Today we’re looking at words for knife, and related words, in Celtic languages.
| Proto-Celtic | *skiyenā = knife *skeno- = knife |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | scían [ˈɡavul] = knife |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | scian [ʃciənˠ/ʃciːn̪ˠ] = knife, edge, side scian aráin = bread knife scian bhoird = table knife scian feola = carving knife scian fola = lancet scian phóca = pocket knife, penknife scianchlár = knife board sciantaca knife rest sceanra = knives, cutlery |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | sgian [sgʲiən] = knife, blade (of a peat spade) sgian-dubh = skean dhu sgian-bhùird = table knife sgian-pheann = penknife sgian- phòca(id) = pocket knife sgian-arain = bread knife |
| Manx (Gaelg) | skynn = knife skynn annee = scalpel skynn arran = bread knife skynn attey = dagger, dirk, poniard, stiletto skynn foalley = carving knife skynn phenney/phoagey/phoggaid = penknife skynn vuird = table knife skynneyder = cutler skynneydys = cutlery |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | esgïen / ysgien / sgïen / yskien = knife, sword, rapier |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | ysgïen / sgien = knife, sword, rapier, cutter, parer, chopper, scymeter |
| Middle Breton | squei(g)aff = to cut |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | skejañ = to cut, sever, split; severing, cutting, sectioning |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *skei- (to cut) [source]. The Welsh words were probably borrowed from Old Irish.
| Proto-Brythonic | *kullell = knife |
|---|---|
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | celeell, kyllell, kallel = knife |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | cyllell [ˈkəɬɛɬ/ˈkəɬaɬ] = knife cyllell bapur = paper knife cyllell fara = bread knife cyllell fwrdd = table knife cyllell gerfio = carving knife cyllell glun = dagger |
| Old Cornish | collel = knife |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | kollell = knife kelyllik = pocket knife |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | kontell [ˈkɔ̃ntɛl] = knife kontell amann = butter knife kontell geuz, kontell fourmaj = cheese knife kontell-vara = bread knife kontellazh = cutlass kontelleg = knife kontilli, kontellerezh = cutlery |
Etymology: from the Latin cultellus (small knife, dagger), from culter (knife, razor), possibly from the Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelH- (to cut, slipt, separate) [source], which is the root of the English word shelf [source], or from the PIE *(s)ker- (to cut off), which is also the root of such English words as carnival, carnivore, cortex, curt, sharp, shear and share [source].
English words from the same Latin root (cultellus) include: cutlass and cutlery [source].
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
Sources: Wiktionary, Am Faclair Beag, Online Manx Dictionary, Teanglann.ie, eDIL – Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language, logainm.ie, In Dúil Bélrai English – Old Irish glossary, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Gerlyver Kernewek, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, Le dictionnaire diachronique du breton, Geriafurch, English – ProtoCeltic WordList (PDF), Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic
I’ve never heard of any age of Welsh borrowing from Irish — although it makes some geographical sense. Can you point me to anything about that, so I may get caught up, or gwelch yn dda?
The plural of knife is usually knives.
Corgi – I got that info from the Etymological Dictionary of Proto Celtic