{"id":8858,"date":"2025-07-03T16:55:42","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T15:55:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/?p=8858"},"modified":"2025-07-03T17:01:22","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T16:01:22","slug":"wee-beasties","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/2025\/07\/03\/wee-beasties\/","title":{"rendered":"Wee Beasties"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Today we&#8217;re looking at the words for <strong>flies<\/strong>, <strong>gnats<\/strong>, <strong>midges<\/strong> and other wee beasties in Celtic languages.<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/hddod\/524733958\/in\/photolist-Nnp8d-o7n3eL-8sgD3x-4Pdh5W-esFjq-bpuXU-2jVPak-7B7t7s-ePfcE-bTLEJM-2jVNfa-2r1knRJ-2ovTMJZ-26sycBo-aE1oYu-JUdvzN-2djo9Qh-4L1UtR-2gH9CxF-2fqV4i8-98Xd5o-2jevdKB-k5j91-2nGtWNv-cmYUou-hZcEXT-4zvs3k-2qqe12c-2n1oAiB-Hbrxfw-x7GZrP-Jfacwu-GUTdL-nMVQbB-91L7Dk-c5XrjL-2od6YGx-eJFyKE-2grtKKE-2mdgj4J-98XcX5-egb6Ho-s3uBHD-2i2GwS1-91Pews-ZUgVc8-9K9oe8-fQ5QpK-f1EEx-fE34YY\" title=\"Midges\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/215\/524733958_3a2bb47695_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" alt=\"Midges\"\/><\/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>*kulis<\/strong> = fly<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>cuil<\/strong> [kul\u02b2] = fly, flea, gnat<br \/>\n<strong>minchuil<\/strong> = midge<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>cuil, c\u00fail<\/strong> = fly, flea, gnat<br \/>\n<strong>cuilech, cuilig<\/strong> = flea-ridden<br \/>\n<strong>cuile\u00f3c, cuile\u00f3g<\/strong> [\u02c8kul\u02b2o\u02d0\u0261] = fly<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Irish (Gaeilge)<\/th>\n<td><strong>cuil<\/strong> = fly<br \/>\n<strong>cuileog<\/strong> [k\u0259\u02c8l\u02b2o\u02d0\u0261 \/ \u02c8kil\u02b2o\u02d0\u0261] = fly<br \/>\n<strong>cuil Bhealtaine<\/strong> = may-fly<br \/>\n<strong>cuil chr\u00f3n\u00e1in<\/strong> = bluebottle<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Scottish Gaelic (G\u00e0idhlig)<\/th>\n<td><strong>cuil<\/strong> [kul] = fly (insect)<br \/>\n<strong>cuileag<\/strong> [kulag] = fly (insect \/ for fishing)<br \/>\n<strong>cuileagach<\/strong> [kulag\u0259x] = pertaining to or abounding in flies<br \/>\n<strong>cuileag-bheag, cuileag-mheanbh, cuileag-mh\u00ecn<\/strong> = Highland midge  (<em>culicoides impunctatus<\/em>)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Manx (Gaelg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>quill<\/strong> = fly, gnat, midge<br \/>\n<strong>quaillag<\/strong> = fly, housefly<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Welsh (Kymraec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>kylyon<\/strong> = flies<br \/>\n<strong>kylyonyn<\/strong> = fly<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Welsh (Cymraeg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>cylionyn, cylionen<\/strong> fly, housefly, bluebottle, wasp, gnat<br \/>\n<strong>cylion<\/strong> [\u02c8k\u0259lj\u0254n] = flies, etc<br \/>\n<strong>cylionwr<\/strong> = fly-catcher<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Cornish<\/th>\n<td><strong>kelionen<\/strong> = fly<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Cornish (Cernewec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>celionen<\/strong> = fly<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Cornish (Kernewek)<\/th>\n<td><strong>kelyonen<\/strong> = fly<br \/>\n<strong>kelyon<\/strong> = flies<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Breton (Brethonoc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>keleon<\/strong> = flies<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Breton (Brezonec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>quelyenenn, quelyenen<\/strong> = fly<br \/>\n<strong>quelyen<\/strong> = flies<br \/>\n<strong>quelyenec<\/strong> = (a place) abounding in flies<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Breton (Brezhoneg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>kelien, kelion<\/strong> [\u02c8k\u025b.lj\u025bn] = flies<br \/>\n<strong>kelienenn<\/strong> = fly<br \/>\n<strong>kelienek<\/strong> = (a place) abounding in flies<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: possibly from Proto-Indo-European <em>*\u1e31uH-l\u00f3-<\/em> (?), which is also the root of <em>culex<\/em> (gnat, midge, mosquito) in Latin, and <em>c\u00falex<\/em> (mosquito) in Catalan, and <em>kulo<\/em> (gnat) in Esperanto [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/cylion#Welsh\">source<\/a>]. <\/p>\n<p>In Welsh <strong>chwiw(i)ad<\/strong> is small fly or midge, and a gnat or midge is <strong>propriad<\/strong> or <strong>titiad<\/strong>. Midge or gnat is <strong>gwibesen<\/strong> in Cornish, and <strong>c&#8217;hwibu<\/strong> or <strong>mouch<\/strong> in Breton.<\/p>\n<p>For more words for insects, etc, see the Celtiadur post <a href=\"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/2020\/02\/09\/animals\/\">Animals<\/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 flies, gnats, midges and other wee beasties in Celtic languages. Words marked with an * are reconstructions. Proto-Celtic *kulis = fly Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc) cuil [kul\u02b2] = fly, flea, gnat minchuil = midge Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) cuil, c\u00fail = fly, flea, gnat cuilech, cuilig = flea-ridden cuile\u00f3c, cuile\u00f3g [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,73,16,101,26,252,21,3,36,22,5,6,37,7,27,8,9,10,12,13,23,18,14],"tags":[256,52,80,220,51,258,145,257,253,48,255,47,53,49,254,55,50],"class_list":["post-8858","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adjectives","category-animals","category-breton","category-catalan-catala","category-kernewek-cornish","category-esperanto","category-gaeilge-irish","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-cornish","category-old-irish-goidelc","category-proto-celtic","category-proto-indo-european","category-gaidhlig-scottish-gaelic","category-cymraeg-welsh","category-words","tag-beasties","tag-breton","tag-celtic","tag-cognates","tag-cornish","tag-english","tag-etymology","tag-flies","tag-fly","tag-gaelic","tag-gnat","tag-irish","tag-language","tag-manx","tag-midge","tag-scottish-gaelic","tag-welsh"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8858","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=8858"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8858\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8864,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8858\/revisions\/8864"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8858"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8858"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8858"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}