Today we’re looking at the words for dough and related things in Celtic languages.
| Proto-Celtic | *taistos, *taysto- = dough |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | taís, taés [ˈtai̯s] = dough |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | tóes, táes = dough |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | taos [t̪ˠeːsˠ/t̪ˠiːsˠ/t̪ˠiːsˠ] = dough, paste taosach = doughy, pasty taosaigh = to paste taosrán = pastry taoschnó = doughnut taos fiacla = toothpaste taos géar = sourdough |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | taois [tɯːʃ] = dough, paste taoiseach = doughy, pasty taoiseag = doughnut taois-uighe = (egg) batter taois-chailce = putty taois gheur = sourdough |
| Manx (Gaelg) | teayst = dough, pastry, paste teaystag = dumpling teaystagh = doughy, ill-baked, pasty, under-cooked teaystyn, teaystnee = to knead |
| Proto-Brythonic | *toɨs = dough |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | toes = (lump of) dough or pastry |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | toes [toːɨ̯s/tɔi̯s] = (lump of) dough or pastry, paste, sticky mass toesaidd = doughy, doughlike toesen = lump of dough, doughnut toesi = to make into dough, become a dough, knead, soften toeslud = putty toeslyd = doughy, doughlike, badly baked, soft, pasty, sticky, clammy, stodgy, heavy surdoes = leaven, sourdough, ferment |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | toos = dough know toos = doughnuts toos alamandys = marzipan toos gwari = playdough |
| Middle Breton | toas = dough, batter |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | toaz = dough, batter toazadur = thickening, pastiness toazenn = noodle toazenner = pasta machine toazennoù = pasta toazennek = pasted, thickened |
Etymology possibly from the Proto-Indo-European *teh₂ys-t- (dough), from *teh₂- (to knead, melt, flow) [source].
Words from the same PIE root include desem (sourdough, leaven, yeast) in Dutch, těsto (dough) in Czech, ciasto (dough, batter, cake, pie) in Polish, тесто [ˈtʲestə] (dough, paste, batter) in Russian, and тісто [ˈtʲistɔ] (dough) in Ukrainian [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, Gerlyvyr Cernewec, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, Le dictionnaire diachronique du breton, Geriafurch, English – ProtoCeltic WordList (PDF), Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic
