Words for colours in Breton (Brezhoneg) with notes and colour-related expressions.
Colour in Breton is liv, which also means complexion or appearance.
Related words include:
du [ˈdyː] - black, dark, swollen, hungry
Etymology: from Proto-Brythonic *duβ (black), from Proto-Celtic *dubus (black), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewbʰ- (black).
gwenn [ˈɡwɛn] - white, pale, pure, brilliant, sacred, useless, vain
Etymology: from the Proto-Brythonic *gwɨnn (white), from Proto-Celtic *windos (white), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱweytos (bright; shine).
ruz [ˈryːs] - red; dry (plant); unchained (anger)
Etymology: from Proto-Brythonic *rʉð (red), from Proto-Celtic *roudos (red), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ- (red).
melen [ˈmeː.lɛn] - yellow, fair, blonde
Etymology: from Proto-Celtic *melinos, from *meli (honey), from Proto-Indo-European *mélid (honey)
glas [ˈɡlɑːs] - blue, green (vegetation), grey (horse), raw, fresh, acerbic, pale
Etymology: from Proto-Brythonic *glas (green, blue), from Proto-Celtic *glastos (green, blue), probably from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰl̥h₃stós, from *ǵʰelh₃- (“green, yellow”).
gwer - green (artificial)
Etymology: from Latin viridis (green)
ruzdu - brown ("red-brown"); liv kistin - chestnut brown; gell - brown; duard [ˈdyː.art] - brown or black (hair)
Etymology (gell): Proto-Celtic *gello- (yellow) or *gelo- (white), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃- (gleam, yellow)
roz - pink
Etymology: from French rose (pink).
orañjez, orañj - orange; melenruz - orange ("yellow-red")
louet - grey, mouldy
Etymology: from Proto-Brythonic *luïd, from Proto-Celtic *ɸlētos, from Proto-Indo-European *pel- (gray).
glasruz - purple ("blue-red")
arc'hant [ˈaʁχãnt] - silver, money
Etymology: from Old Breton argans, from Proto-Celtic *arganto- (silver), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂erg- (to shine)
aour [ˈawʁ] - gold
Etymology: from Latin aureus (golden)
Hear some of these Breton colours:
Sources
http://brezhoneg.org.uk/
http://www.arkaevraz.net/dicobzh/
https://br.wiktionary.org/w/
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:br:Colors
http://www.preder.net
Information about Breton | Phrases | Numbers | Family words | Colours | Time | Weather words | Comparison of Celtic languages | Celtic cognates | Celtiadur | Tower of Babel | Learning materials
Breton, Cornish, Irish, Manx, Scottish Gaelic, Welsh
Colour words in other languages
Why not share this page:
If you need to type in many different languages, the Q International Keyboard can help. It enables you to type almost any language that uses the Latin, Cyrillic or Greek alphabets, and is free.
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.