Words for green, verdant and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
Proto-Brythonic | *gwɨrð = green, verdant |
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Old Welsh (Kembraec) | guird = green, verdant, bluish green, grey guirdglas = sea-green, dark green, verdant, greenish |
Middle Welsh (Kymraec ) | guirt, gwyrd, gwyrt =green, verdant, bluish green, pale (blue), grey; fresh, lively; grassy gwyrddv = to become green, sprout, make verdent gwyrd(d) velyn, gwyrddvelyn = greenish-yellow, olive, light green gwyrddlas, gwyrdlas, gwyrdd-las = sea-green, dark green, verdant, greenish gwyrdloewet = bright green |
Welsh (Cymraeg) | gwyrdd [ɡwɨ̞rð / ɡwɪrð] = green, verdant, bluish green, pale (blue), grey; fresh, lively; grassy gwyrdd gwyrdd(i)af, gwrddu, gwyrddio = to become green, sprout, make verdent gwyrddaidd = greenish, leek-green gwyrddfelyn = greenish-yellow, olive, light green gwyrddlas = sea-green, dark green, verdant, greenish gwyrddloyw = bright green |
Old Cornish | guirt = green |
Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | guirt, gwirdh, gwêr = green, flourishing |
Cornish (Kernewek) | gwyrdh [gwɪrð] = green (not of plants or the sea) gwer [gwɛ:r / gwe:r] = green gwerdhu = dark green gwerem = emerald gwerik = greenish gwerlas = blueish-green, teal |
Middle Breton (Brezonec) | guerz, guezr = green |
Breton (Brezhoneg) | gwer [ɡweːr/ɡɥeːr] = green (artificial) gwerin, gweriñ = to green |
Etymology: from Latin viridis (green, young, fresh, lively, youthful), from vireō (to be verdant, to sprout), from Proto-Italic *wizēō, from Proto-Indo-European *weys- (to increase) [source]. Words from the same roots include verdant, verdigris and verdure in English, vert (green) in French, verde (green) in Spanish, and verdhë (yellow, pale) in Albanian [source].
Proto-Celtic | *udnios/*utnio- = green (?) |
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Old Irish (Goídelc) | úaine = green, greenness |
Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | úaine = green, verdant, greenness |
Irish (Gaeilge) | uaine [ˈuənʲə/ˈwɛnʲə] = (vivid) green, greenness, verdue uaine éadrom = pale green |
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | uaine [uən̪ʲə] = green, greenness uaineach [uən̪ʲəx] = tedious Uaineach [uən̪ʲəx] = Green Party supporter, a Green uaineachadh [uən̪ʲəxəɣ] = turning green, being humbled uainead [uən̪ʲəd] = greenness uainealach [uən̪ʲəlˠ̪əx] = greenish sìor-uaine = evergreen |
Manx (Gaelg) | eayney/geayney = green, greenness, verdure geaynaght = verdure geaynid = bile, greenness, verdure |
Middle Welsh (Kymraec ) | ehoec = heather-colour(ed), purple, green |
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Welsh (Cymraeg) | ehöeg = heather-colour(ed), purple, green, green colour hoeg = green |
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, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, English – ProtoCeltic WordList (PDF), Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic