{"id":9269,"date":"2026-08-07T13:24:32","date_gmt":"2026-08-07T12:24:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/?p=9269"},"modified":"2026-08-07T13:24:32","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T12:24:32","slug":"shining-bright","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/2026\/08\/07\/shining-bright\/","title":{"rendered":"Shining Bright"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In this post we&#8217;re looking at words for <strong>clear<\/strong>, <strong>bright<\/strong>, <strong>shining<\/strong> and related things in Celtic languages.<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/dmcordell\/13044586984\/in\/photolist-kSGVf9-NUKgTK-NTiN84-MzdqEm-26TeCM3-NAU8v1-2cwLKDz-XW2amU-8hiJfB-QBzQSe-YSkRK9-Mg2b5a-PGtJPk-E6sU1H-NEWbe3-LPsizM-TGDpqq-Wu7gbR-oamyZt-RoaiSy-BCASbh-YZeByw-5VeUw8-f9sDQV-Py9RnP-GLEjuJ-XyGjHq-pTar9X-nM8Wpx-27vcM2X-N2Ksmb-vwNAVm-MUY7pX-BQypVS-Dn3cXW-pQSWMj-29UEh3E-2f5ZMFB-24Pbgwm-zLPqi5-gW6jGP-25c5iaz-gW5j6m-2bi9LR5-29sPfzZ-K3GRfE-27xKAKG-oDZg1Q-oA8krS-H1qk1s\" title=\"Ready for Occupancy\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/3792\/13044586984_fcdfbb826c_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Ready for Occupancy\"\/><\/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>*gleiwos<\/strong> = shining, clear, sparkling<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Gaulish<\/th>\n<td><strong>*gleuos<\/strong> = bright, shiny<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>gl\u00e9<\/strong> [\u02c8\u0261\u02b2l\u02b2e\u02d0] = bright, clear, plain<br \/>\n<strong>gl\u00e9sse<\/strong> = brightness<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>gl\u00e9, gle<\/strong> = clear, plain, evident<br \/>\n<strong>gl\u00e9id<\/strong> = to make clear, purify, clear up<br \/>\n<strong>gle\u00f3ir<\/strong> = clear, luminous, bright<br \/>\n<strong>gl\u00e9thech<\/strong> = bright, pure<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Irish (Gaeilge)<\/th>\n<td><strong>gl\u00e9<\/strong> [\u025fl\u02b2e\u02d0] = clear, bright, vivid, limpid, pure, lucid, luminous, intense, sharp<br \/>\n<strong>gl\u00e9ine<\/strong> = brilliance, clarity, crispness, lucidity, luminosity, sharpness, vibrancy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Scottish Gaelic (G\u00e0idhlig)<\/th>\n<td><strong>gl\u00e8\u2020<\/strong> [gle\u02d0] = real, pure, clean, good, open, plain<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Proto-Brythonic<\/th>\n<td><strong>*glu\u0268w<\/strong> = bright, shining, sparkling<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Welsh (Kembraec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>gloiu<\/strong> = bright, shining, sparkling<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Welsh (Kymraec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>gloev, gloyw, gloew<\/strong> = bright, shining, sparkling<br \/>\n<strong>gloewi, gloywi<\/strong> = to brighten, polish, clarify<br \/>\n<strong>gloywder, gloewder<\/strong> = brightness, clearness, splendour, radience<br \/>\n<strong>gloewed<\/strong> = clearness, brightness, radiance, glory, praise<br \/>\n<strong>gloewr<\/strong> = polisher, burnisher<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Welsh (Cymraeg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>gloyw<\/strong> [\u02c8\u0261l\u0254\u0268\u032f.u \/ \u02c8\u0261l\u0254i\u032f.u] = bright, shining, sparkling, polished, burnished, clear, limpid, lucid, transparent, definite<br \/>\n<strong>gloywder<\/strong> = brightness, clearness, splendour, radience<br \/>\n<strong>gloywedd<\/strong> = clearness, brightness, radiance, glory, praise<br \/>\n<strong>gloywi<\/strong> = to brighten, polish, clarify<br \/>\n<strong>gloywwr<\/strong> = polisher, burnisher<br \/>\n<strong>Caerloyw<\/strong> = Gloucester<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Cornish (Kernewek)<\/th>\n<td><strong>gluw<\/strong> = shining<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Breton (Brethonoc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>gloeu<\/strong> = clear<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Breton (Brezonec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>gloeu<\/strong> = clear<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Breton (Brezhoneg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>gloev<\/strong> = clear, limpid, bloated, rare<br \/>\n<strong>gloevenn<\/strong> = to become sparse, to thin out<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: from PIE <em>*\u01f5\u02b0ley-<\/em> (to shine) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic\/gleiwos\">source<\/a>]. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Gl\u0113vum<\/strong>, the Latin name for <strong>Gloucester<\/strong>, also comes from the same Proto-Celtic roots [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Glevum#Latin\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>Words from the same PIE roots include <strong>glimma<\/strong> (to glimmer, gleam, shine) in Swedish, <strong>glitzern<\/strong> (to glitter, sparkle) in German, <strong>gl\u00e6r<\/strong> (clear, transparent) in Icelandic, and <strong>glimmer<\/strong>, <strong>gleam<\/strong>, <strong>glint<\/strong>, <strong>glisten<\/strong>,  <strong>glitter<\/strong> and <strong>gloom<\/strong> in English [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European\/%C7%B5%CA%B0ley-\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>For more words for <strong>bright<\/strong>, etc, see the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/2023\/03\/17\/bright-lights\/\">Bright Lights<\/a> post.<\/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 clear, bright, shining and related things in Celtic languages. Words marked with a * are reconstructions. Proto-Celtic *gleiwos = shining, clear, sparkling Gaulish *gleuos = bright, shiny Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc) gl\u00e9 [\u02c8\u0261\u02b2l\u02b2e\u02d0] = bright, clear, plain gl\u00e9sse = brightness Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) gl\u00e9, gle = clear, plain, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,16,26,19,20,25,61,65,21,3,36,5,37,7,27,8,10,40,11,12,13,23,64,43,18,14],"tags":[52,443,80,446,51,145,48,47,53,442,55,444,445,50],"class_list":["post-9269","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adjectives","category-breton","category-kernewek-cornish","category-english","category-etymology","category-gaulish","category-german","category-icelandic-islenska","category-gaeilge-irish","category-language","category-latin","category-middle-breton","category-middle-irish","category-middle-welsh-kymraec","category-nouns","category-old-breton","category-old-irish-goidelc","category-old-welsh","category-proto-brythonic","category-proto-celtic","category-proto-indo-european","category-gaidhlig-scottish-gaelic","category-swedish-svenska","category-verbs","category-cymraeg-welsh","category-words","tag-breton","tag-bright","tag-celtic","tag-clear","tag-cornish","tag-etymology","tag-gaelic","tag-irish","tag-language","tag-light","tag-scottish-gaelic","tag-shining","tag-sparkling","tag-welsh"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9269","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=9269"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9269\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9272,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9269\/revisions\/9272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9269"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9269"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9269"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}