This page contains words that are cognate in all or most of the six modern Celtic languages.
Click on the English versions that are links and you will be taken to the Celtiadur, where you can see what each word means, and how some of them are pronounced. There are also details of related words and expressions, and words in older versions of the Celtic languages, such as Middle Welsh and Old Irish. More Celtic Cognates
These words are cognate in all six Celtic languages.
Gaeilge (Irish) |
Gàidhlig (Gaelic) |
Gaelg (Manx) |
Cymraeg (Welsh) |
Kernewek (Cornish) |
Brezhoneg (Breton) |
English |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
aingeal | aingeal | aile | angel | eledh | ael | fire angel |
ainm | ainm | ennym | enw | hanow | anv | name |
anáil | anail | ennal | anadl | anal | anal | breath |
anam | anam | annym | enaid | enev | ene | soul spirit |
aois | aois | eash | oes oed |
oos ooj |
oad | age |
beatha | beatha | beaghey | bywyd | bewnans | buhez | life |
beo | beò | bio | byw | bew | bev | alive living |
bith* | bith | beays | byd | bys | bed | world being existence |
bord | bòrd | boayrd | bwrdd bwrd |
bord bordh |
bourzh | table board |
brí | brìgh | bree | bri | bri | bri | strength essence power honour dignity |
bua | buaidh | booie | budd | budh | buz | victory profit |
caí | caoidh | coe | cwyn | kynvan | kañv | lament mourning weeping |
Cáisg | Càisg | Caisht | Pasg | Pask | Pask | Easter |
carcair | carcair | carchyr | carchar | carhar* | karc'har | prison |
cath | cath | cah | cad | kas | kad | battle |
céim | ceum | keim | cam | kamm | kamm | step |
ciorcal | cearcall | kiarkyl | cylch | kelgh kylgh |
klec'h | circle ring |
cistin | cistin | kishteen | cegin | kegin | kegin | kitchen |
clog | clag | clag | cloch | clogh | kloc'h | bell clock |
clú | cliù | goo | clyw | klew | klev | hearing fame |
cúl | cùl | cooyl | cil | kil | kil | back corner |
eochair | iuchair | ogher | agoriad | key | ||
féan | feun | fainagh | gwain | goen gweyn |
gouin | wagon cart chariot sheath |
féile | fèil | feaill feailley |
gŵyl | gool | gouel | feast festival |
feis | fèis | feish | gwest | gwester | guest* | festival entertainment guest |
ficheall | fidhcheall | feeal | gwyddbwyll | gwydhbol | gwezboell | chess |
flaith | flath | flah | gwlad | gwlas gulas |
glad | sovereignty country nation |
fleá | fleadh | fleah | gwledd | gwledh | gloê | feast banquet |
gabhal | gobhal | goal | gafl | gowl | gaol | fork crotch gable |
gair gáir |
goir gàir |
gerr | gair gawr |
ger | ger | call shout word |
geil | geil | gyndyr | gwellt | gwels | geot gwelt |
grass graze |
gríos | grìos | gree | gwres | gwres | gwrez | warmth heat |
icht | aiteam | eggys | iaith | yeth | yezh | language people |
leabhar | leabhar | lioar | llyfr | lyver | levr | book |
liach | liogh | lheegh | llwy | lo | loa | spoon ladle |
marbh | marbh | merriu marroo |
marw marwolaeth |
mernans | marv | dead death deceased |
Nollaig | Nollaig | Nollick | Nadolig | Nadelik | Nedeleg | Christmas |
olann | olann | ollan | gwlân | gwlan | glaon | wool |
póg | pòg | paag | pocyn | poccuil* | pok | kiss |
rann roinn |
rann roinn |
rheynn | rhan | radn | rann | division part |
rath | rath | raah rah |
rhad | ras | rat | grace virtue |
rún | rùn | roon | rhin cyfrin |
rin kevrin |
rin | secret mystery |
rúsc | rùsg | roost | rhisgl | rusken | rusk | bark beehive |
saighead | saighead | side | saeth | seth | saezh | arrow |
seo | seo | shoh | hwn hon hyn |
ma | mañ | this |
seol | seòl | shiaull | hwyl | gool | gouel | sail |
sin | sin | shen | hwnnw honno hynny |
homma honna |
se | that |
siabhainn* | siabhann | sheeabin | sebon | sebon | soavon | soap |
suan | suain | saveen | hun | hun | hun | sleep slumber |
spiorad | spiorad | spyrryd | ysbryd | sperys spyrys |
spered | soul life spirit |
sráid | sràid | straid | stryd | stret | straed | street alley highway |
tábla | tàbla | taabyl | tabl | tabel | taol | table board |
táille | taille | tailley | tâl talaith |
tal | tailh | fare fee tally |
teach | taigh | thie | tŷ | chi | ti | house |
teanga | teanga | çhengey | tafod | taves tavas |
teod | language tongue tribe people |
teas | teas | çhiass | tes | tes | tes | heat warmth |
tine | teine | çhenney | tân | tan | tan | fire lightning |
tuí | tugha | thoo | to | to | to | roof thatch |
These words are cognate in some of the Celtic languages.
Gaeilge (Irish) |
Gàidhlig (Gaelic) |
Gaelg (Manx) |
Cymraeg (Welsh) |
Kernewek (Cornish) |
Brezhoneg (Breton) |
English |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ábhar | adhbar | oyr | material matter reason |
|||
adhal | adhal | aall | fork trident |
|||
allwedd | alhwedh | alc'hwez | key | |||
anseo | an-seo | ayns shoh | yma | omma | amañ | here |
ansin | an-sin | ayns shen | yna | ena | aze | there |
ansiúd (thall ansin) | an-siud | ayns shid | draw acw |
yn tre | ahont | yonder |
bás | bàs | basse | death | |||
caint | cainnt | caaynt | speech to speak talk |
|||
casúr | casar | casoor | hammer | |||
clár | clàr | claare | clawr | kleur | board table cover |
|
cló | clò | clou | clo | klaou | bolt lock nail |
|
colum* | cwlwm | kolm kolmen |
skoulmoù skoulm |
knot | ||
cuach | cuach | cawg | cup dish bowl |
|||
cudd | kudh | kuzh | secret hidden |
|||
cusan | kussyn | kiss | ||||
cwsg | kosk | kousked | sleep slumber |
|||
cyllell | kollell | kontell | knife | |||
damhna | damhna | defnydd | devnydh | danvez | matter material substance |
|
díon | dìon | jeen | protection waterproof roof |
|||
doras | doras | dorrys | drws | daras | door | |
dôr | dor | door | ||||
éag | eug | angau | ankow | ankow | dead death deceased |
|
fadhb | fadhb | uddan | oddf | knot lump problem |
||
fáilte | fàilte | failt | welcome | |||
fios | fios | fys | gwŷs | knowledge information |
||
forc | forca | fforc | forgh | forc'h | fork | |
líth | lì | lid | festival prosperity ceremony |
|||
morthwyl | morthol | morzhol | hammer | |||
mullach | mullach | mullagh | top roof |
|||
óir | oir | oyr | for because reason |
|||
sanas | sanas | sannish | hanes | hanas | whisper history secret |
|
saol | saoghal | seihll | world existence lifetime |
|||
scian | sgian | skyeen | ysgïen sgien |
skejañ | knife to sever |
|
snaidhm | snaidhm | sniem | nadd | nascañ | knot carving hinder |
|
spúnóg | spàin | spein | spoon | |||
stuth | stoo | stwff | stoff | material stuff substance |
||
te | teth | çheh | heat | |||
umha | umha | ooha | efydd | copper bronze |
[top]
Adjectives | Animals | Birds | Clothes | Colours | Conjunctions | Directions | Food and Drink | Musical terms | Numbers | Time expressions | Parts of the body | People | Pronouns | Sea creatures | Trees and Plants | Landscape | Verbs | Weather | Metals | Other words
A collection of Celtic cognates, with definitions, pronunciation, etymologies - includes the modern Celtic languages, older versions of these languages, such as Middle Welsh, Old Irish, and their extinct and reconstructed relatives and ancestors, including Gaulish, Celtiberian, Proto-Brythonic and Proto-Celtic.
If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, or if you can provide recordings, please contact me.
Stòr-fhaclan Co-dhàimheil Ceilteach (Database of Celtic cognates)
http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/gaidhlig/faclair/scc/lorg.php
McBain's Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language
http://www.ceantar.org/Dicts/MB2/
Breton, Celtiberian, Cornish, Cumbric, Gaulish, Irish, Lepontic, Lusitanian, Manx, Scottish Gaelic, Tartessian, Welsh
[top]
Why not share this page:
If you like this site and find it useful, you can support it by making a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or by contributing in other ways. Omniglot is how I make my living.
Note: all links on this site to Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk
and Amazon.fr
are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission if you click on any of them and buy something. So by clicking on these links you can help to support this site.
[top]