Words for age and related words in Celtic languages.
| Proto-Celtic | *aiwestom = age, lifetime, era |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | áes [aːi̯s] = age, years, stage, period, era, lifetime áesmar [ˈaːi̯sṽər] = aged, long-lived |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | aois [iːʃ/ɯːʃ] = age, length of life, old age, period, era, century aosaigh = age, come of age aosánach = youth, youngster aosántacht = youthfulness aosta = aged, old aostach = old person aostacht = oldness, old age |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | aois [ɯːʃ] = age, old age, span of years aosta [ɯːsdə] = elderly, old, aged aosmhorach = aged, ancient aosmhorachd = antiquity, agedness aosmhor = elderly, aged, old, ancient co-aois = (age) peer, contemporary |
| Manx (Gaelg) | eash = eon, age, century, oldness, old age, seniority eashagh = oldish eashit = aged, grown-up, oldish çheer-oayllee = geographer çheer-oaylleeaght = geography çheer vooar = mainland çheer yalloo = landscape Çheer ny Aeg = (mythical) Land of Youth |
| Proto-Brythonic | *oɨs = age |
| Old Welsh | ois = age oit = time, period |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | oes = age oet = time, period |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | oes [oːɨ̯s/ɔi̯s] = age, long indefinite period, century, age, time, day(s), life, lifespan, lifetime oesaf, oesi = to live, lead a life, spend a life, exist, survive oesfyr = having a short life, short-lived, ephemeral oed = time, period, space (of time), duration of life, life-span, age oed(i)af, oedi(o) = to delay, procrastinate, linger, loiter, dally, dawdle, idle oed(i)og = old, aged, ancient, long-lived, long-lasting, suspended, delayed, slow, leisurely, dilatory, adult oedolyn = adult |
| Old Cornish | huis = age, process of time, a period of time |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | oys, oydge, uz, oge, ooz = age, process of time, a period of time |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | oos / ooj = age, epoch, era, period oos an rew, oos an yey = ice age |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | oed = |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | oad = age oadour = (an) adult oadourel = adult |
Etymology: possibly from the Proto-Indo-European *h₂eyw-es-to-, from *h₂eyu- (age, eternity), from *h₂ey- (vital force, life, age, eternity) [source].
Words from the same PIE roots include age, eon, eternal, ever, juvenile, medieval and young in English; and eeuw (century, many years, a very long time, eternity) in Dutch [source].
See also: Words for old
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
