Today we’re looking at the words for copper and related things in Celtic languages.
| Proto-Celtic | *omiyom = copper, bronze |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | umae, humae [ˈu.ṽe] = copper, bronze, brass |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | uma = copper, bronze, brass |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | umha = copper, copper alloy, bronze umhadhaite = bronze-coloured, bronzed umhaí = worker in copper or bronze cré-umha = bronze cré-umhaigh = to bronze salachar-umha = verdigris |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | umha [ũ.ə] = bronze, copper, brass umhach = coppery, brassy umha-dhathte = copper-coloured, bronze-coloured ceàrd-umha = coppersmith Linn an Umha = the Bronze Age meirg-umha = verdigris |
| Manx (Gaelg) | ooha = bronze cur ooha er = to bronze, bronzing Yn Eash Ooha = the Bronze Age |
| Proto-Brythonic | *öβ̃ɨð = bronze, copper |
| Old Welsh | emid, emed = bronze, copper |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | euyð, euyd = bronze, copper |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | efydd [ˈɛvɨ̞ð / ˈeːvɪð] = bronze, brass, copper; made of bronze brass or copper; brazen; bronze colour, coppery efyddaf, efyddu = to cover or adorn with brass or copper, to braze efyddaid = made of bronze or brass; brazen, brazed efyddog = brassy, coppery efyddwr = brass-smith, copper-smith medal efydd = bronze medal mwyn efydd = copper ore, copper mine Oes yr Efydd = Bronze Age |
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
Etymology: possibly from the Proto-Celtic *omos (raw), from the Proto-Indo-European *h₂eh₃mós (raw, uncooked, bitter, sour) [source].
Some words from the same PIE root, via the Latin amārus (bitter, harsh, sour, dire), include amaro (bitter) in Italian, amer (bitter, sour) in French, amarillo (yellow, golden coloured) in Spanish [source], and marulă (lettuce) in Romanian [source].
| Irish (Gaeilge) | copar [ˈkopˠəɾˠ] = copper gabha copair = coppersmith coparás = copperas, copper sulphate |
|---|---|
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | copar [kɔhbər] = copper coparach = cuperous, like copper, coppery copar-dubhaidh = copperas, green vitriol (iron(II) sylphate) |
| Manx (Gaelg) | cobbyr, copuir = copper cobbyragh = copperish, cupric gaaue cobbyr = coppersmith plait cobbyr = copperplate |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | copyr, copr, kopyr = copper |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | copr, copor, coper = copper; something of little value; red hair gof copr = copper-smith gwaith copr = copper-works, vessels made of copper mwyn copr = copper ore, copper mine |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | kober [stɛːn / steːn] = copper kobrek = copper (colour) |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | kouevr = copper kouevrek = cupric (relating to or containing copper) kouevrus = cuprous (relating to or containing copper) |
Etymology: from the Middle English coper (copper, bronze), from the Old English copor (copper), from the Proto-Germanic *kuprą (copper), from the Latin Latin cuprum (copper) from the Ancient Greek Κύπρος (Cyprus – where large reserves of copper can be found). The Breton word kouevr was borrowed from the French cuivre (copper, brass), from the same Latin root [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, Gerlyvyr Cernewec, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, Le dictionnaire diachronique du breton, Geriafurch, English – ProtoCeltic WordList (PDF), Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic
