{"id":8813,"date":"2025-05-28T13:46:15","date_gmt":"2025-05-28T12:46:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/?p=8813"},"modified":"2025-09-13T13:01:29","modified_gmt":"2025-09-13T12:01:29","slug":"captive-hostages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/2025\/05\/28\/captive-hostages\/","title":{"rendered":"Captive Hostages"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Words for <strong>hostage<\/strong>, <strong>pledge<\/strong> and related things in Celtic languages.<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/kaseymarcum\/2306827386\/in\/photolist-4vR6pY-mCV3b-mCV57-5RAUmD-vVu4X-8s3XM3-ka7zr-yYyCs-4eDLds-4eDDsC-2mc1SHH-SXHX6-4eDFkY-2q3GrAr-4eDJSW-4ezGNX-4ezL9F-53NPGe-2po7Dz5-4eDFYW-4eDGGQ-4ezES6-2qkEsTp-4X7dhf-a6JrpU-8NXoMF-nQiNQu-2r6xzUd-eB3Syn-2nv3nQ6-aksyFW-2qkEsSN-edwJ62-2qkFKbe-eB71Gw-aSyQYt-mocA8-aSyRo4-2qkG7SM-e491L3-6hLFBi-2qXjTnV-71xar8-2pM8odX-7kdsZG-e492zw-eB727A-edCoA5-2m5ZLnf-e9ZFS8\" title=\"Hostage\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/3185\/2306827386_8f3382677b_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"395\" alt=\"Hostage\"\/><\/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>*geistlos<\/strong> = hostage, bail<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Gaulish<\/th>\n<td><strong>geistlus<\/strong> = hostage (?)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>g\u00edall<\/strong> = a human pledge, hostage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>g\u00edall, gial, giall<\/strong> = a human pledge, hostage, jailer, act of yielding homage, obeying<br \/>\n<strong>g\u00edallacht, g\u00edallnus<\/strong> = hostageship, captivity<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Irish (Gaeilge)<\/th>\n<td><strong>giall<\/strong> [\u025fi\u0259l\u032a\u02e0] = hostage, (human) pledge<br \/>\n<strong>giallach<\/strong> = having or taking hostages<br \/>\n<strong>giallacht<\/strong> = hostageship, bondage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Scottish Gaelic (G\u00e0idhlig)<\/th>\n<td><strong>giall<\/strong> [g\u02b2i\u0259l\u032a\u02e0] = hostage, pledge<br \/>\n<strong>giallach<\/strong> [g\u02b2i\u0259l\u032a\u02e0\u0259x] = pertaining to or abounding in hostages \/ pledges<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Manx (Gaelg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>gioal<\/strong> = pledge, pawn, stake, wager, bet, bond<br \/>\n<strong>geulys, geuleydys<\/strong> = bondage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Proto-Brythonic<\/th>\n<td><strong>*gu\u0268stl<\/strong> = hostage, bail<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Welsh (Kymraec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>gustil, gustel, guyst(e)l, gvystl, gwystyl<\/strong> = pledge, security, surety, guarantee, earnest<br \/>\n<strong>guystlvy, gustelau, gusthaf<\/strong> = to give pledge or assurance, guarntee, pledge, pawn<br \/>\n<strong>gwystlyryaeth, gwystloryaeth<\/strong> = suretyship, pledge, stake, pawn, mortgage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Welsh (Cymraeg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>gwystl<\/strong> [\u0261w\u0268\u031esdl \/ \u0261\u028ai\u032fsdl] = pledge, assurance, security, surety, guarantee, earnest, gage, pawn, hostage, wager, stake, bet, mortgage<br \/>\n<strong>gwystl(i)ad<\/strong> = a pledging, a pawning<br \/>\n<strong>gwystlo<\/strong> = to give pledge or assurance, guarntee, pledge, pawn<br \/>\n<strong>gwystlchwarae<\/strong> = gambling<br \/>\n<strong>gwystledig<\/strong> = pledge, bound, mortgaged<br \/>\n<strong>gwystlor(i)aeth<\/strong> = suretyship, pledge, stake, pawn, mortgage<br \/>\n<strong>gwystlwr, gwystlydd<\/strong> = mortgagor, pawnbroker<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Cornish<\/th>\n<td><strong>guistel<\/strong> = hostage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Cornish (Cernewec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>guistel<\/strong> = hostage, pledge, surety<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Cornish (Kernewek)<\/th>\n<td><strong>gostel<\/strong> = hostage, riot<br \/>\n<strong>gostla<\/strong> = to pawn, wage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Breton (Brethonoc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>guistl<\/strong> = hostage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Breton (Brezonec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>goestl<\/strong> = hostage, pledge<br \/>\n<strong>goestlaff<\/strong> = to consecrate, dedicate, pledge, devote<br \/>\n<strong>goestlet<\/strong> = pledged, dedicated, consecrated<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Breton (Brezhoneg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>gouestl<\/strong> [\u02c8\u0261westl] = hostage, pledge, guarantee, bail, surety<br \/>\n<strong>gouestladur<\/strong> = commitment, offering<br \/>\n<strong>gouestlaj<\/strong> = mortgage<br \/>\n<strong>gouestla\u00f1<\/strong> [\u02c8\u0261westl\u00e3] = to bet, wager, guarantee, pledge, consecrate, dedicate, devote<br \/>\n<strong>gouestlaoua<\/strong> = to bribe, buy, corrupt, grease the palm of<br \/>\n<strong>gouestlaoua\u00f1<\/strong> = to bribe, corrupt<br \/>\n<strong>gouestlet<\/strong> = pledged, dedicated, consecrated<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: from Proto-Indo-European <em>*g\u02b0eyd\u02b0-<\/em> (to yearn for, to desire) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic\/geistlos\">source<\/a>]. Words from the same Proto-Celtic root, via Proto-Germanic <em>*g\u012bslaz<\/em> (hostage), include <strong>gijzelen<\/strong> (to take hostage) in Dutch, <strong>Geisel<\/strong> (hostage) in German, <strong>gidsel<\/strong> (hostage) in Danish, <strong>gisslan<\/strong> (hostage) in Swedish, and <strong>kihlata<\/strong> (to betroth) in Finnish [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic\/g%C4%ABslaz\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>Words from the same PIE root include <strong>geisti<\/strong> (to desire, crave, covet, lust after) in Lithuanian, <strong>gaid\u012bt<\/strong> (to wait, expect, anticipate) in Latvian, <strong>\u0436\u0434\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/strong> (\u017edat\u02b9 &#8211; to wait for, expect) in Russian, and <strong>geizen<\/strong> (to be miserly) in German [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European\/g%CA%B0eyd%CA%B0-\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>br\u00e1ga<\/strong> [\u02c8bra\u02d0.\u0263\u0258] = hostage, captive, prisoner<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>br\u00e1ga, br\u00e1gha, brage<\/strong> [\u02c8bra\u02d0\u0263\u0259] = captive, prisoner, hostage<br \/>\n<strong>br\u00e1gigdenas, braighdenus, braighdeanas<\/strong> = hostageship, captivity<br \/>\n<strong>br\u00e1igtechas, braightechus<\/strong> = hostageship<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Irish (Gaeilge)<\/th>\n<td><strong>br\u00e1<\/strong> [b\u02e0\u027e\u02e0\u0251\u02d0] = captive, hostage<br \/>\n<strong>braighdeanach<\/strong> = captive, prisoner<br \/>\n<strong>braighdeanas<\/strong> = captivity, bondage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Scottish Gaelic (G\u00e0idhlig)<\/th>\n<td><strong>br\u00e0igh<\/strong> [bra\u02d0j] = captive, hostage<br \/>\n<strong>br\u00e0ighdeanas<\/strong> = bondage, captivity, slavery<br \/>\n<strong>neach am br\u00e0ighdeanas<\/strong> = captive, hostage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: from Proto-Celtic <em>*br\u0101gants<\/em> (neck, throat), from <em>*br\u0101g<\/em> + <em>*-ants<\/em> (body part suffix), from Proto-Indo-European <em>*g\u02b7erh\u2083-<\/em> (to swallow, devour, eat) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic\/br%C4%81gants\">source<\/a>]. The sense &#8220;captive&#8221; derives from the Middle Irish phrase <em>gaibid ar br\u00e1gait<\/em> (to take captive: lit. &#8220;to take by the neck&#8221;) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/br%C3%A1ga#Middle_Irish\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>Words from the same PIE root include <strong>carnivore<\/strong>, <strong>devour<\/strong>, <strong>gargle<\/strong>, <strong>gorge<\/strong>, <strong>gurgle<\/strong> and <strong>voracious<\/strong> in English; <strong>gurgeln<\/strong> (to gargle, gurgle) in German; <strong>voracti\u00e0<\/strong> (oracity, voraciousness) in Italian, and <strong>gerti<\/strong> (to drink, soak up, absorb) in Lithuanian [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European\/g%CA%B7erh%E2%82%83-\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>The word for hostage in Manx is <strong>raane<\/strong>, which also means assurance, bail, bond, collateral, guarantee, pledge or surety [<a href=\"https:\/\/dictionaryq.com\/gaelg\/?q=raane\">source<\/a>]. Its etymology is not known [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/raane\">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>Words for hostage, pledge and related things in Celtic languages. Words marked with an * are reconstructions. Proto-Celtic *geistlos = hostage, bail Gaulish geistlus = hostage (?) Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc) g\u00edall = a human pledge, hostage Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) g\u00edall, gial, giall = a human pledge, hostage, jailer, act of yielding homage, obeying g\u00edallacht, g\u00edallnus [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,16,26,63,81,129,25,61,21,83,3,109,110,22,5,6,37,7,27,8,9,10,11,12,67,13,106,23,64,43,18,14],"tags":[52,235,80,51,145,48,56,234,47,53,49,236,55,50,208],"class_list":["post-8813","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adjectives","category-breton","category-kernewek-cornish","category-danish-dansk","category-dutch-nederlands","category-finnish-suomi","category-gaulish","category-german","category-gaeilge-irish","category-italian-italiano","category-language","category-latvian-latviesu-valoda","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-cornish","category-old-irish-goidelc","category-proto-brythonic","category-proto-celtic","category-proto-germanic","category-proto-indo-european","category-russian-","category-gaidhlig-scottish-gaelic","category-swedish-svenska","category-verbs","category-cymraeg-welsh","category-words","tag-breton","tag-captive","tag-celtic","tag-cornish","tag-etymology","tag-gaelic","tag-gaulish","tag-hostage","tag-irish","tag-language","tag-manx","tag-pledge","tag-scottish-gaelic","tag-welsh","tag-words"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8813","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=8813"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8813\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8820,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8813\/revisions\/8820"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8813"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8813"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8813"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}