Words for grace, virtue and related words in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *ɸratom = grace, virtue, good fortune |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | rath = gift, goods, grace, luck, property, prosperity |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | rath(a) = grace, virtue, gift, good luck, fortune, prosperity |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | rath [ɾˠɑh/ɾˠa/ɾˠah] = bestowal, grant, grace, favour, gift, bounty; prosperity; abundance; usefulness, good rathaigh = to prosper, succeed, thrive, make successful rathúil = prosperous, successful, thriving; fortunate, lucky rathúlacht = prosperousness, successfulness rathúnas = prosperity, plenty, abundance rathúnasach = prosperous, abundant anrath = ill-luck anrathach = unlucky |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | rath [r̪ˠa] = good fortune/luck, prosperity, success rathadach = fortunate, auspicious, prosperous rathmhor = fortunate, auspicious, prosperous rathach = fortunate, auspicious, prosperous droch-rath = back luck/fortune |
| Manx (Gaelg) | raah, rah = good luck, prosperity, well-doing raah mie = prosperity ard-raah = zenith of prosperity gyn raah = unsuccessful cur rah er = to prosper |
| Old Welsh | rat = grace, blessing, favour, |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | rat, rad = grace, blessing, favour, |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | rhad [r̥aːd] = grace, blessing, favour, generosity, bounty, goodness, graciousness, talent, gift; cheap, free, unpaid, valueless, poor, inferior, gracious, giving, generous rhad ac am ddim = free (of charge), without cost, unpaid rhad Duw = the grace of God, God’s blessing rhad fel baw / rhad mochyn = dirt cheap yn rhad = as a gift, free (of charge), unpaid, cheaply, freely, unrestrained rhadaf, rhadu = to bestow grace upon, bless, give generously, to make cheap rhadineb = grace, graciousness rhadwr = generous man |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | ras, râs, = grace, thanks, worth, value, excellence mêr râs = thank you, much thanks rasow = graces, excellencies |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | ras = virtue meur ras = thank you rasek = graceful diras = graceless |
| Old Breton | rad = thought, reflection |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | rat = thought, reflection |
Etymology: from the Proto-Celtic *ɸar-/*ɸarnati (to bestow), from the Proto-Indo-European *perh₃- (bestow, give) [source].
Words from the same PIE roots include pare (to remove the outer covering or skin of something with a cutting device) in English, paràre (to adorn, protect, shield) in Italian, parar (to stop, put up, lift, raise) in Spanish, and parod (ready, prepared) in Welsh [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
