Category: French (français)

Celtic Pathways – Gulls

By Simon

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In this episode we discover the possible Celtic roots of English and French words for seagull.

Gulls

The Proto-Celtic word *wailannā means seagull, and possibly comes from the Proto-Indo-European *wáy (oh! ah! woe! alas!), and maybe related to *waylos (howler, wolf) [source].

Related words in the modern Celtic languages include:

  • faoileán = gull, seagull in Irish
  • faoileann [fɯːlən̪ˠ] = gull, seagull, common gull in Scottish Gaelic
  • foillan = gull, seagull in Manx
  • gwylan [ˈɡʊɨ̯lan / ˈɡʊi̯lan] = sea-gull, fair maiden, glutton in Welsh
  • golan [ˈɡoːlan / ˈɡʊlɐn] = gull, seagull in Cornish
  • gouelan [ˈɡweːlãn] = seagull in Breton

For more about words for gulls and related things in Celtic languages, see the Celtiadur post: Gulls

The English word gull comes from Middle English gulle (gull, water bird), which was probably borrowed from a Brythonic language (Welsh or Cornish) [source].

The French word goéland [ɡɔ.e.lɑ̃] (gull, herring gull) was borrowed from Middle Breton goelan (gull, seagull) in the 15th century [source].

A more common French word for (sea)gull is mouette [mwɛt], which comes from Middle French mouette (seagull) from Old French moette (seagull), from maoe (seagull), from Old English mǣw (seagull) [source].

The Old Englsh word mǣw, comes from Proto-Germanic *maiwiz (seagull), from a non-Indo-European substrate, or is of imitative origin. It’s also found in Middle English as mewe (gull, seagull), in the archaic / dialectal English word mew (gull, seagull), in Dutch as meeuw (seagull), and in German as Möwe (seagull) [source].

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Adventures in Etymology – Bottles, Boots and Butts

By Simon

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In this Adventure in Etymology, we find connections between words for bottle, boot and butt in various languages.

Balcony pix

Meanings of bottle [ˈbɔtɫ̩ / ˈbɑ.təl] include:

  • A container, typically made of glass or plastic and having a tapered neck, used primarily for holding liquids.
  • The contents of such a container.

It comes from Middle English botel [ˈbutəl] (bottle, flask, wineskin), from Old French boteille [buˈteʎə] (bottle), from Late Latin butticula (bottle, flask), from buttis (cask, barrel), from Ancient Greek βοῦττῐς (boûttĭs – a type of vessel), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeHw- (to swell, puff) [source].

Words from the same roots include boot, butt (cask, barrel), and butler in English, bottiglia (bottle) in Italian, botte (boot, oppression) in French, botija (jug, vessel) in Spanish, butoi (barrel, cask) in Romanian, buta (butt, cask, stock, stocky person) in Irish, and búča (pumpkin, squash, head) in Slovenian [source].

Words for bottle in Old English included:

  • flasce [ˈflɑs.ke] (bottle, flask), which comes from Proto-Germanic *flaskǭ (flask, bottle), lives on as flask in English, and is related the German word Flasche (bottle, flask, flagon), fles (bottle) in Dutch, and flaska (bottle) in Swedish [source].
  • ampella [ˈɑm.pel.lɑ] (flask, bottle, flagon, vial), which comes from Proto-West Germanic *ampullā (flask), from Latin ampulla (a two-handled vessel with a swollen middle), from amphora (a large vessel, especially one made of clay with two handles used for storing and transporting wine and oil), from Ancient Greek ἀμφορεύς (amphoreús – jar with a narrow neck, amphora). It lives on as ampoule in English [source].

A related word in German is Ampel, which can refer to a traffic light, a ceiling lamp or a container which hangs from the ceiling (for a plant, etc.) [source]

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

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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.

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Celtic Pathways – Calamitous Swords

By Simon

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In this episode we discover the possible Celtic roots of some words for sword, hammer and related things in Romance and Slavic languages.

Swords

The Proto-Celtic word *kladiwos means sword, and comes from Proto-Celtic *kladeti (to stab, dig), from Proto-Indo-European *kl̥h₂dʰ-é-ti, from *kelh₂- (to beat, strike) [source].

Related words in the modern Celtic languages include:

  • claíomh [kl̪ˠiːvˠ/kl̪ˠiːw] = sword in Irish
  • claidheamh [kl̪ˠajəv] = sword in Scottish Gaelic
  • cliwe = sword in Manx
  • cleddyf [ˈklɛðɨ̞v/ˈkleːðɪv] = sword, blade, brace (on a door or wall) in Welsh
  • kledha = sword in Cornish
  • kleze [ˈkleː.ze] = sword, glaive (a light lance with a long, sharp-pointed head) in Breton

For more about words for sword and related things in Celtic languages, see the Celtiadur post: Swords & Spikes

Words directly from the same Proto-Celtic root *kladiwos (sword) include kladivo (hammer, gavel) in Croatian, kladivo (hammer, sledgehammer) in Czech, kladivo (hammer, stamp, maul, hammerhead) in Slovak, kladivo (hammer, sledgehammer) in Slovenian [source].

Words from the same Proto-Celtic root *kladiwos (sword), via Gaulish *kladyos (sword), and Latin gladius (sword, death, a gladiatorial contest), possibly include gladiator, gladiolus and glaive in English, esglai (fright) in Catalan, ghiado (sword, dagger, knife, frost, cold), and giaggiolo (iris [flower]) in Italian, gládio (sword, power, strength) in Portuguese and glaïeul (gladiolus) in French [source].

Words from the same PIE roots include calamity, clade, clergy, cleric, clerk, coup, and glaive in English, коля (kolja – to slaughter, butcher) in Bulgarian, kłoda (log, trunk, beehive, barrel) in Polish, and Holz (wood) in German [source].

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Celtic Pathways – Follow That Hound!

By Simon

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In this episode we discover the possible Celtic roots of some words for hound and sleuth in Romance languages.

Hunting Hounds

The Proto-Celtic word sekʷetor means to follow, and comes from Proto-Indo-European *sékʷetor (to be following), from *sekʷ- (to follow) [source].

Related words in the modern Celtic languages include: seicheamh (following, taking after, imitating, sequence, progression) and fosheicheamh (subsequence) in Irish [source], and sewya (to follow, result) in Cornish [source].

For more about words for (to) follow and related things in Celtic languages, see the Celtiadur post: Pursuing Followers

Words from the same Proto-Celtic root, via Gaulish (?) and Latin segusius (a hunting dog) include: sabuxo (hound) in Galician, segugio (hound, bloodhound, private eye, sleuth) in Spanish, and sabujo (hound, submissive person) in Portuguese [source].

Words from the same PIE roots include: associate, sector, sequence, society, (to) sue, suit, suite and subsequent in English, suivre (to follow) in French, segno (sign, mark, indication, target) in Italian, and seguir (to follow, continue, keep (on)) in Spanish [source].

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Adventures in Etymology – Windy Wings

By Simon

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In this Adventure in Etymology, we find connections between the words wing, wind and feather.

Soaring gull

A wing [wɪŋ] is:

  • An appendage of an animal’s (bird, bat, insect) body that enables it to fly.
  • A fin at the side of a ray or similar fish.
  • Part of an aircraft that produces the lift for rising into the air. (other meanings are available)

It comes from Middle English winge / wenge [ˈwinɡ(ə) / ˈwɛnɡ(ə)] (wing, flank of an army, shelter, refuge), from Old Norse vængr [ˈwɛ̃ːŋɡr̩] (wing), possibly from Proto-Germanic *wēingijaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂weh₁- (to blow) [source].

Words from the same Old Norse root include vinge (wing) in Danish, vængur (wing) in Icelandic, and vinge (wing) in Swedish [source].

Words from the same PIE root possibly include aeroplane, athlete, fan, vent, and weather in English, waaien (to blow, be windy, wave) in Dutch, vento (wind) Italian, and vent (wind, flatulence, empty words) in French [source].

The English word wind [wɪnd] also comes from the same roots, via Middle English wynd / wind [wi(ː)nd] (wind), from Old English wind [wind] (wind, flatulence), from Proto-West-Germanic *wind (wind from Proto-Germanic *windaz [ˈwin.dɑz] (wind) from Proto-Indo-European h₂wéh₁n̥ts (blowing, that which blows, air, wind), from *h₂weh₁- (to blow) [source].

Incidentally, in Old Englsh, a word for wing was fiþre [ˈfiθ.re], which was displaced by the Old Norse vængr (wing). It comes from Proto-Germanic *fiþriją [ɸi.θri.jɑ̃] (feathers, plummage, wing) from Proto-Indo-European *péth₂r̥ / pth₂én- (wing, feather), from *peth₂- (to fly). It became feþer / fether (feather) in Middle English, and feather in modern English. [source].

By the way, Happy New Year! Blwyddyn newydd dda! Bonne année ! ¡Feliz Año Nuevo! 新年快樂！ 新年快乐！ Felice anno nuovo! 新年おめでとうございます! Bliain úr faoi shéan is faoi mhaise duit! Bliadhna mhath ùr! Blein Vie Noa! Ein gutes neues Jahr! Feliĉan novan jaron! Поздравляю с Новым Годом! Šťastný nový rok! Godt nytår! Gott nytt år! La Mulți Ani! Onnellista uutta vuotta! 🎆🎉🥂🥳

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

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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.

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Celtic Pathways – Country Gardens

By Simon

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In this episode we uncover links between words for country and land in Celtic languages, and words for garden, wood and related things in other languages.

Bodnant
Bodnant Garden / Gardd Bodnant

The Proto-Celtic word *mrogis means border(land), march, mark, region, country, territory or province, and comes from Proto-Indo-European *mórǵs (frontier, border) [source]

Related words in the modern Celtic languages include:

  • brugh = dwelling, mansion in Irish
  • brugh [bruh] = broch (a type of Iron Age stone tower with hollow double-layered walls – see below), fortified tower, large house, mansion, fairy mound in Scottish Gaelic
  • brogh = broch in Manx
  • bro [broː] = region, country, land, neighbourhood, border, limit, boundary in Welsh
  • bro = country, land in Cornish
  • bro [broː] = counry(-side) in Breton

For more about words for border, land, country and related things in Celtic languages, see the Celtiadur post: Region and Country

Mousa Broch

Words from the same Proto-Celtic root, via Gaulish *brogis and Latin brogi-/broges, include brolo (vegetable garden, orchard, grove) in Italian, and breuil (wood, copse, coppice) in French, bröol (a lawn or vegetable garden surrounding house) in Cimbrian, and Brühl (enclosed land, (wet/swampy) meadow) in German (found mainly in place names).

Words from the same PIE root include margin, and march (a border region; formal, rhythmic way of walking) in English, and marge (margin, markup) in French, marca (brand, make, trademark) in Italian [source], Mark (a fortified border area, marches) in German, and mark (field) in Danish, as in Denmark [source].

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Adventures in Etymology – Office Opus

By Simon

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In this Adventure in Etymology, we find connections between the word office and words like copy, manure, opera, opulence and opus.

My studio / office
My garden office / studio

An office [ˈɒfɪs/ˈɔfɪs] is:

  • A room, set of rooms, or building used for non-manual work.
  • A position of responsibility.
  • An official position, particularly high employment within government.
    (other meanings are available)

It comes from Middle English office [ɔˈfiːs(ə)] (employment, occupation, obligation), from Old French office (office, job, service), from Latin officium (duty, service, office, obligation) from opificium (work), from opifex (someone who does [creative / constructive] work) from opus (work), from PIE *h₃ep- (to work, toil, make, ability) [source].

Words from the same roots include copy, manure, opera, operate, opulence and opus (a work of music or art) in English; usine (factory) in French; ofício (craft, trade, profession) in Portuguese; oficina (office, workshop, laboratory) in Spanish, and ufficio (office) and officina (workshop, laboratory) in Italian [source].

Hang on, manure? It comes from Middle English maynouren (to supervise, reign, exercise one’s authority), from Anglo-Norman meinourer, from Old French manouvrer (to work, make, create), from Vulgar Latin *manuoperare (to work by hand), from Latin manū (by hand) and operārī (to work). The word manoeuvre comes from the same roots [source].

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Podchaser, Podbay or Podtail and other pod places.

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

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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.

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Celtic Pathways – Tan Oaks

By Simon

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In this episode we discover the possible Celtic roots of words such as tan, tannin and Tannenbaum.

September

The Proto-Celtic word *tannos means green oak, and comes from Proto-Indo-European *(s)dʰnwos/*(s)dʰonu (fir).

Related words in the Celtic languages include:

  • tinne = the letter t in the Ogham alphabet (ᚈ) in Irish
  • tinne [tʲenə] = the letter t (ᚈ) in Ogham; gorse, whin, furze (archaic) in Scottish Gaelic
  • taneru = to tan (hide) in Welsh
  • glastanen gelyn = holm oak in Cornish
  • tann = sessile oaks in Breton

For more about words for oak and related things, see the Celtiadur post: Oak (trees)

Words from the same Proto-Celtic roots, via Gaulish *tannos (oak) and Latin tannum (oak bark), include tan (pulped oak bark used in the tanning process of leather) in French, tano (stem, slip) in Galician, tanería (tannery) in Spanish, Tannenbaum (fir tree, Christmas tree) in German, θάμνος (thámnos – bush) in Greek, and tan, tannery, tannin (tannic acid) in English.

Words from the same PIE roots include thanë (cranberry bush) in Albanian, and धनु (dhanu – bow, Sagittarius) in Sanskrit. [source].

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Celtic Pathways – Grinding Pebbles

By Simon

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In this episode of the Celtic Pathways podcast, we discover the possible Celtic roots of words for gravel in English and other languages.

Roof Gravel

Gravel [ˈɡɹævəl] is small fragments of rock, used for laying on the beds of roads and railways, and as ballast, and other things (other meanings are available).

It comes from Middle English gravel / gravail(le) (sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles), from Old French gravele (gravel), a diminutive of grave (gravel, seashore), from Medieval Latin grava, possibly from Gaulish grava, from Proto-Celtic grāwā (gravel, pebbles), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰroh₁weh₂, from *gʰreh₁w- (to grind) [source].

Words from the same Proto-Celtic roots in the modern Celtic languages include gro (gravel, shingle, gravelly shore, strand) in Welsh, grow (gravel) in Cornish, and grouan (gravel) in Breton [source].

For more details of words for gravel and related things in Celtic languages, see the Celtiadur post Gritty Gravel.

Words from the same Proto-Celtic roots in the non-Celtic languages include grava (gravel) in Catalan, grève (flat, sandy land along the sea or a large river) in French, grava (gravel) in Spanish, and grave (gravel, shore, gravelly ground) in Occitan [source].

Words from the same PIE roots in other languages include: grit, groat, grout and gruel in English, Grieß (semolina) in German, grjót (coarse stones, rubble) in Icelandic, gryt (a badger’s sett, a fox’s den) in Swedish, riutta (reef) in Finnish, and grúodas (frozen mud or earth) in Lithuanian [source].

Incidentally, one Old English word for gravel was ċeosol [ˈtʃeo.sol], which comes from Proto-West-Germanic *kesul (small stone, pebble). This became chisel and chessil (gravel or pebbles) in modern English, and is cognate with Kiesel (pebble) in German, kiezel (pebble, flint, silicon) in Dutch, and kisel (silicon) in Swedish [source].

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Adventures in Etymology – Weaving Text

By Simon

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In this Adventure in Etymology, we unweave the origins of the word text.

afternoon reads

A text [tɛkst] is:

  • A writing consisting of multiple glyphs, characters, symbols or sentences.
  • A book, tome or other set of writings.
  • A brief written message transmitted between mobile phones. (other meanings are available)

It comes from Middle English text, from Old French texte (text), from Latin textus (woven, texture, structure, tissue, connection), from texō (to weave, knit, plait, intertwine), from Proto-Italic *teksō, from Proto-Indo-European *tḗtḱ-ti (to create, produce, cut, hew) or *teḱ-se-t, both of which come from *teḱ- (to sire, beget) [source].

Words from the same roots include architect, context, subtle, technical, textile and texture in English, tisser (to weave, plait) in French, tessere (to weave, plot) in Italian, and tekst (text, lyrics) in Dutch [source].

In Old English, one word for text was traht [trɑxt], which also means passage, exposition, treatise or commentary. It comes from traht(n)ian (to treat, comment on, expound, consider), from Proto-West-Germanic *trahtōn (to consider, think of, strive for, seek, discuss), from Latin tractō (to tug, drag, handle, discuss) [source]. The modern English word tract (A small booklet such as a pamphlet, often for promotional or informational uses; a treatise or discourse on a subject) comes from the same roots [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.

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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.

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