Words for wind and whistle in Celtic languages.
| Proto-Celtic | *gaytā = wind |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | gaíth = wind |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | gáeth [ɡaːi̯θ] = wind |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | gaoth [ɡeːh / ɡiːh] = wind, breeze, flatulence gaothach = windy gaothaire = vent, ventilator gaothraigh = to fan, flutter (in breeze) gaothráil = fanning, waving, fluttering gaothscáth = windscreen |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | gaoth [gɯː] = wind, breeze, flatulence gaoth-chuairtlein = whirlwind gaoth-mhór = gale, strong wind gaoth-sgàth = windscreen gaothach = windy, flatulent, pneumatic gaothmhor = gusty, windy, blustering, blustery, flatulent |
| Manx (Gaelg) | geay [ɡiː] = wind, flatulence geayeeagh = windy, blowy, breezy |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *ghai / *ghei / *ghi (drive, storm) [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *wintos = wind |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | fet [fʲed] = whistling, hissing, the sound of a sword cleaving the air; pipe (musical intrument) |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | fead [fʲad̪ˠ] = whistle feadáíl = whistling feadaire = whistler feadánacht = whistling, piping, wheezing feadóg = (tin) whistle, plover, tall thin woman |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | fead [fed] = whistle, hiss feadag = whistle feadaire = whistler feadalaich = whistling |
| Manx (Gaelg) | fed [ɡiː] = toot, blast on whistle, zip, swish feddagh = whistler feddanagh = whistle feddanys = whistling |
| Proto-Brythonic | *gwɨnt [ˈɡwɨnt] = wind |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | gwynt = wind |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | gwynt [ɡwɨ̞nt / ɡwɪnt] = wind, blast, gale, stiff breeze, current of air, air, bellows, bombast, pride; empty talk, mere words gwyntio = to blow, blast, breathe, sniff, snort, fart gwynt(i)og = windy, breezy, stormy, wind-swept, wind-tossed, wind-blown, flatulent |
| Old Cornish | guins = wind |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | gwyns = wind gwyns skav = breezy gwynsek = windy gwynsell = fan gwynsella = to fan melin wyns = windmill |
| Middle Breton | guent = wind |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | gwent = wind (literary / archaic), gas, flatulence gwentadur ventilation |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *h₂wéh₁n̥ts (blowing) [source], which is also the root of words for wind in Germanic, Romance and Indo-Iranian languages.
| Proto-Celtic | *awelā = breeze, wind, breath |
|---|---|
| Proto-Brythonic | *awel = breeze, wind |
| Gaulish | aurarum = wind |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | avel / awel = wind, air, weather |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | awel = (light) wind, breeze, air, weather awelu = to blow, flow, breathe awelaidd = breezy, fresh (wind) awelan = (gentle) wind awelig (light) breeze awelog = breezy, windy, squally, airy, flatulent |
| Old Cornish | auhel = wind |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | awel = gale, weather wind awel glor = breeze hager awel = bad weather, squall, storm, tempest |
| Old Breton | auelou / auel = wind |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | avel [ˈɑːvɛl / ˈɑːwɛl] = wind |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewh₁eleh₂ from *h₂weh₁- (to blow) [source], which is also the root of English words such as fan, vent, weather and wind.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
Here’s a tune I wrote a few years ago that seems approiate for this post: The Whistling Windows / Y Ffenstri Sïo
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
The pronunciation of the Manx Gaelic word fed should, I think, be the same as that for the Scottish Gaelic word.