Words for brown, dun and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *dusnos = dark brown |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | donn [don͈] = brown, tawny, dun; hazel (eyes), chestnut (animals) |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | donn = dun, brown donnaid = to make brown or red |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | donn [d̪ˠɔn̪ˠ / d̪ˠuːn̪ˠ / d̪ˠəun̪ˠ] = brown, brown-haired, hard brown timber donnaigh = brown, tan, rust donnbhuí = yellowish brown, fallow, biscuit(-coloured) donnchiabhach = brown-haired donndearg = reddish brown donnfhionn = light brown donnroscach = brown-eyed donnrua = chestnut (colour), russet (cloth), bay (horse) strong>donnúchán = browning |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | donn [dɔun̪ˠ ~ dɯn̪ʲə] = brown, brown-haired, brunette donn-gheal = light brown, slightly tanned donn-ruadh = bay, chestnut (coloured) donn-uaine = olive(-brown) donnachadh [dɔ̪nˠəxəɣ] = browning, making brown, tanning |
| Manx (Gaelg) | dhoan, dhone, doan = brown, brown-haired, hazel, swarthy, dark-skinned dhoanaghey = brown, tan doan ruy = sepia dhone-ruy = bay (colour) dhoan-ruy = chestnut |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | dwnn, dwn = dun, dark red, brown |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | dwn = dun, dark red, brown; swarthy, dark |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *dʰews-/*dʰewh₂- (smoke, mist, haze) [source]. Words from the same root possibly include dew, dun, dusk, dust and fume in English [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *gelos = shining, white |
|---|---|
| Gaulish | *gelā |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | gel = bright, clear, white gile = brightness, whiteness |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | gel, geal = fair, white, bright, shining gelach = moon gelaid = to make white, bleach, make fair gelaigid = to brighten, give light to gelán = brightness, a flash, whiteness gelcaid = to whiten geldae = fair, bright |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | geal [ɟalˠ] = white, bright, pure, glad, happy, dear, beloved, fond gealach [ɟəˈl̪ˠɑx] = moon gealacán = white (of egg/eye) gealachán = bleaching, clothes hung out to dry gealacht = brightening gealadh = dawning, dawn, bleaching, greying, lightening of colour, gladness, fondness gealán = gleam, flash, bright spell gealánach = gleaming, flashing, bright |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | geal [gʲal̪ˠ] = white, fine gealach [gʲal̪ˠəx] = moon gealachd [gʲal̪ˠəxg] = whiteness gealadh [gʲal̪ˠag] = blight, whitening, fade-in gealaich [gʲal̪ɪç] = blanch, bleach, whiten gealaichte [gʲal̪ɪçdʲə] = blanched, bleached, whitened |
| Manx (Gaelg) | gial = bright, clear, white, shining, snowy, light-coloured, fulgent giallagh = moon gialan = egg white giallaghey = to blanch, bleach, brighten, whiten gillid = brightness, clearness, light, lustre |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | gell = bay, brown, auburn |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | gell = bay, brown, auburn, orange, yellow, tawny-coloured |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | gell [gɛl:] = (light) brown gellburpur = puce gellrudh = auburn, russet brown gellvelyn = tawny brown |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | guel(l) = bay, fawn, red |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | gell [ˈɡɛlː] = bay, brown, ripe, exhausted gellaat [ɡɛˈlɑːt] = to make or become brown gellan, gellañ = = to brown, ripen gelleg = bay colour |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₂os, from *ǵʰelh₂- (to shine) [source]. English words from the same PIE roots include arsenic, gall, gild, gild, gold and yellow [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *gurmos = dun, dark, blue |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | gorm = blue, dark, green |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | gorm = (deep) blue, green, dark, swarthy, black |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | gorm [ˈɡɔɾˠəmˠ] = blue, dyeing-blue; azure, dark-blue; livid, purple goirme = blueness gormaigh, gormú = to colour blue, become blue gormchló = blue-print gormghlas = blue-green, sea-green, aquamarine gormroscach, gormshúileach = blue-eyed |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | gorm [gɔrɔm] = blue; green, verdant; green, inexperienced, wet (behind the ears) gorm-ghlas = azure, cerulean, dapple grey (horse) gorm_shùileach = blue-eyed (person) gorm-uaine = blue-green gormachadh [gɔrɔməxəɣ] = making blue or grey gormailean = blue-eyed person, highly naive person muc-ghorm = blue whale |
| Manx (Gaelg) | gorrym = blue, black, dark-skinned gormaghey = blue, cyanosis gorrymaghey = blue gorrym dorraghey = dark blue bane-ghorrym = light blue doo-ghorrym = navy blue |
| Proto-Brythonic | *gurm = dun, dark, blue |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | gurum, gurim, gwrym, gurem = brown, dark-brown gwrymde, gurym de = dark-blue, greyish-blue, swarthy, wearing mourning gwrymseirch, gwrmseirch, gurumseirch = dark-blue armour or harness, horse-trappings, traces |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | gwrm, gwrwm = brown, dark-brown, reddish, greyish-brown, dark-grey, dark, dusky, black, dark-blue, blue gwr(w)mder = blackness, duskiness, murkiness, mist gwr(w)mdde = dark-blue, greyish-blue, swarthy, wearing mourning gwr(w)mddu = dusky, blackish, black garment gwr(w)mseirch, gwrymseirch = dark-blue armour or harness, horse-trappings, traces |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | gorm [gɔrm] = (dark/dull) brown |
| Old Breton | uurm-haelon = with dark brows |
Etymology: uncertain – possibly from a non-Indo-European substrate [source]
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
