Words for quick, fast, crazy, lively, ready and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | tap = sudden tapad = suddenness, haste, quickness, bravery tapaid = quick, swift, active |
|---|---|
| Irish (Gaeilge) | tapa [ˈt̪ˠapˠə] = quick(ness), ready, active, speed, vigour tapaigean = sudden start, spring, jump, mishap tapaigh = to quicken, grasp quickly tapaíoch = quick, active, alert person tapaíocht = quickness, activeness, alertness tapóg = tendency to jump, nerviness, sudden impulse tapógach = jumpy, nervy, impulsive |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | tapadh [tahbəɣ] = cleverness, smartness, thanks, alertness, feat, achievement tapadh leat/leibh = thank you tapaidh [tahbɪ] = clever, smart, brave, heroic, active, vigorous all-tapadh = mishap, accident, misfortune |
| Manx (Gaelg) | tappee = fast, hasty, quick, rapid, speedy, swift tappeeid= quickness, rapidity, speed tappeeys = quickness, rapidity, speed, nimbleness |
Etymology: uncertain
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | opunn = fast, prompt, quick |
|---|---|
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | opunn, obunn, opund, topund = quick, swift, prompt, hasty, precipitate |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | tobann [ˈt̪ˠɔbˠən̪ˠ] =sudden, unexpected, hasty, impulsive, quick-tempered |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | obann [obən̪ˠ] = sudden, unexpected gu h-obann = suddenly |
Etymology: uncertain
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | ellam, ollam, ullam = quick, ready, soon, speedy |
|---|---|
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | ellam, ollam, ullam = quick, prompt, speedy, soon, readily, ready, prepared, finished, complete ellma = speed, rapidity, promptness, speedily, soon, prompty, soon enough, ready, prepared ellmaigid = to prepare, make ready |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | ullamh [ˈɔl̪ˠəvˠ/ˈʊl̪ˠuː] = ready, willing, prompt, prepared, predisposed inclined, finished ullmhacht = readiness, preparedness ullmhaigh = to make ready, prepare ullmhaitheach = preparative ullmhaitheoir = preparer ullmhú = preparation ullmhúchán = preparative, preparation |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | ullamh [ul̪ˠəv] = done, finished, ready, prepared, mature, handy, prone to ullamhachadh [ul̪ˠəvəxəɣ] = preparing, getting ready, preparation, arranging, arrangement, providing, provision ullamhachd [ul̪ˠəvəxg] = readiness, preparedness, proneness, aptitude, aptness |
| Manx (Gaelg) | ullee = conversant, operational, prepared, ready |
Etymology: from Old Irish ar (for, on), fo- (under, sub-) and lám (arm, hand)[source].
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | mer = crazy meraige = crazy person, fool |
|---|---|
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | mer = demented, crazy, wild, rash meraige = a muddle-headed or scatter-brained person; aberration, derangement |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | mear [mʲaɾˠ] = quick, fast, nimble, lively, spirited; precipitate, hasty, rash; quick-tempered, fiery; mad, crazy; furious, raging, angry mearadh = madness, insanity, craze, craving mearaí = crazed person, distracted, bewildered, person, craziness, distraction, bewilderment mearaigh = to derange, distract, bewilder, confuse, to become distracted mearaitheoir = distracter, bewilderer, infuriating person. |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | mear [mɛr] = merry, joyful, frisky, lively mearachas [mɛrəxəs] = mirth, merriment mearachd [mɛrəxg] = merriness mearaiche = droll / merry person |
| Manx (Gaelg) | merre [mɛr] = frenzy |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | miri = merry, gay, fun, merriment, mirth, tumult, fuss, bother, predicament miriman = fool, clown, wild and unruly person miriol = merry, gay |
Etymology: possibly from English merry, or Middle English mery (happy, joyful, pleased), from Old English myrġe (pleasant, attractive, enjoyable), from Proto-West Germanic *murgī (short, slow, leisurely), from Proto-Germanic *murgijaz/*murguz (short, brief slow, leisurely), from Proto-Indo-European *mréǵʰus (short, brief) [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *lim-ā- = to sharpen, polish |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | límaid = to polish, sharpen |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | límaid, límad = sharpens, grinds, polishes límtha = sharpened, burnished, keen, polished, fluent límugud = act of sharpening |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | líomh [mʲaɾˠ] = to grind, sharpen, file, smooth, polish, erode, destroy líomhadh = to grind, polish, erosion, destruction líomhadóir = grinder, filer, polisher líomhán = file |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | lìomh [l̪ʲiəv] = polish, gloss, burnish, refinement |
| Manx (Gaelg) | shleeu = to grind, sharpen, whet, grinding, sharpening shleeuan = file shleeuee = grinder |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | llim, llym, lem = sharp, pointed, keen, harsh, shill, quick, swift lllymu = to whet, file, sharpen llymaidd = sharp, keen, piercing, harsh, severe, eager, ardent llymder = sharpness, keenness, harshness, severity cyflym, kyflym = quick, swift, speedy, brisk, quick-witted, intelligent, ready, clever, sharp, keen, acute kymlymder, cyflymdra = swiftness, quickness, rapidity |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | llym [ɬɨ̞m/ɬɪm] = sharp, pointed, keen, harsh, shill, quick, swift llymaf, llymu = to whet, file, sharpen, speak severly llymaidd = sharp, keen, piercing, harsh, severe, eager, ardent llymder = sharpness, keenness, harshness, severity cyflym = quick, swift, speedy, brisk, quick-witted, intelligent, ready, clever, sharp, keen, acut cyflymaf, cyflymu = to quicken, accelerate, hasten, expedite cyflymder = swiftness, quickness, rapidity |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | lemma, leamn, lemen, lemmen, lemyn, lemmyn, lymmyn = to sharpen, whet |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | lymm, lebm = sharp, acute, keen, piercing, insightful llymma = to sharpen |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | lem, lemm = sharp, pointed, acute lemaff, lemmaff = to sharpen, make sharp lemder = acuity lemer = sharpener |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | lemm = pointed, sharp, acute lemmañ, lemmiñ = to sharpen, make sharp lemmded = acuity lemmell = sharp lemmerez = sharpener lemmet = sharp(ened), keen, pointed |
Etymology: probably from PIE *sley- (smooth, slick, sticky), or from Latin līma (file), from the same PIE root [source]. Words from the same roots include slime in English, and llif (saw) in Welsh [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *bīwonos = ? |
|---|---|
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | buan= fast, swift, rapid buander = quickness, alacrity, swiftness, speed buaned, buanez = quickness, swiftness, speed |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | buan [ˈbɨː.an/ˈbiː.an] = fast, swift, rapid yn fuan = soon mor fuan â phosibl = as soon as possible buanaf, buanu = to accelerate, hasten, move swiftly buander = quickness, alacrity, swiftness, speed buanedd = quickness, swiftness, speed |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | buan = lively, quick |
| Old Breton | buenion = quck, fast |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | buan = quck, fast |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | buan = quick, fast buanaat = to accelerate buanaer = accelerater buanded = speed, rapidity |
Etymology: probably from Proto-Celtic *biwos ((alive, living, mortal) from PIE *gʷeyh₃- (to live) [source]. Words for life and food come from the same roots, as do English words such as bioology, quick, vital, vivid and zoo [source].
For other words for quick see the Celtiadur posts: Early and Soon
Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, Online Manx Dictionary, Teanglann.ie, eDIL – Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language, In Dúil Bélrai English – Old Irish glossary, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Lexicon Cornu-britannicum: A Dictionary of the Ancient Celtic Language of Cornwall, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, Le dictionnaire diachronique du breton, Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic
I’m not sure about the IPA pronunciation shown for the Manx Gaelic word merre. I’m not an IPA expert, but this looks like what was previously shown against the word mie (good). The Manx word should sound more like the Gàidhlig version.