{"id":9082,"date":"2026-01-08T03:11:05","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T03:11:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/?p=9082"},"modified":"2026-01-08T03:12:33","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T03:12:33","slug":"glowing-stars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/2026\/01\/08\/glowing-stars\/","title":{"rendered":"Glowing Stars"},"content":{"rendered":"

Words for star<\/strong>, coal<\/strong> and related things in Celtic languages.<\/p>\n

\"Glowing<\/p>\n

Words marked with a * are reconstructions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Proto-Celtic<\/th>\n*gl\u0101wos, *glowos<\/strong> = glowing thing, coal, charcoal
\n*gl\u0101w\u016b<\/strong> = glower<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc)<\/th>\nr\u00e9tglu, r\u00e9tlu\u200e<\/strong> = star<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\nr\u00e9tlu, r\u00e9tla<\/strong> = star
\nr\u00e9tlannach<\/strong> = starry, containing stars, sparkling, radiant<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Irish (Gaeilge)<\/th>\nr\u00e9alta<\/strong> [\u02c8\u027e\u02e0e\u02d0l\u032a\u02e0t\u032a\u02e0\u0259] = star, pip, asterisk
\nr\u00e9altach<\/strong> = starry, stellar, astral, starlike, beautiful
\nr\u00e9altbhu\u00edon<\/strong> = constellation
\nr\u00e9alteola\u00ed<\/strong> = astronomer
\nr\u00e9alteola\u00edocht<\/strong> = astronomy
\nr\u00e9alt\u00f3g<\/strong> = (small) star
\nr\u00e9altra<\/strong> = galaxy
\nr\u00e9ilt\u00edn<\/strong> = (small) star, starlet, asterisk<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Scottish Gaelic (G\u00e0idhlig)<\/th>\nreul<\/strong> [r\u032a\u02e0ial\u032a\u02e0] = star, asterisk
\nreul-bhad<\/strong> = constellation
\nreul-chrios<\/strong> = galaxy
\nreulach<\/strong> [r\u032a\u02e0ial\u032a\u02e0\u0259x] = astral, starry, abounding in stars
\nreuladair<\/strong> [r\u032a\u02b2i\u0259l\u032a\u02e0\u0259d\u026ar\u02b2] = astronomer, astrologer
\nreuladaireachd<\/strong> [r\u032a\u02b2i\u0259l\u032a\u02e0\u0259d\u026ar\u02b2\u0259xg] = astronomy, astrology, stargazing
\nreult<\/strong> [r\u032a\u02e0ial\u032a\u02e0d] = star<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Manx (Gaelg)<\/th>\nrolt<\/strong> = star
\nroltag<\/strong> = star
\nroltage<\/strong> = star
\nrolteen<\/strong> = asterisk, star, starlet
\nrollage<\/strong> = star, pip
\nrollageagh<\/strong> = astral
\nrollageyder<\/strong> = astronomer
\nrollageydys<\/strong> = astronomy
\nrontage<\/strong> = star<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Proto-Brythonic<\/th>\n*gl\u1ecdw<\/strong> = coal (?)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Middle Welsh (Kymraec)<\/th>\nglo<\/strong> = coal, charcoal<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Welsh (Cymraeg)<\/th>\nglo<\/strong> [\u0261lo\u02d0] = coal, charcoal
\nglo(e)a<\/strong> = to make charcoal by burning wood
\ngloaidd<\/strong> = pertaining to coal, coal-black
\nglobwll<\/strong> = coal pit, coal mine, colliery
\ngl\u00f6yn byw<\/strong> = butterfly (“living coal”)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cornish (Kernewek)<\/th>\nglow<\/strong> = coal
\nglowbren<\/strong> = charcoal
\nglowor<\/strong> = collier
\nglowva<\/strong> = colliery<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Middle Breton (Brezonec)<\/th>\nglaou, glao\u00fc, glou<\/strong> = coal, embers, to braise<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Breton (Brezhoneg)<\/th>\nglaou<\/strong> [\u02c8\u0261l\u0254w] = coal, embers, spark, strong emotion, money
\nglaoua<\/strong> [\u02c8\u0261l\u0254w\u02d0a] = to search for or collect coal
\nglaouaer<\/strong> [\u0261l\u0254\u02c8w\u02d0\u025br] = coalman, collier, swallow (bird)
\nglaoua\u00f1<\/strong> = to grind, to make sth burn
\nglaoudenn<\/strong> = charred piece (of wood)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Etymology<\/strong> (Goidelic): from Old Irish r\u00e9t<\/em> (thing) and Proto-Celtic *gl\u0101wos<\/em> (glowing thing, coal, charcoal) from Proto-Indo-European *\u01f5\u02b0l\u0325h\u2081-w\u00f3-s<\/em> from *\u01f5\u02b0leh\u2081-<\/em> (to shine, glow). The Brythonic words come from the same roots, directly via Proto-Celtic *gl\u0101wos<\/em> [source<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Proto-Celtic<\/th>\n*ster\u0101<\/strong> = star<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc)<\/th>\nser<\/strong> = star<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\nser<\/strong> = star<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Proto-Brythonic<\/th>\n*ster<\/strong> = stars<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Old Welsh (Kembraec)<\/th>\nsserenn<\/strong> = star<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Middle Welsh (Kymraec)<\/th>\nsyr, s\u0177r, s\u00e9r, s\u00ear<\/strong> = stars
\nseren<\/strong> = star<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Welsh (Cymraeg)<\/th>\ns\u00ear<\/strong> [se\u02d0r] = stars
\nseren<\/strong> = star, asterisk
\nserydd(wr)<\/strong> = astronomer, astrologer
\nseryddeg<\/strong> = astronomy
\nseryddegiaeth<\/strong> = astronomy, astrology
\nserydd(i)ol<\/strong> = astronomic(al), astrological
\ns\u00ear-nifwl, serniwl<\/strong> = nebula, galaxy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Old Cornish<\/th>\nsteren<\/strong> = star<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Middle Cornish (Cernewec . Kernuak)<\/th>\nste(y)r<\/strong> = stars
\nsterran<\/strong> = star<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cornish (Kernewek)<\/th>\nster<\/strong> = stars
\nsterennek<\/strong> = starry
\nsterfisegieth<\/strong> = astrophysics
\nstergan<\/strong> = starlight
\nstergelgh, stergylgh<\/strong> = zodiac
\nsterji<\/strong> = planetarium
\nsterlester<\/strong> = spaceship, starship
\nsteronieth<\/strong> = astronomy
\nstervarner, stervarnores<\/strong> = astronaut<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Old Breton (Brethonoc)<\/th>\nsterenn<\/strong> = star<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Middle Breton (Brezonec)<\/th>\nster<\/strong> = stars
\nsteret<\/strong> = stars
\nsterenn<\/strong> = star<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Breton (Brezhoneg)<\/th>\nster<\/strong> [\u02c8ste\u02d0r] = stars
\nstered<\/strong> [\u02c8ste\u02d0.r\u025bt] = stars
\nsteredenn<\/strong> [ste.\u02c8re\u02d0.d\u025bn] = star
\nsteredek<\/strong> = star, star-studded, constellated, peppered, dotted with
\nsteread<\/strong> = astronaut
\nsteredeg<\/strong> [ste.\u02c8re\u02d0.d\u025bk] = constellation
\nsteredel<\/strong> = stellar
\nsteredenna\u00f1<\/strong> = to star, to twinkle<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Etymology<\/strong>: from the Proto-Indo-European *h\u2082st\u1e17r<\/em> (star), from *h\u2082eh\u2081s-<\/em> (to burn) [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