{"id":8924,"date":"2025-08-13T14:27:12","date_gmt":"2025-08-13T13:27:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/?p=8924"},"modified":"2025-08-14T13:03:04","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T12:03:04","slug":"swearing-oaths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/2025\/08\/13\/swearing-oaths\/","title":{"rendered":"Swearing Oaths"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Today we&#8217;re looking at the words for <strong>oath<\/strong>, <strong>vow<\/strong>, <strong>(to) swear<\/strong> and related things in Celtic languages.<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/laura-kali\/29958386072\/in\/photolist-5LWLqU-MLoJzN-nzyz5Y-5Eacxf-MDjyrN-6pLHA4-UKUuTY-h9Nzn-wkx5ew-XzRDrP-2hyu9va-TSPEoy-dswu46-9XF95m-7TggD8-4Lpo1w-4LpnVN-9RsPB-5U6x7o-2msU3HT-c9bteu-2hqaEvj-TVbpmV-2hywY3Z-2hywY8d-2mwvG7B-arkeyH-2hywY2r-qMGX4U-6oarmM-2mwvG69-2hywYah-rURJ3Z-SQhNN3-2msVcvx-2mwuBXf-2msPYrL-2hyu9pU-SQhqW7-qMS8NF-5YM3hR-bTzWtn-2msVcDU-2msYN58-2msYN27-SSKurs-2mwsb1o-2msYNew-2msXH5E-srH21M\" title=\"Oath\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/5832\/29958386072_2ceb3efeaa_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"428\" alt=\"Oath\"\/><\/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>*lug<\/strong> = oath<br \/>\n<strong>*lugyom<\/strong> = oath, swearing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>luige<\/strong> = oath, swearing<br \/>\n<strong>lugae<\/strong> = oath<br \/>\n<strong>luigid<\/strong> = to swear<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>luige, lug, luga, lugae<\/strong> = oath, (act of) swearing<br \/>\n<strong>lugach<\/strong> = given to swearing, assertive, contentious<br \/>\n<strong>luigid, luigaid<\/strong> = to swear<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Irish (Gaeilge)<\/th>\n<td><strong>luigh<\/strong> [l\u032a\u02e0\u026a\u025f \/ l\u032a\u02e0i\u02d0] = to swear (<em>literary<\/em>)<br \/>\n<strong>luighe<\/strong> = oath<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Scottish Gaelic (G\u00e0idhlig)<\/th>\n<td><strong>l\u00f9gh<\/strong> [l\u032a\u02e0u\u02d0] = swear! curse!<br \/>\n<strong>l\u00f9ghadh<\/strong> [l\u032a\u02e0u\u02d0.\u0259\u0263] = (act of) swearing, oath, (act of) cursing<br \/>\n<strong>l\u00f9ighe<\/strong> [l\u032a\u02e0u\u02d0j\u0259] = (act of) swearing, oath, (act of) cursing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Manx (Gaelg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>loo<\/strong> [lu\u02d0] = oath, swear(ing), affidavit<br \/>\n<strong>looee<\/strong> = oath<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Proto-Brythonic<\/th>\n<td><strong>*llu\u0263<\/strong> = (?)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Welsh (Kymraec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>llv, llw<\/strong> = (solemn) oath, vow, oath, swear word, curse, blasphemy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Welsh (Cymraeg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>llw<\/strong> [\u026cu\u02d0] = (solemn) oath, vow, oath, swear word, curse, blasphemy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Cornish (Kernewek)<\/th>\n<td><strong>li<\/strong> = oath<br \/>\n<strong>lia<\/strong> = to swear, take an oath<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Breton (Brethonoc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>dilu<\/strong> = oath<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Breton (Brezonec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>le, l\u00e9<\/strong> = oath, blasphemy<br \/>\n<strong>leanty<\/strong> = convent<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Breton (Brezhoneg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>le<\/strong> [le\u02d0] = oath, swear, vow<br \/>\n<strong>lea\u00f1<\/strong> [\u02c8le\u02d0.\u00e3] = to swear, take an oath<br \/>\n<strong>leandi<\/strong> [le\u02c8\u00e3n.di] = convent<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: from the Proto-Indo-European <em>*lewg\u02b0-<\/em> (to announce, tell, publicly) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic\/lugyom\">source<\/a>]. Words from the same roots include <strong>lie<\/strong> in English, <strong>liegen<\/strong> (to lie, tell lies) in Dutch, <strong>l\u00fcgen<\/strong> (to tell a lie, to lie) in German, <strong>ljuga<\/strong> (to lie, to tell an untruth) in Swedish, <strong>\u0142ga\u0107<\/strong> (to lie, feign, simulate) in Polish [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European\/h%E2%82%82lewg%CA%B0-\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Proto-Celtic<\/th>\n<td><strong>*tungeti<\/strong> = to swear (an oath)<br \/>\n<strong>*writ-tungeti<\/strong> = to counter-swear<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Gaulish<\/th>\n<td><strong>toncsiiontio<\/strong> = (?)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>tongaid<\/strong> = to swear<br \/>\n<strong>fristoing<\/strong> = to forswear<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>tongaid, to\u1e45ga, tongu<\/strong> = to swear, take an oath<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Scottish Gaelic (G\u00e0idhlig)<\/th>\n<td><strong>tuinge<\/strong> = oath<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Welsh (Kymraec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>twng, twg<\/strong> = a swearing, oath<br \/>\n<strong>tyngu<\/strong> = to swear (an oath)<br \/>\n<strong>gurthtygho, gurhtuc, gvrthegho, gurthtug<\/strong> = to counter-swear<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Welsh (Cymraeg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>twng, twnc<\/strong> = a swearing, oath<br \/>\n<strong>tyngu<\/strong> = to swear (an oath)<br \/>\n<strong>camdyngu<\/strong> = to swear falsely, forswear<br \/>\n<strong>cytyngu<\/strong> = to swear together, take a mutal oath<br \/>\n<strong>gwrthdyngu<\/strong> = to counter-swear<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Cornish (Cernewec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>ty<\/strong> = an oath, imprecation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Cornish (Kernewek)<\/th>\n<td><strong>ti<\/strong> = oath, vow, swear<br \/>\n<strong>tia<\/strong> = to swear, vow<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Breton (Brezonec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>toeaff, touet<\/strong> = to swear, curse<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Breton (Brezhoneg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>tou<\/strong> [tu:] = oath<br \/>\n<strong>toui\u00f1<\/strong> [\u02c8tu\u02d0.\u0129] = to swear, curse<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: possibly from Proto-Indo-European <em>*h\u2082lewg\u02b0-<\/em> (to announce), or from PIE <em>*th\u2082n\u00e9gti<\/em> (to touch, grasp; to take), from <em>*teh\u2082g-<\/em> (to touch, take) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic\/tungeti\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Proto-Celtic<\/th>\n<td><strong>*mandu<\/strong> = mark, sign, spot<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>mind<\/strong> [m\u02b2in\u0348d] = crown, insignia, oath<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>mind, minn<\/strong> = crown, diadem, oath, vow<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Irish (Gaeilge)<\/th>\n<td><strong>mionn<\/strong> = crown, diadem, oath<br \/>\n<strong>mionnach<\/strong> = swearing, given to swearing<br \/>\n<strong>mionnad\u00f3ir<\/strong> = swearer<br \/>\n<strong>mionnaigh<\/strong> = to swear<br \/>\n<strong>mionn\u00fa<\/strong> = swearing, adjuration<br \/>\n<strong>m\u00f3rmhionnach<\/strong> = addicted to swearing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Scottish Gaelic (G\u00e0idhlig)<\/th>\n<td><strong>mionn<\/strong> [mj\u0169\u02d0n\u032a\u02e0] = oath, curse, (act of) cursing, insignia<br \/>\n<strong>mionnaichte<\/strong> [mjun\u032a\u02b2\u026a\u00e7d\u02b2\u0259] = bound by oath, sworn, avowed<br \/>\n<strong>mionnan<\/strong> [mjun\u032a\u02e0an] = (act of) swearing an oath, (act of) cursing, small curse<br \/>\n<strong>mionnach<\/strong> [mju\u02d0n\u032a\u02e0\u0259x] = pertaining to or abounding in oaths or curses, swearing, sweary, cursing<br \/>\n<strong>mionn<\/strong> [mj\u0169\u02d0n\u032a\u02e0] = <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Manx (Gaelg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>mian<\/strong> = to wish<br \/>\n<strong>mianey<\/strong> = to wish, desire, hanker, fancy, long, lust<br \/>\n<strong>mynney<\/strong> = to swear, swear-word, imprecation, oath-book<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Welsh (Kymraec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>mann<\/strong> = spot, speck, blemish, stain, mark<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Welsh (Cymraeg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>man<\/strong> [man] = spot, speck, blemish, stain, mark<br \/>\n<strong>mannig<\/strong> = spot, dot, particle. breve (<em>in music<\/em>)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: uncertain [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/mind#Old_Irish\">source<\/a>], possibly from Proto-Indo-European <em>*mend-<\/em> (physical defect, fault) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/man#Etymology_2_12\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>m\u00f3it<\/strong> = vow<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>m\u00f3it, m\u00f3id<\/strong> = vow, oath, wish, desire<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Irish (Gaeilge)<\/th>\n<td><strong>m\u00f3id<\/strong> [m\u02e0o\u02d0d\u02b2] = vow<br \/>\n<strong>m\u00f3idach<\/strong> = votary, votive<br \/>\n<strong>m\u00f3idghealladh<\/strong> = solemn promise, profession<br \/>\n<strong>m\u00f3idigh<\/strong> = to vow<br \/>\n<strong>m\u00f3id\u00edn<\/strong> = devotee<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Scottish Gaelic (G\u00e0idhlig)<\/th>\n<td><strong>m\u00f2id<\/strong> [m\u0254\u02d0d\u02b2] = oath, solemn promise, swearing, vow<br \/>\n<strong>m\u00f2ideachadh<\/strong> [m\u0254\u02d0d\u02b2\u0259x\u0259\u0263] = (act of) swearing, vowing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: from Latin <em>v\u014dtum<\/em> (promise, dedication, vow, will, desire, prayer), from <em>vove\u014d<\/em> (to vow, promise, dedicate), from  Proto-Italic <em>*wog\u02b7e\u014d<\/em> (to vow, promise, dedicate), from Proto-Indo-European <em>*h\u2081wog\u02b7\u02b0\u00e9yeti<\/em>, from <em>*h\u2081weg\u02b7\u02b0-<\/em> (to promise, vow, praise) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/m%C3%B3id\">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 oath, vow, (to) swear and related things in Celtic languages. Words marked with a * are reconstructions. Proto-Celtic *lug = oath *lugyom = oath, swearing Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc) luige = oath, swearing lugae = oath luigid = to swear Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) luige, lug, luga, lugae = oath, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,26,81,19,20,25,61,21,3,36,22,5,6,37,7,8,10,105,12,13,60,23,64,18,14],"tags":[52,80,51,275,145,48,47,53,49,55,276,277,274,50],"class_list":["post-8924","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-breton","category-kernewek-cornish","category-dutch-nederlands","category-english","category-etymology","category-gaulish","category-german","category-gaeilge-irish","category-language","category-latin","category-gaelg-manx","category-middle-breton","category-middle-cornish","category-middle-irish","category-middle-welsh-kymraec","category-old-breton","category-old-irish-goidelc","category-polish-polski","category-proto-celtic","category-proto-indo-european","category-proto-italic","category-gaidhlig-scottish-gaelic","category-swedish-svenska","category-cymraeg-welsh","category-words","tag-breton","tag-celtic","tag-cornish","tag-curse","tag-etymology","tag-gaelic","tag-irish","tag-language","tag-manx","tag-scottish-gaelic","tag-swear","tag-swearing","tag-vow","tag-welsh"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8924","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=8924"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8924\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8932,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8924\/revisions\/8932"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8924"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8924"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8924"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}