Celtic Pathways – Rich Kingdoms

27th September 2025 By Simon

In this episode we discover the Celtic roots of words for kingdom, rich and related things in Germanic, Romance and other languages.

The Proto-Celtic word *rīgyom means kingdom, and comes from Proto-Indo-European *h₃rḗǵs (king). Related words in Proto-Celtic include *rīxs (king) and *rīganī (queen) [source]

Related in the modern Celtic languages include:

rí [ɾˠiː] = king and banríon [bˠau(n̪ˠ)ˈɾˠiːnʲ] = queen in Irish
rìgh [r̪ʲi] = king and banrigh [bãũn̪r̪ʲɪ] = queen in Scottish Gaelic
ree [ɾiː] = king and benrein = queen in Manx
rhi [r̥iː] = king and rhiain (woman, girl, queen, lady) in Welsh
ri = king in Cornish
ri [ˈʁiː] = king in Breton

More details of words for king, queen and related things in Celtic languages can be found in the Celtiadur post Kings and Queens.

The Proto-Celtic word *rīgyom (kingdom) was borrowed into Proto-Germanic as *rīkiją (rulership, goverment, authority, realm, kingdom), and is the root of such words as rijk (realm, kingdom, empire, state) in Dutch, Reich (empire, state, realm) in German, říše (realm, empire, kingdom) in Czech, and rike (realm, kingdom, empire, nation) in Swedish [source].

The Proto-Celtic word *rīxs (king) was borrowed into Proto-Germanic as *rīkijaz (kingly, royal, noble, mighty, powerful, rich), which became rich in English, ryk (rich, wealthy) in Afrikaans, ricco (rich, wealthy, affluent) in Italian, and rikas (rich, wealthy, opulent, plentiful) in Finnish [source].

The Proto-Celtic word *rīxs (king) also found its way into names such as Friedrich and Heinrich in German, Henrik in Dutch (and other languages), and Roderick, Frederick, Henry and Richard in English [source].

Other words from PIE root *h₃rḗǵs (king) include rey (king) and reina (queen) in Spanish, रानी (rānī – queen, princess) in Hindi, and royal, regal, viceroy and maybe realm in English [source].

Incidentally, the continents of America (initially it referred just to South America, then to North America as well) were named after the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci, and the name Amerigo comes ultimately from the Proto-Germanic name Amalarīks, from amalą (hard work, stuggle) and *rīks (king, ruler), from Proto-Celtic *rīxs (king) [source].

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Adventures in Etymology – Rest Awhile

20th September 2025 By Simon

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What does the word while have to do with resting? Let’s find out in this Adventure in Etymology on Radio Omniglot.

While [waɪl / wæl] as a noun means an uncertain duration of time, a period of time, or an uncertain long (or short) period of time. As a conjunction it means during that same time, although or as long as, and as a verb it means to pass (time) idly, e.g. to while away hours, days, etc. or to occupy or entertain (sb) in order to let time pass.

It comes from Middle English whyle [ˈhwiːl(ə)] (while), from Old English hwīl [xwiːl] (while, period of time), from Proto-West Germanic *hwīlu (period of time, pause, while), from Proto-Germanic *hwīlō [ˈxʷiː.lɔː] (time, while, break, pause, period of rest), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷyeh₁- (to rest, rest, peace) [source].

Words from the same PIE root include pokój (room, peace) in Polish, quedo (quite, still) in Spanish, quitter (to leave, quit) in French, tranquillo (calm, sober, tranquil) in Italian, hvile (rest, repose) in Danish, and quiet, quit, quite, quiescent, acquiesce, tranquil, requiem, and coy in English [source].

I hope that reading and/or listening to this podcast has been worth your while. In a while, there will be a new Adventure in Etymology. Meanwhile, you might find it worthwhile to while away a little (or long) while look at / listening to past episodes of this and other Radio Omniglot podcasts.

By the way, if someone tells you they’ll do something in a little while or in a while, how long would you expect to wait?

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog.

Celtic Pathways – Engaged Hostages

13th September 2025 By Simon

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In this episode we discover the Celtic roots of words for hostage in Germanic languages, and words related to engagement in Finnic languages.

The Proto-Celtic word *geistlos means hostage or bail, and comes from Proto-Indo-European *gʰeydʰ- (to yearn for, to desire) [source]

Descendents in the modern Celtic languages include:

giall [ɟiəl̪ˠ] = hostage, pledge in Irish
giall [gʲiəl̪ˠ] = hostage, pledge in Scottish Gaelic
gioal = pledge, stake, wager in Manx
gwystl [ɡwɨ̞sdl] = pledge, assurance, security in Welsh
gostel = hostage, riot in Cornish
gouestl [ˈɡwestl] = hostage, pledge, guarantee in Breton

More details of words for hostage and related things in Celtic languages can be found in the Celtiadur post Captive Hostages.

Words from the same Proto-Celtic root, via Proto-Germanic *gīslaz (hostage), include gijzelen (to take hostage) in Dutch, Geisel (hostage) in German, and gissel (hostage) in Norwegian [source].

The Finnish words kihlata (to betroth) and kihlajaislahja (engagement present), the Estonian word kihlatu (to betroth) also come from the same Proto-Celtic roots via Proto-Germanic *gīslaz (hostage) and Proto-Finnic *kihla (pledge, bet, wager, engagement gift) [source].

Words from the same PIE root (*gʰeydʰ-) include geisti (to desire, crave, covet) in Lithuanian, gaidīt (to wait, expect) in Latvian, ždát (to ask) in Czech, and ждати (ždáty – to wait for, expect) in Ukrainian [source].

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

Adventures in Etymology – Unkempt Combs

6th September 20256th September 2025 By Simon

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You can be unkempt, but can you be just kempt? Let’s find out in this Adventure in Etymology on Radio Omniglot.

An unkempt llama

Unkempt [ˌʌnˈkɛmpt] means uncombed or dishevelled (hair), disorderly, untidy, messy, rough or unpolished.

It comes from unkemmed, from Middle English kembed (well-combed, neat), from kemben [ˈkɛm(b)ən] (to comb), from Old English cemben [ˈkem.bɑn] (to comb), from Proto-West Germanic *kambijan (to comb), from Proto-Germanic *kambijaną (to comb), from *kambaz (comb) from Proto-Indo-European *ǵómbʰos (tooth, peg), from *ǵembʰ- (to bite, chomp) [source].

Combs

Words from the same roots possibly include dhëmb (tooth) in Albanian, zub (tooth) in Slovak, kampa (comb) and hammas (tooth, cog, sprocket) in Finnish, kam (comb, ridge) in Dutch, and comb in English [source].

The word kempt does exist in English and means neat and tidy, especially when talking about hair. These days it is usually used humorously, but it was more commonly used in the past [source].

A camshaft

Incidentally, the English word cam, as in camshaft, camwheel, etc, comes from the same roots, via Dutch kam (comb, ridge). The Dutch word was also borrowed into French as came (cam, stuff, trinket), Italian as camma (cam), and into other languages [source]

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog.

Celtic Pathways – Birches

30th August 2025 By Simon

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In this episode we unearth the Celtic roots of words for birch (tree) in various languages.

The Proto-Celtic word *betuyā means birch tree, and comes from Proto-Indo-European *gʷetu-yo-s, from *gʷet- (resin, gum) [source].

Descendents in the modern Celtic languages include:

beith = birch (tree), letter B in Ogham (ᚁ) in Irish
beithe [behə] birch, birch wood/forest in Scottish Gaelic
beih = birch (tree) in Manx
bedw [ˈbɛdʊ] = birch(es), birch grove, maypole, birch-rod in Welsh
besow = birches in Cornish
bezv [ˈbɛ(z)w] = birches in Breton

More details of words for birch in Celtic languages can be found in the Celtiadur post Birch (trees).

Words from the same Proto-Celtic roots, via Gaulish *bitu/betua and Latin *betius, include betulla (birch) in Italian, bouleau (birch) in French, βετούλη (vetoúli – birch) in Greek, and abedul (birch) in Spanish [source].

The botanical Latin name for the genus, Betula (birch), also comes from the same roots [source].

Incidentally, the English word birch comes from Middle English birche (birch), from Old English bierċe (birch), from Proto-West Germanic *birkijā (birch), from Proto-Germanic *birkijǭ (birch), from PIE *bʰerHǵos (birch), from *bʰerHǵ- (to shine, to gleam, whiten) [source].

Words from the same roots possibly include: bredh (fir tree) in Albanian, björk (birch) in Swedish, béržas (birch) in Lithuanian and březen (March) in Czech [source].

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

Omniglot News (24/08/25)

24th August 202530th August 2025 By Simon

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Omniglot News

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New language pages:

Kwangali (Rukwangali), a Bantu language spoken in northern Namibia and southern Angola.
Lega (Kilega), a Bantu language spoken in the west of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Lomwe (Elomwe / Emakhuwa), a Bantu language spoken in northern Mozambique and southern Malawi.

New numbers pages:

Kwangali (Rukwangali), a Bantu language spoken in northern Namibia and southern Angola.
Lomwe (Elomwe / Emakhuwa), a Bantu language spoken in northern Mozambique and southern Malawi.
Lhomi (ल्होमी‎), a Central Bodish language spoken mainly in eastern Nepal, and also in China and India.
Makassarese (Basa Mangkasara’ / ᨅᨔ ᨆᨀᨔᨑ), a South-Sulawesi language spoken in South Sulawesi Province in Indonesia.

New phrases pages:

Kwangali (Rukwangali), a Bantu language spoken in northern Namibia and southern Angola.
Bless you! – phrases to use when someone sneezes in many languages.

New Tower of Babel translation:

Kwangali (Rukwangali), a Bantu language spoken in northern Namibia and southern Angola.
Lomwe (Elomwe / Emakhuwa), a Bantu language spoken in northern Mozambique and southern Malawi.

On the Omniglot blog there a new post entitled Knobbly Monsters about the creative ways journalists use to avoid repeating key words in their articles, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Tanzania.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Aheri Gondi (कोयम‎ / गोंडी‎), a Dravidian language spoken mainly in the Indian states of Maharashtra and Telangana.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, Sticky Climbs, we uncover the sticky roots of the word climb.

It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled Shameful Disgrace about words for shame, disgrace and various other things in Celtic languages.

New song: It’s All Greek To Me, a song I wrote based on idioms that mean that things are incompehensible.

Simon Ager · It’s All Greek To Me

For more Omniglot News, see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn and Podchaser.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

Adventures in Etymology – Sticky Climbs

22nd August 2025 By Simon

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In this Adventure in Etymology we uncover the sticky roots of the word climb.

Meanings of climb [klaɪm] include:

To ascend, rise or go up
To mount, move upwards
To scale, get to the top of
To move by gripping with the hands and using the feet

It comes from Middle English climben [ˈkli(ː)mbən / ˈkli(ː)mən] (to climb, scale, ascend) – the b was no longer pronounced in Late Middle English – from Old English climban [ˈklim.bɑn] (to climb), from Proto-West Germanic *klimban (to climb), from Proto-Germanic *klimbaną (to climb), probably from *klibāną (to stick, adhere) from Proto-Indo-European *gley- (to smear, to stick, putty, glue) [source].

Words from the same roots possibly include glue, gluten, clay, to cleave, cliff, cloth in English, klimmen (to climb) and kleven (to stick, glue) in Dutch, glynu (to stick, adhere) in Welsh, and glina (clay, loam) in Polish [source].

The English word clamber (to climb with difficulty or in a haphazard fashion) possibly also comes from the same roots, and is related to klambra (to clamp) in Icelandic and klamra (to cling) in Swedish [source].

Incidentally, the word to cleave can mean both to split or sever something with a sharp instrument, and to adhere, cling, or stick fast to something. The second meaning shares common roots with climb, but the first doesn’t [source]

Instead, it comes from Middle English cleven (to cleave, split, slice), from Old English clēofan (to cleave, split), from Proto-West Germanic *kleuban (to split, cleave), from Proto-Germanic *kleubaną (to split, cleave), from Proto-Indo-European *glewbʰ- (to cut, to slice) [source].

Related words include cleft and glyph in English, kloof (gap, gorge, ravine) in Dutch (and in Afrikaans and South African English), and глубокий [ɡɫʊˈbokʲɪj] (deep, profound) in Russian [source].

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog.

Celtic Pathways – Herons

16th August 2025 By Simon

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In this episode we uncover the possible Celtic roots of words for heron in Romance languages.

The Proto-Celtic word *korxsā / *korxsiyos means heron or crane [source], and possibly comes from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kreik- (to screech, creak), which is imitative in origin [source].

Descendants in the modern Celtic languages include:

corr [kəuɾˠ] = (grey) heron, stork, crane, leg-necked person in Irish
corra [kɔr̪ˠə] = heron, stork, crane in Scottish Gaelic
coar = heron, stork, crane in Manx
crychydd [ˈkrəχɨ̞ð / ˈkrəχɪð] = heron in Welsh
kerghydh = heron in Cornish
kercʼheiz [kɛrˈɣɛjs] = heron in Breton

Words from the same Proto-Celtic roots, via Celtiberian *cárcia (heron) or Gaulish curcio (heron), possibly include garza (heron) in Galician, garza (heron) in Spanish, and garça (heron) in Portuguese [source].

The Welsh word crëyr [ˈkreː.ɨ̞r / ˈkreː.ɪr], which means heron or egret, probably comes from the same PIE roots, as do reiger (heron) in Dutch, Reiher (heron) in German, häger (heron) in Swedish, heron and egret in English, and haikara (heron, stork) in Finnish [source].

More details of heron-related words can be found in the Celtiadur post Herons.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

Adventures in Etymology – Feathers

9th August 2025 By Simon

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In this Adventure in Etymology we investigate the word feather.

Feathers

A feather [ˈfɛð.ə(ɹ) / ˈfɛð.ɚ] is:

A branching, hair-like structure that grows on the bodies of birds, used for flight, swimming, protection and display.
Long hair on the lower legs of a dog or horse, especially a draft horse.
[other meanings are available]

It comes from Middle English feþer (feather), from Old English feþer (feather, pen), from Proto-West Germanic *feþru (feather, wing), from Proto-Germanic *feþrō (feather), from Proto-Indo-European *péth₂r̥ (feather, wing), from *peth₂- (to fly, to spread out) [source].

Words from the same Proto-Germanic roots include veer (feather, plume) and vlerk (wing, scoundrel) in Dutch, Feder (feather, spring, nib, penholder, fountain pen) and Gefieder (plumage) in German, and federa (pillowcase) in Italian (via Lombardic fedeara (feather)) [source].

By the way, the Swiss tennis player Roger Federer gets his surname from the Swiss German word Federer, which means ‘one who works with or trades in quills’, which are traditionally made from feathers [source]

Other words from the same Proto-Indo-European roots include πτηνό (ptinó – bird) in Greek, पत्र (patra – letter, paper, document, leaf) in Hindi, adar (birds) and adain (wing, fin) in Welsh, and appetite, petal, petition and fathom in English [source].

Incidentally, the word heliocopter also comes from the same roots, via French hélicoptère (helicopter), which comes from Ancient Greek ἕλιξ (hélix – spiral) &‎ πτερόν (pterón – feather, wing) – at least the -pter part does – see also pterodactyl (“winged finger”) [source].

Can anybody identify which birds the feathers in the photo at the top of this post come from? I found them in my garden.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog.

Omniglot News (03/08/25)

3rd August 20253rd August 2025 By Simon

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Omniglot News

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New constructed script: Urup Bakatiʼ, which was created by Reza Sumanda as a way to write Bakatiʼ, a Land Dayak language spoken in West Kalimantan in Indonesia.

Sample text in Urup Bakatiʼ

New language pages:

Bakatiʼ, a Land Dayak language spoken in West Kalimantan in Indonesia.
Koro (Kōrō), a North-Central Vanuatu language spoken on Gaua Island in Torba Province in northern Vanuatu.
Mota, a North-Central Vanuatu language spoken on Mota Island in Torba Province in northern Vanuatu.
Guna (Dulegaya), a Chibchan language spoken in northern Colombia and southern Panama.

New numbers pages:

Batak Karo (cakap Karo), a Northern Batak language spoken in the provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra in Indonesia.
Bouyei (Haausqyaix), a Tai-Kaidai language spoken mainly in Guizhou Province in southern China, and also in northern Vietnam.
Dioula (Julakan), a Western Mande language spoken in Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Mali.

On the Omniglot blog we look at the world through rose-tinted spectacles and discover that everything is coming up roses as we investigate some rose-related expressions in a post entitled Rose-Tinted, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in the southwest of Russia.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was: North Ambryn (Ranon) a North-Central Vanuatu language spoken on Ambryn Island in Malampa Province in the north of Vanuatu.

In this week’s Celtic Pathways podcast, Sunwise, we unravel the Celtic origins of the English word desieal (the direction of the sun, right-hand side).

It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled First Things First about words for first, before, previous and related things, and I made improvements to the post about words for To Seek and related things in Celtic languages.

Improved page: Kven phrases

New song: Discombobulation

This recording features me on vocals, guitar, cavaquinho, descant recorder, tenor recorder and (GarageBand) drums. It’s also available on SoundCloud.

For more Omniglot News, see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

Radio Omniglot

Podcasts about languages and words

Category: Music

Celtic Pathways – Rich Kingdoms

Adventures in Etymology – Rest Awhile

Celtic Pathways – Engaged Hostages

Adventures in Etymology – Unkempt Combs

Celtic Pathways – Birches

Omniglot News (24/08/25)

Adventures in Etymology – Sticky Climbs

Celtic Pathways – Herons

Adventures in Etymology – Feathers

Omniglot News (03/08/25)