{"id":9055,"date":"2025-12-07T07:42:26","date_gmt":"2025-12-07T07:42:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/?p=9055"},"modified":"2025-12-07T07:42:27","modified_gmt":"2025-12-07T07:42:27","slug":"telling-tales","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/2025\/12\/07\/telling-tales\/","title":{"rendered":"Telling Tales"},"content":{"rendered":"

Words for story<\/strong>, tale<\/strong>, news<\/strong> and related things in Celtic languages.<\/p>\n

\"Telling<\/p>\n

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Proto-Celtic<\/th>\n*sk\u02b7etlom<\/strong> = story
\n*kom-sk\u02b7etlom<\/strong> = (?)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Primitive Irish<\/th>\n*sk\u02b7etlan<\/strong> = story<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc)<\/th>\nsc\u00e9l, scel, sc\u00e9uill, sceuill<\/strong> [s\u02b2k\u02b2e\u02d0l] = story, tale, news
\nsc\u00e9lach<\/strong> = gossiping, gossipy
\nsc\u00e9laige<\/strong> = story-teller
\nsc\u00e9laigecht<\/strong> = story-telling
\nairsc\u00e9l<\/strong> = story, tale<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\nsc\u00e9l, scel, sc\u00e9uill, sceuill<\/strong> = story, narration, tale, news, tidings, information, account, statement, reproach, accusation, argument, pleading, defence, excuse, event
\nsc\u00e9lach<\/strong> = given to story-telling, gossiping, prattling
\nsc\u00e9laige<\/strong> = story-teller, historian
\nsc\u00e9laigecht<\/strong> = story-telling, stories
\nsc\u00e9lugad<\/strong> = story-telling, gossiping
\nairsc\u00e9l, <\/strong> = famous tale, (edifying) story, parable<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Irish (Gaeilge)<\/th>\nsc\u00e9al<\/strong> [\u0283ce\u02d0l\u02e0 \/ \u0283cial\u02e0] = story, historical, biographical account, narrative, tale, anecdote, account of an event, piece of news, report, theme, plot, state of affairs, matter, circumstance
\nsc\u00e9ala<\/strong> = news, tidings, word, message, information, disclosure
\nsc\u00e9alach<\/strong> = news-bearing, gossiping
\nsc\u00e9ala\u00ed, sc\u00e9alt\u00f3ir<\/strong> = story-teller, bearer of news
\nsc\u00e9alaigh<\/strong> = to relate
\nsc\u00e9ala\u00edocht<\/strong> = (act of) story-telling<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Scottish Gaelic (G\u00e0idhlig)<\/th>\nsgeul<\/strong> [sg\u02b2ial\u032a\u02e0] = story, news, tidings, sign
\nsgeulach<\/strong> [sg\u02b2ial\u032a\u02e0\u0259x] = pertaining to or abounding in tales, fond of tales, newsmongering
\nsgeulachadh<\/strong> [sg\u02b2ial\u032a\u02e0\u0259x\u0259\u0263] = (act of) narrating, narration, nattering, rambling, yarning
\nsgeulachd<\/strong> [sg\u02b2ial\u032a\u02e0\u0259xg] = story, tale, yarn, fable, legend
\nsgeuladair<\/strong> [sg\u02b2ial\u032a\u02e0\u0259d\u026ar\u02b2] = storyteller, newsmonger
\nsgeulaadh<\/strong> [sg\u02b2ial\u032a\u02e0\u0259\u0263] = tale-telling, telling of tales
\nsgeulag<\/strong> [sg\u02b2ial\u032a\u02e0ag] = small tale\/story<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Manx (Gaelg)<\/th>\nskeeal<\/strong> = story, tale, yarn, tidings, rumour, report, history, legend
\nskeealagh<\/strong> = narrative
\nskeealaght<\/strong> = anecdotage, history, story-telling
\nskeealeragh<\/strong> = gossip, storyteller, talebearer, tattler, communicative, pratling, tattling
\nskeealerey<\/strong> = gossip, newsmonger, storyteller, talebearer, taleteller<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Middle Welsh (Kymraec)<\/th>\nchuetlev, hwetil, cheutil, cheudyl, chwetyl, chwedyl<\/strong> = story, account, legend, fable, tidings, news, report, rumour, saying, adage
\nchuedleuha, chwedleua<\/strong> = to speak, chat, converse, discourse, commune, gossip
\nchwedleugar, chwedlevgar<\/strong> = talkative, garrulous, gossipy, mythical, legendary
\nchwedlevwr, chwdelcwr<\/strong> = talker, gossip, story-teller, racouteur<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Welsh (Cymraeg)<\/th>\nchwed(d)l<\/strong> [\u02c8\u03c7w\u025bd\u025bl] = story, account, legend, fable, tidings, news, report, rumour, saying, adage
\nchwedlaidd<\/strong> = mythical, fabulous, mythological
\nchwedlddysg<\/strong> = mythology
\nchwedl\u00ebig<\/strong> = talkative, gossiping
\nchwedluach<\/strong> prattle, idle gossip
\nchwedleua(f), chweddlueo<\/strong> = to speak, chat, converse, discourse, commune, gossip
\nchwed(d)leugar<\/strong> = talkative, garrulous, gossipy, mythical, legendary
\nchwedleuwr<\/strong> = talker, gossip, story-teller, racouteur<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Middle Cornish (Cernewec)<\/th>\nwhethel<\/strong> = narrative, story, tale<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cornish (Kernewek)<\/th>\nhwedhel<\/strong> = narrative, story, tale hwedhela<\/strong> = to narrate, tell tales
\nhwedhlans<\/strong> = narration
\nhwedhlek<\/strong> = narrative
\nhwedhlor(es)<\/strong> = narrator<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Middle Breton (Brezonec)<\/th>\nquehezl<\/strong> = information (?)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Breton (Brezhoneg)<\/th>\nkehel<\/strong> = information, intention, question, piece of news, review, report
\nkehela<\/strong> = toward, with regard to
\nkeheladur<\/strong> = veneration, worship
\nkehela\u00f1<\/strong> = to announce, inform, worship<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Etymology<\/strong>: from Proto-Indo-European *sek\u02b7<\/em> (story) [source<\/a>]. The Brythonic words were possibly borrowed from Old Irish [source<\/a>]. The English word saga<\/strong> comes from the same roots, via Old Norse saga<\/em> (epic tale, story) [source<\/a>]. Saw<\/strong> comes from the same roots, via Old English sagu<\/em> (saw) [source<\/a>].<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Sources: Wiktionary<\/a>, Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic<\/a>, In D\u00fail B\u00e9lrai English – Old Irish glossary<\/a>, eDIL – Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language<\/a>, Teanglann.ie<\/a>, Am Faclair Beag<\/a>, An etymological dictionary of the Gaelic language<\/a>, Fockleyreen: Manx – English Dictionary<\/a>, Online Manx Dictionary<\/a>, Gaelg Corpus<\/a>, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru<\/a>, Lexicon cornu-britannicum : a dictionary of the ancient Celtic language of Cornwall<\/a>, Gerlyver Kernewek<\/a>, Devri : Le dictionaire diachronique du breton<\/a>, Geriafurch<\/a>, TermOfis<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n