Today we’re looking at the words for door and related things in Celtic languages.
| Proto-Celtic | *dwār = door |
|---|---|
| Gaulish | *durom = door – was borrowed into Latin and appeared in placenames such as Augustodurum (now Bayeux), and Nemetodurum (now Nanterre) |
| Proto-Brythonic | *dor = door |
| Old Welsh | dor = door |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | dor = door |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | dôr [druːs] = door; defence, refuge, shield; opportunity; protector, defender, chief, leader dôr blyg(edig) = folding door dôr ddyrchafad = portcullis |
| Middle Breton | dor = door |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | dor = door dor a-dreñv = rear door dor a-raok = front door dor emgefre = automatic door dor greñvaet = fortified gate dor harz tan = fire door dor-borzh = gate (of a courtyard) dor brenestr = French window dor dal = front door, portal gwir treuz-dor = doorstep |
Etymology from the Proto-Indo-European *dʰwṓr (door), from *dʰwer- (doorway, door, gate) [source].
Words from the sane Proto-Indo-European root include: door and forum in English, deur (door) in Dutch, Tür (door, doorway) in German, dehors (outside) in French, fuori (outside) in Italian, and fuera (outside) in Spanish [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *dworestus = door |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | dorus [ˈdorus] = door |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | dorus [ˈdorus] = door |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | doras [ˈd̪ˠɔɾˠəsˠ] = door, doorway doras isteach = entrance doras amach = exit doras tosaigh / béil = front door doras cúil / thiar = backdoor doirseach = having doors, open, accessible, gaping (wound) doirseoir = door-keeper, (hall) porter doirseoireacht = occupation of door-keeper |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | dorus [dɔrəs] = door, valve dorus-beag = back door, inner door dorus-mór = front door, main entrance doras a-mach = exit àrd-doras = lintel ath-dhoras = next door deoch an dorais = stirrup cup, one for the door/road, Jock and Doris |
| Manx (Gaelg) | dorrys = door, doorway, gate, portal; back (of cart), fly (of tent) dorrys doont = back door dorrys toshee = front door dorrys egin = emergency exit, exit jough yn dorrys = parting drink, stirrup cup sole y dorrys = doorstep, threshold |
| Proto-Brythonic | *drus = doorway, entrance, door |
| Old Welsh | drus = doorway, entrance, door |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | drus, drvs, drws = doorway, entrance, door |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | drws [druːs] = doorway, entrance, door, pass, estuary, opening, opportunity, facility drws codi/cudd = trap-door drws nesaf = next door (to), very near (to), bordering (on) wrth y drws = at hand, close, near o ddrws = from before drysaf, drwsaf, dryo, drwso = to mind a door (in a coal-mine) dryswr, drwswr = door-boy (in a coal-mine) drysor = doorkeepr, janitor, porter |
| Middle Cornish | daras, darat = door darador = doorkeeper |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | daras = door darasik = wicket penn/pedn daras = lintel |
Etymology from the Proto-Celtic *dwār (door) – see above [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
