{"id":9030,"date":"2025-11-05T14:11:23","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T14:11:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/?p=9030"},"modified":"2025-11-05T14:11:23","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T14:11:23","slug":"tenacious-toughness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/2025\/11\/05\/tenacious-toughness\/","title":{"rendered":"Tenacious Toughness"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Words for <strong>tough<\/strong>, <strong>tenacious<\/strong>, <strong>stiff<\/strong> and related things in Celtic languages.<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/keso\/171340569\/in\/photolist-g9azK-dq3hFa-cFmUSA-7a5M7b-dq3hJ4-c3JBoL-dq3sUy-2gHFxiF-dq3gXP-dq3swA-a1LhLq-9dGiwE-SP58zT-c5pzLG-U6hWV3-2q2HXiV-2q2GAFc-2q2JpHz-xi38b-4NewKa-FBFKt-2jE8yah-5KuGxG-2q2GAMe-CPaw-d8SRqu-7ukkjn-2q2C26A-4KsTot-bHCbG2-SrFWuN-e7gbLz-bJZyLi-bmobpK-bHCbt6-buHq4h-UkYfeG-U36X7A-TmwP4V-U15UTw-2hT7TwL-U18jyJ-2kBGwEY-UAbjoZ-U17LkL-UoF2Lv-UoG784-U18hrN-U15TBd-Uwv3eG\" title=\"tough\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/77\/171340569_255f881b3f_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"tough\"\/><\/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<tr>\n<th>Proto-Celtic<\/th>\n<td><strong>*reginis<\/strong> = hard, stiff, tough<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>rigin<\/strong> = hard, tough, slow<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>rigin<\/strong> = tough, hard, unyielding, slow, dilatory, prolix, slow-moving, tranquil<br \/>\n<strong>rigne<\/strong> = tenacity, toughness, slowness, prolixity, sluggishness<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Irish (Gaeilge)<\/th>\n<td><strong>righin<\/strong> [\u027e\u02e0i\u02d0n\u02b2] = tough, tenacious, unyielding, stubborn, slow, deliberate, lingering, tardy, vicous, stringy, ropy<br \/>\n<strong>righne<\/strong> = toughness<br \/>\n<strong>righne\u00e1il<\/strong> = (act of) lingering, loitering, dawdling<br \/>\n<strong>righne\u00e1lach<\/strong> = lingering, loitering, dawdling<br \/>\n<strong>righne\u00e1la\u00ed<\/strong> = lingerer, loiterer, dawdler, stubborn person<br \/>\n<strong>righneas<\/strong> = toughness, tenacity, stubborness, slowness, tardiness, viscosity<br \/>\n<strong>righnigh<\/strong> = to toughen, persevere, linger, delay, become viscid<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Scottish Gaelic (G\u00e0idhlig)<\/th>\n<td><strong>righinn<\/strong> [r\u032a\u02b2i.\u026an\u032a\u02b2] = stiff, tough, sticky, adhesive<br \/>\n<strong>righinn-bheulach<\/strong> = tight-lipped<br \/>\n<strong>r\u00ecghneas<\/strong> [r\u032a\u02b2i\u02d0n\u0259s] = stiffness, tenacity<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Manx (Gaelg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>reen<\/strong> = hard, rigid, stiff, unyielding, thick-skinned<br \/>\n<strong>reenagh<\/strong> = stringy, toughish, tight<br \/>\n<strong>reenaghey<\/strong> = stiffen, toughen(ing)<br \/>\n<strong>reeneyder<\/strong> = stiffener, toughener, tonic<br \/>\n<strong>reenid<\/strong> = rigidity, starkness, toughness\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Proto-Brythonic<\/th>\n<td><strong>*rr\u0117\u0263\u0268n<\/strong> = (?)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Welsh (Kembraec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>Regin<\/strong> = <em>tribal name<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Welsh (Kymraec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>rein, rain, rhain<\/strong> = stiff (of corpse), stone-dead, rigid, stiffened<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Welsh (Cymraeg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>rhain<\/strong> [r\u0325ai\u032fn] = stiff (of corpse), stone-dead, rigid, stiffened<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: from Proto-Celtic <em>*regeti<\/em> (to stretch, to straighten), from Proto-Indo-European <em>*h\u2083r\u00e9\u01f5eti<\/em> (to be straightening, from <em>*h\u2083r\u00e9\u01f5-<\/em> (to straighten, to righten) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic\/reginis\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>Words from the same roots include <strong>rail<\/strong>, <strong>rank<\/strong>, <strong>realm<\/strong>, <strong>regime<\/strong>, <strong>regular<\/strong> and <strong>rule<\/strong> in English, <strong>Regel<\/strong> (rule) in German, <strong>rang<\/strong> (row, line, position) in French, <strong>rheng<\/strong> (rank, row) in Welsh, <strong>reja<\/strong> (grate, grating, grille) in Spanish, <strong>rank<\/strong>  [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European\/h%E2%82%83re%C7%B5-\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Welsh (Kymraec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>serth<\/strong> = steep, sloping, precipitous, high<br \/>\n<strong>syrtha\u1efd, syrthav<\/strong> = to fall, tumble, prostrate oneself<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Welsh (Cymraeg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>serth<\/strong> = steep, sloping, precipitous, high, straight, vertical, upright, discourteous, uncivil, insulting, curt, surly, unseemly, uncouth<br \/>\n<strong>serthaf, serthu<\/strong> = to become steep, to revile, abuse, malign<br \/>\n<strong>serthaidd<\/strong> = steep, precipitous, discourteous<br \/>\n<strong>serthrwydd<\/strong> = steepness, obscenity, ribaldry<br \/>\n<strong>syrth(i)af, syrth(i)o<\/strong> [\u02c8s\u0259r\u03b8j\u0254] = to fall, tumble, prostrate oneself<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Cornish (Cernewec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>serth<\/strong> = stiff, hard<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Cornish (Kernewek)<\/th>\n<td><strong>serth<\/strong> = abrupt, erect, stiff, upright, vertical<br \/>\n<strong>serthals<\/strong> = precipice<br \/>\n<strong>serthi<\/strong> = to rise up sharply<br \/>\n<strong>serthter<\/strong> = abruptness, inflexibility, rigidity, rigour, steepness, stiffness, verticality<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Breton (Brezonec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>serz<\/strong> = abrupt, tightly, firmly<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Breton (Brezhoneg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>serzh<\/strong> [\u02c8s\u025brs] = steep, robust, stable<br \/>\n<strong>serzha\u00f1<\/strong> = to tackle, to go back up<br \/>\n<strong>serzhded<\/strong> = escarpment, cliff<br \/>\n<strong>serzhder<\/strong> = perpendicularity<br \/>\n<strong>serzhdenn<\/strong> = ascent, solid, robust<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: unknown, possibly related to <strong>start<\/strong> in English, <strong>styrte<\/strong> (to rush, fall down, overthrow, jump) in Dutch, and <strong>st\u00fcrzen<\/strong> (to fall down, drop, tumble) in German [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/serth#Welsh\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Proto-Celtic<\/th>\n<td><strong>*razgo \/ *ringo-<\/strong> = torture (?)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>riag<\/strong> = torture<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>r\u00edag<\/strong> = torture<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Irish (Gaeilge)<\/th>\n<td><strong>riagh<\/strong> = rack, torture, execute (<em>literary<\/em>)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Scottish Gaelic (G\u00e0idhlig)<\/th>\n<td><strong>rag<\/strong> [r\u032a\u02e0ag] = inflexible, rigid, stiff, pig-headed, stubborn, stark, tense<br \/>\n<strong>ragach<\/strong> [r\u032a\u02e0ag\u0259x] = stiff, tough<br \/>\n<strong>ragadh<\/strong> [r\u032a\u02e0ag\u0259\u0263] = (act of) stiffening, making rigid, benumbing<br \/>\n<strong>ragaireachd<\/strong> [r\u032a\u02e0ag\u026ar\u02b2\u0259xg] = extortion<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Manx (Gaelg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>rag<\/strong> = stiff<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Breton (Brezhoneg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>reut<\/strong> [r\u00f8\u02d0t] = stiff, rigid, sharp, stocky<br \/>\n<strong>reutaat<\/strong> = to stiffen<br \/>\n<strong>reutadur<\/strong> = stiffening, rigidification<br \/>\n<strong>reutaer<\/strong> = stiffener<br \/>\n<strong>reuted<\/strong> = rigidity<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong> (Breton): from Old French <em>roide<\/em> (stiff, straight, steep, abrupt), from Latin <em>rigidus<\/em> (stiff, rigid, hard, stern), from <em>rige\u014d<\/em> (to be stiff, stiffen) from Proto-Italic <em>*rig\u0113\u014d<\/em>, from Proto-Indo-European <em>*Hrey\u01f5-<\/em> (to stretch out, reach, bind) [<a href=\"https:\/\/fr.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/reut#Breton\">source<\/a>].  The Goidelic words come from the same PIE roots, via Proto-Celtic <em>*rigo-<\/em> (to stretch) [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/EtymologicalDictionaryOfProtoCeltic\/page\/n313\/mode\/2up\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>Words from the same roots include <strong>raide<\/strong> (stiff, straight, steep, abrupt) in French, <strong>rigid<\/strong> in English, <strong>recio<\/strong> (tough, robust, strong) in Spanish and <strong>rijo<\/strong> (hard, tough, stiff, wiry) in Portuguese [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/rigidus#Latin\">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","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Words for tough, tenacious, stiff and related things in Celtic languages. Words marked with a * are reconstructions. Proto-Celtic *reginis = hard, stiff, tough Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc) rigin = hard, tough, slow Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) rigin = tough, hard, unyielding, slow, dilatory, prolix, slow-moving, tranquil rigne = tenacity, toughness, slowness, prolixity, sluggishness Irish (Gaeilge) righin [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,16,26,81,19,20,44,61,21,3,36,22,5,6,37,7,27,78,10,40,93,11,12,13,60,23,82,43,18,14],"tags":[52,80,51,145,48,47,53,49,310,55,308,311,309,50],"class_list":["post-9030","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adjectives","category-breton","category-kernewek-cornish","category-dutch-nederlands","category-english","category-etymology","category-french","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-nouns","category-old-french-franceis","category-old-irish-goidelc","category-old-welsh","category-portuguese-portugues","category-proto-brythonic","category-proto-celtic","category-proto-indo-european","category-proto-italic","category-gaidhlig-scottish-gaelic","category-spanish-espanol","category-verbs","category-cymraeg-welsh","category-words","tag-breton","tag-celtic","tag-cornish","tag-etymology","tag-gaelic","tag-irish","tag-language","tag-manx","tag-rigid","tag-scottish-gaelic","tag-stiff","tag-tenacious","tag-tough","tag-welsh"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9030","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=9030"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9030\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9032,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9030\/revisions\/9032"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9030"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9030"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9030"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}