Words for half, side and related things in Celtic languages.
| Proto-Celtic | *letos = side *ɸletos = breadth, side |
|---|---|
| Primitive Irish | *ᚂᚓᚈᚐᚄ / *letas = half, direction, side |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | leth [l͈ʲeθ] = half, direction, side |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | leth = half, side |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | leath [lʲah/lʲæx/l̠ʲæ] = side, part, direction; half, part, portion leathach = divided in two, two-part leithead = breadth, width leathadh = spreading, spread, diffusion, scattering, broadcasting |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | leth [l̪ʲeh] = half, side, share leth-ghlic = half-witted leth-leanabh = twin leth-oireachas = separation, partiality, isolationism, favouritism leisgeul = excuse, apology, pretext (from leth and sgeul [story]) |
| Manx (Gaelg) | lieh = part, half, behalf, makeshift lieh fuinnit = half-baked lieh henn = middle aged |
| Proto-Brythonic | *lled = breadth, side |
| Middle Welsh (Kymreac) | let, llet, led = year (of age) |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | lled [ɬeːd] = breadth, width, beam (of boat), latitude, amplitude, extent, diameter, thickness; half, part(ly), fairly, moderately lleda(e)naf, lleda(e)nu = to spread out, scatter abroad, disseminate lladaf, lledu = to became broad(er) / wide(r), broaden, open out, expand, become widespread lleden = flat-fish, flat or sprawling (person/thing), flattish mass, blade, fluke |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | les = breadth, width, latitude |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | les = breadth, width lesa = to expand, spread lesans = expansion, spread |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | led = width, wideness, breadth; horizontally ledan = wide, large, broad, vast, big ledañ, lediñ, ledek = to stretch out, extend, spread (out) ledanaat = to widen, broaden, stretch |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | led = wide, large, broad, spreading a-led = horizontal ledan = vast, wide ledañ = to spread, generalize ledanded = width, breadth |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *pléth₂-os (breadth), from *pleth₂- (broad, flat) [source]. Words from the same PIE roots include field, flan, flat and fold (a pen for animals) in English, flat in English, and πλατεία (plateía – town square) in Greek [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *santeros = middle, half |
|---|---|
| Proto-Brythonic | *hanter = half |
| Old Welsh | hanther = half |
| Middle Welsh (Kymreac) | hanner, hanher = half, middle |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | hanner [ˈhanɛr/ˈhanar] = half, middle, midday, midnight, side, part hanner-cylchynol = semicircular hanner dydd = midday, noon hanner nos = midnight |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | hanter = half, a moiety hanter dŷdh = midday hanter nôs = midnight |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | hanter = half hantera = to halve hanterdydh = midday, noon hantergylgh = hemisphere hanterkans = fifty hanter-mis = fortnight, two weeks hanter-nos = midnight hanter-our = half-hour hanter-pennwari = semi-final hanter termyn = half time |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | hanter = half hanterañ, hanteriñ = to halve, cut in half hanter-kant = fifty hanter-war-hanter = neck and neck, tied |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | hanter [ˈhɑ̃n.tɛʁ] = half hanter dro = u-turn hanterad = mediator hanterenn = half time hanternoz = midnight |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *sm̥teros (one of the two), from *sem- (one) and *-teros (contrastive suffix) [source]. Other words from the PIE root *sem- (one) include: same, seem, semi, similar and single in English [source].
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
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
