{"id":9238,"date":"2026-07-02T16:20:55","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T15:20:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/?p=9238"},"modified":"2026-07-02T16:20:56","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T15:20:56","slug":"boards-planks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/2026\/07\/02\/boards-planks\/","title":{"rendered":"Boards &#038; Planks"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In this post we&#8217;re looking at words for <strong>board<\/strong>, <strong>plank<\/strong> and related things in Celtic languages.<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/omniglot\/44001505061\/in\/album-72177720317564967\" title=\"Sunset \/ Machlud haul\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/1834\/44001505061_ec5b0a82aa_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"361\" alt=\"Sunset \/ Machlud haul\"\/><\/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>Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>tile, tiled<\/strong> = board, plank, stern<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Irish (Gaeilge)<\/th>\n<td><strong>tile<\/strong> = board, plank, sheets, poop (deck)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Scottish Gaelic (G\u00e0idhlig)<\/th>\n<td><strong>d\u00e8ile<\/strong> [d\u02b2e\u02d0l\u0259] = board, deal, plank, bier<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Manx (Gaelg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>deal<\/strong> = plank, batten<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: from English <strong>deal<\/strong> [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikisource.org\/wiki\/An_Etymological_Dictionary_of_the_Gaelic_Language\/D\">source<\/a>] (a plank of softwood, a wooden board or blank), from Middle English <em>dele<\/em> (plank), from Middle Low German <em>dele<\/em>, from Old Saxon <em>thili<\/em>, ultimately from Proto-Germanic <em>*\u00feilj\u01ed<\/em> (plank, board, plank, flooring, deck) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/deal#Etymology_3\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>Words from the same <strong>Diele<\/strong> (plank, hallway, hall, foyer) in German, <strong>tilja<\/strong> (floorboard, stage floor) in Swedish, and <strong>dillj\u00e1<\/strong> (bulkhead) in Pite Sami [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic\/%C3%BEilj%C7%AD\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Welsh (Kymraec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>astell, estyll<\/strong> = plank, board, shelf, lath, stave, rod<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Welsh (Cymraeg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>astell<\/strong> [\u02c8asta\u026c \/ \u02c8ast\u025b\u026c] = plank, board, shelf, lath, stave, rod, ledge (of rock)<br \/>\n<strong>astell gerdd<\/strong> = music stand<br \/>\n<strong>astell ddu<\/strong> = blackboard<br \/>\n<strong>astell lyfrau<\/strong> = bookshelf<br \/>\n<strong>astellaf, astellu<\/strong> = to board, batten<br \/>\n<strong>astellddal<\/strong> = shelf<br \/>\n<strong>astellog<\/strong> = boarded, planked<br \/>\n<strong>astyllen<\/strong> = plank, board, shelf, lath, stave, rod, tablet, toilet, privy, latrine<br \/>\n<strong>(y)styllen<\/strong> = plank, board, panel, shelf, lath, stave, mould-board<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Cornish (Cernewec \/ Kernuak)<\/th>\n<td><strong>astel<\/strong> = board, plank<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Cornish (Kernewek)<\/th>\n<td><strong>astel<\/strong> = plank, shingle, splint<br \/>\n<strong>astel an oles<\/strong> = mantelpiece<br \/>\n<strong>astel grey<\/strong> = chalkboard<br \/>\n<strong>astel todnow<\/strong> = surfboard<br \/>\n<strong>astelwolyans<\/strong> = windsurfing<br \/>\n<strong>astelyer<\/strong> = striker<br \/>\n<strong>estyllen<\/strong> = shelf, board, plank<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Breton (Brezhoneg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>astel<\/strong> = plank, flat piece of wood, extension leaf (of a table), shelf, cr\u00eape spatula, (medical) splint<br \/>\n<strong>astellad<\/strong> = vomiting<br \/>\n<strong>astellat<\/strong> = to vomit<br \/>\n<strong>astelladenn<\/strong> = emetic, to vomit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong> (Welsh &#038; Cornish): from Latin <em>astella<\/em> (splinter), from <em>asula \/ astla<\/em> (splinter, shaving, chip, shiver, shingle) from <em>assis<\/em> (axel, North Pole, the heavens, board, plank), from Proto-Italic <em>*aksis<\/em>, from Proto-Indo-European <em>*h\u2082e\u1e31s-i-s<\/em>, from <em>*h\u2082e\u1e31s-<\/em> (axle, axis)[<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/astella#Latin\">source<\/a>]. The Breton words come from the same Latin roots, via Old French <em>astelle<\/em> (splinter or piece of wood) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/astella#Latin\">source<\/a>]. <\/p>\n<p>Words from the same roots include <strong>axis<\/strong> and <strong>axle<\/strong> in English, <strong>Achse<\/strong> (axis, axle) in German, <strong>axel<\/strong> (shoulder, axle, axis) in Swedish, and <strong>exio<\/strong> (axle, axis) in Portuguese, and words for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/2025\/01\/16\/spindly-axles\/\">axle and axis<\/> in Celtic language [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European\/h%E2%82%82e%E1%B8%B1s-\">source<\/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=\"http:\/\/www.faclair.com\/\">Am Faclair Beag<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mannin.info\/Mannin\/fockleyr\/m2e.php\">Online Manx Dictionary<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.teanglann.ie\/en\/fgb\/ceann\">Teanglann.ie<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/dil.ie\/\">eDIL &#8211; Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language<\/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:\/\/geiriadur.ac.uk\/gpc\/gpc.html\">Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cornishdictionary.org.uk\/browse?field_word_value=penn\">Gerlyver Kernewek<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.arkaevraz.net\/dicobzh\/index.php\">Dictionaire Favereau<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.brezhoneg.bzh\/87-termofis.htm\">TermOfis<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wales.ac.uk\/Resources\/Documents\/Research\/CelticLanguages\/EnglishProtoCelticWordList.pdf\">English &#8211; ProtoCeltic WordList<\/a> (PDF), <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/embed\/EtymologicalDictionaryOfProtoCeltic\">Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<div align=\"center\"><a href=\"http:\/\/my.kualo.com\/uk\/go\/00572\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.kualo.com\/rewards\/uk-unlimited2-468x60.gif\" width=\"468\" height=\"60\" border=\"0\"\nalt=\"Unlimited Web Hosting - Kualo\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this post we&#8217;re looking at words for board, plank and related things in Celtic languages. Words marked with a * are reconstructions. Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) tile, tiled = board, plank, stern Irish (Gaeilge) tile = board, plank, sheets, poop (deck) Scottish Gaelic (G\u00e0idhlig) d\u00e8ile [d\u02b2e\u02d0l\u0259] = board, deal, plank, bier Manx (Gaelg) deal = [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,26,61,21,3,36,22,5,6,37,78,10,93,67,13,60,425,23,64,18,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9238","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-breton","category-kernewek-cornish","category-german","category-gaeilge-irish","category-language","category-latin","category-gaelg-manx","category-middle-breton","category-middle-cornish","category-middle-irish","category-old-french-franceis","category-old-irish-goidelc","category-portuguese-portugues","category-proto-germanic","category-proto-indo-european","category-proto-italic","category-sami","category-gaidhlig-scottish-gaelic","category-swedish-svenska","category-cymraeg-welsh","category-words"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9238","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=9238"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9238\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9240,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9238\/revisions\/9240"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9238"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9238"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9238"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}