Today we’re looking at the words for festival, feast and related things in Celtic languages.
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Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
Proto-Celtic |
*lītus = feast, celebration |
Old Irish (Goídelc) |
líth [l͈ʲiːθ] = festival, feast-day, festivity, luck |
Middle Irish (Gaoidhleag) |
líth = festival, feast-day, festivity, entertainment, rejoicing, luck, properity
líthech = festive |
Irish (Gaeilge) |
líth [ˈfʲeːlʲə] = festival, festivity, rejoicing; (good) omen, good luck, prosperity
lítheach = festive |
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) |
lì, lìthe [l̪ʲiː] =paint, colour, tinge, hue, complexion, properity, happiness |
Middle Breton (Brezonec) |
lyt, lid = ceremony, rite |
Breton (Brezhoneg) |
lid = ceremony, rite, worship, jubilation |
Etymology possibly from the Proto-Indo-European *leyH- (flow) [source].
Proto-Celtic |
*westā = food, feast |
Old Irish (Goídelc) |
feis, fess, feiss = entertainment, feast; night’s lodging |
Middle Irish (Gaoidhleag) |
feis(s), fess = spending the night, sleeping, accommodation for the night, entertainment for the night, food, supper, feast, festival
fes(s)id = spend the night, stops (in a place), remains |
Irish (Gaeilge) |
feis [fʲɛʃ] = festival, carnival; act of sleeping, accommodation, entertainment, bed and supper |
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) |
fèis [feːʃ] = festival
fèist [feʃdʲ] = entertainment, feast
fèistear [feːʃdʲər] = entertainer
fèisteas [feːʃdʲəs] = entertainment |
Manx (Gaelg) |
feish = assembly, carnival, festival, fete |
Middle Welsh (Kymraec) |
gwest = night’s stay/lodging, night’s sleep/rest, lodging, hospitality
guestei, gwestai = guest, visitor, visiting stranger, sojourner; beggar, parasite, host
guesti, gwesti = to stay, rest, remain, lodge, lodging, abode, welcome, reception, sustenance, guest, lodger
gwestwyr, gwestywr = guest visitor, host |
Welsh (Cymraeg) |
gwest [ɡweːsd/ɡwɛsd] = night’s stay/lodging, night’s sleep/rest, lodging, hospitality, welcome, entertainment, provision, maintenance, food-rent, feast, banquet; guest, visitor
gwestai = guest, visitor, visiting stranger, sojourner; beggar, parasite, host
gwesti = to stay, rest, remain, lodge, lodging, abode, welcome, reception, sustenance, guest, lodger
gwest(i)wr = guest visitor, host
gwestu = to spend a night, sleep, rest, lodge, visit, feast, borrow, beg, sponge (upon)
gwesty = lodging, guest-house, inn, hotel
gwestya = to lodge, live in lodgings, show hospitality to (guests), welcome |
Cornish (Kernewek) |
gwester = guest
gwesti = guesthouse
gwestva = hospitality |
Old Breton |
guest = feast |
Etymology possibly from the Proto-Indo-European *h₂wes- (to reside) [source].
Proto-Celtic |
*wlidā = food, feast |
Old Irish (Goídelc) |
fled [fʲlʲeð] = banquet, feast |
Middle Irish (Gaoidhleag) |
fled = feast, banquet, carousal, beverage
fletech = a banqueting-house or hall |
Irish (Gaeilge) |
fleá [fʲlʲaː / fʲlʲɑː / fʲlʲæː] = (drinking) feast
fleá cheoil = festival of music
fleách = festive, convivial
fleáchas = festivity, conviviality
fleadhaigh = to feast, carouse< |
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) |
fleadh [flɤɣ] = feast, reception
fleadh-bainnse = wedding reception
fleadhach [flɤɣəx] = feasting, banqueting, entertaining
fleadhadh = (act of) conviving, gathering for feasting/td> |
Manx (Gaelg) |
fleah = banquet, feast
fleah foalley = barbeque |
Proto-Brythonic |
*gwleð [ˈɡwlɛːð] = feast, banquet |
Old Welsh |
guled = feast, banquet |
Middle Welsh (Kymraec) |
gwledd = feast, banquet |
Welsh (Cymraeg) |
gwledd [ɡwleːð] = feast, banquet, repast, carousal, revelry, sumptuous meal
gwleddu = to partake of a feast or banquet, feed with relish or enjoyment, carouse, revel, observe a festival
gwleddol = convivial, festive, banqueting, feasting, feaster
gwleddoldeb = festivity
gwleddwr = banqueter, guest, frequenter of feasts, reveller, carouser |
Cornish (Kernewek) |
gwledh = banquet |
Old Breton |
gloê = feast, banquet |
Etymology possibly from the Proto-Indo-European *wldeh₂, from *welh₁- (to wish, desire, want) [source].
Old Irish (Goídelc) |
féil = festival, feast-day |
Middle Irish (Gaoidhleag) |
féil, fel = a festival, feast-day
féilire = a calendar, almanac
fletech = a banqueting-house or hall |
Irish (Gaeilge) |
féile [ˈfʲeːlʲə] = festival, feast (day)
féilire = calendar
féiltiúil = pertaining to festival, festive; periodic, recurrent, regular, punctual
féiltiúlacht = observance of feast days, seasonableness, regularity, punctuality |
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) |
féill [feːl̪ˠ(ə)] = feast, festival, holy day fair, sale, market
féilleachd [feːl̪ˠəxɡ] = festivity, festivities |
Manx (Gaelg) |
feaill [ˈsolan] = festival, holy day
feailley = feast, festival, fête, holiday, holy day, sacred
feaillys = festivity, sacredness, vacation |
Middle Welsh (Kymraec) |
gwyl, gŵyl = holiday, holy-day, religious festival |
Welsh (Cymraeg) |
gŵyl [ˈhalɛn / ˈhalan] = holiday, holy-day, religious festival, fête; watch, guard, vigil
gŵyl y Banc = Bank Holiday |
Middle Cornish |
goil = festival, holiday |
Cornish (Kernewek) |
gool = fair, feast, festival, vigil, wake
Gool Enys = carnival |
Middle Breton (Brezonec) |
goel = (religious) festival, fête |
Breton (Brezhoneg) |
gouel = (religious) festival, fête |
Etymology from the Latin vigilia (wakefulness, watch), from vigil (awake), from the Proto-Indo-European *weǵ- (to be strong) [source].
The English words vigil, vigilant come from the same Latin root, and wake and watch come from the same PIE root, via Proto-Germanic [source].
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, Lexicon Cornu-britannicum: A Dictionary of the Ancient Celtic Language of Cornwall, Dictionaire Favereau, TermOfis, Le dictionnaire diachronique du breton, Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic
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