Today we’re looking at the words for father and related people in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *ɸatīr [ˈɸa.tiːr] = father *ɸatriyos = paternal |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | ath(a)ir [ˈaθɨrʲ] = father athramail = fatherly, paternal, fatherlike |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | athair, athir = father aithre, aithreacha = parents, forefathers, ancestor |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | athair [ˈɑhəɾʲ/ˈahæɾʲ] = father, ancestor, sire aithriúil = fatherly ardathair = patriarch athair mór = maternity, fatherhood leasathair = stepfather seanathair = grandfather |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | athair [ahɪrʲ] = father, progenitor, sire athair-baistidh = godfather athair-cèile = father-in-law bràthair-athar = parternal uncle leas-athair = stepfather piuthar-athar = parternal aunt prìomh-athair = forefather, patriarch taobh athar = paternal |
| Manx (Gaelg) | ayr [ˈeːar] = father, matron, mater, queen, dam; focus, fountainhead, generator ayroil = fatherly, parternal ayrvarroo = patricide shennayr = grandfather |
| Old Welsh | -atr = ? |
Etymology from the Proto-Indo-European *ph₂tḗr (father) [source]. Words from the same PIE root include father, padre, paternal in English, and Vatter (father) in German [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *attyo-, *attiyos = father, foster-father |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | aite [ˈadʲe] = foster-father; tutor, teacher |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | aite = foster-father, tutor, teacher aitecht = tutorage, instruction |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | oide [ˈɛdʲə] = foster-father; tutor, teacher oideachas = education oideachasóir = educationalist oideachasúil = educational oideas = instruction, teaching, prescription, recipe oideoir = educator oideolaíoch = pedagogic(al) |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | oide [ɤdʲə] = tutor, foster-father, stepfather, godfather oide-altraim = foster-father oide-baistidh = godfather oide-foghlaim = instructor oide-ionnsachaidh = tutor oide-sgoile = schoolmaster oidich = instruction |
| Manx (Gaelg) | gedjey = foster-father, godfather, guardian, sponsor |
Etymology from the Proto-Indo-European *átta (father) [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *tatos = dad, daddy |
|---|---|
| Proto-Brythonic | *tad = father |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | tad = father |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | tad [taːd] = father tadaidd = fatherly, paternal tadeiddiad = fatherhood tadenw = patronymic tadol = paternal, fatherly, inherited from the father tadu = to father (a child), become a father; ascribe, attribute (to) tadwlad = fatherland, native land tadwys = family, lineage, fatherhood tadwysaeth = paternity |
| Old Cornish | tat = father |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | tad, tat = father tadvath, tatvat = nurser, breeder |
| Cornish (Kernwek) | tas [taːz/tæːz] = father tasek = patron tasrewl = patriarchy tasveth = foster-father tas bejydh = godfather tas gwynn = grandfather Tas Nadelik = Father Christmas tas sans = patron saint ugheldas = patriarch |
| Middle Breton | tat = father tadelez = paternity |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | tad [ˈtɑːt] = father tadeg = father-in-law tadek = paternal tadelezh = paternity tadig = dad, daddy tad-kaer = father-in-law tad-kozh = grandfather tad-kuñv = great-grandfather tata = dad |
Etymology from the Proto-Celtic *attiyos (father, foster-father), the Proto-Indo-European *átta (father) [source]. The English word dad possibly has Celtic roots [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *altrawū = foster uncle |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | altra = foster-father |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | altra = foster-father altrannas = fostering, fosterage, nurture banaltra = foster-mother, nurse |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | altra [ˈɛdʲə] = nurse (gender-neutral), foster-father† banaltra = (female) nurse altram = fosterage altramaí = fosterer, foster-parent altramaigh = to foster altranas = nursing |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | altram [al̪ˠdrəm] = nursing, nurturing, dandling, fostering, fosterage, rearing altraim = nurse, nurture, dandle, foster, rear altrach = fosterer, one who fosters, nurse banaltram [ban̪ˠal̪ˠdrəm] = nurse, wet-nurse neach-altram = nurse, nursing profession |
| Manx (Gaelg) | boandyr = nanny, nurse, nursemaid boandyrys = to nourish, nurse, nursing |
| Proto-Brythonic | *alltrọw = ? |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | athro, athraw = teacher, instructor, tutor athrawes, athravves = female teacher, tutor, governess, school mistress athronddysg, athrondysc, athronddysc = doctrine, teaching, instruction, learning alldraỽ, alldraw = godfather, godparent |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | athro [ˈaθrɔ] = teacher, instructor, tutor, doctor (of law, literature, etc), scholar, master, professor athrawes [aˈθrau̯ɛs] = female teacher, tutor, governess, school mistress athronddysg = doctrine, teaching, instruction, learning alltraw [ˈaɬtrau̯] = godfather, godparent; (ecclesiastical) sponsor, representative, attorney alltrewes [aɬˈtrau̯ɛs] = godmother |
| Old Cornish | alltrow = stepfather |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | altrou = stepfather altruan = stepmother aultra = godfather aultruan = godmother |
| Cornish (Kernwek) | altrow = stepfather altrewen = stepmother |
| Old Breton (Brethonoc) | altro = foster-father |
| Middle Breton | autrou, otrou, eutreu = lord, foster-father |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | aotroù [ˈɔ.tru] = lord, gentleman, Mr aotrouniaj = lordly, stately, manorial, seigneurial aotrouiek = seigneurial, authoritarian. aotrouniekaat = to act authoritarian aotrouiezh = authority aotrounius = imperious |
Etymology from the Proto-Celtic *altros (foster), from *altos (nourished, fostered) + *awū (uncle), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éwh₂os (maternal grandfather, maternal uncle). Words from the same roots include uncle in English, abbi (grandfather, old man) in Faroese, and oncle (uncle) in French [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, An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, English – ProtoCeltic WordList (PDF), Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic
