Category: Proto-Finnic

Celtic Pathways – Engaged Hostages

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.

Give me the best tuna can, or I will kill the hostage!

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].

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Celtic Pathways – Shovelling Oars

By Simon

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In this episode we uncover the Celtic roots of words for oar, to row and related things in Basque.

Viking long boat race (58)

The Proto-Celtic word *rāmyos means oar, spade or shovel and comes from the Proto-Indo-European *h₁reh₁- (to row) [source].

Descendants in the modern Celtic languages include:

  • rámh [ɾˠɑːv] = oar in Irish
  • ràmh [r̪ˠaːv] = oar, paddle in Scottish Gaelic
  • raue = rowing in Manx
  • rhaw [r̥aːu̯] = shovel, spade in Welsh
  • reuv = shovel in Cornish
  • roev = spade in Breton

Words from the same Proto-Celtic root include arraun (oar, rowing), arraundu (to row), arrauean (rowing), arraunlari (rower, oarsman), and arraunontzi (rowing boat, rowboat) in Basque [source].

Words from the same PIE root include row, rudder and trireme (a galley with three banks of oars) in English, riem (oar, paddle) in Dutch, rojen (to row) in German, remiero (rowing) in Italian, radeau (raft) in French [source].

The name Russia also comes from the same PIE roots, via Medieval Latin Russia, Old East Slavic Русь (Rusĭ – inhabitants of Rus*), Byzantine Greek Ῥῶς (Rhôs – Rus), probably Proto-Finnic *roocci (person from the coast of Roden, later a Swede), Old East Norse *roþs- (related to rowing); Old Norse róðr (steering oar), and Proto-Germanic *rōþrą (rudder) [source].

*Rus refers to Kievan Rus’, the medieval East Slavic state established by Scandinavian warrior merchants in the 9th century, whose capital was in Кꙑевъ (Kyjevŭ – Kyiv), and the inhabitants of this state [more details].

Moreover, words for Sweden and Swedish in Finnic and Sami languages come from the same PIE roots, and include ruotsi (Swedish [language]) in Finnish, Rootsi (Sweden) in Estonian, and Ruoŧŧa (Sweden) in Northern Sámi [source].

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