnowing, sifting, riddling cr\u00edathraid = sifts, riddles, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,26,63,81,19,20,21,3,36,109,22,5,6,37,7,27,8,9,10,70,40,105,11,12,13,23,43,18,14],"tags":[52,80,51,145,371,374,48,47,53,49,55,372,373,50],"class_list":["post-6710","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adjectives","category-kernewek-cornish","category-danish-dansk","category-dutch-nederlands","category-english","category-etymology","category-gaeilge-irish","category-language","category-latin","category-latvian-latviesu-valoda","category-gaelg-manx","category-middle-breton","category-middle-cornish","category-middle-irish","category-middle-welsh-kymraec","category-nouns","category-old-breton","category-old-cornish","category-old-irish-goidelc","category-old-norse-dnsk-tunga","category-old-welsh","category-polish-polski","category-proto-brythonic","category-proto-celtic","category-proto-indo-european","category-gaidhlig-scottish-gaelic","category-verbs","category-cymraeg-welsh","category-words","tag-breton","tag-celtic","tag-cornish","tag-etymology","tag-filter","tag-filtering","tag-gaelic","tag-irish","tag-language","tag-manx","tag-scottish-gaelic","tag-sieve","tag-sifting","tag-welsh"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6710","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=6710"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6710\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9170,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6710\/revisions\/9170"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6710"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6710"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6710"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}