Words for death and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with a * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *bāstom / bāssom = death *bayeti = to die *batom = death, pestilence *dībatom = extinction, extinguisment |
|---|---|
| Gaulish | dib = ? |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | bás [baːs] = death baïd [ˈba.əðʲ] = to die bath = death díbad = extinction, quenching, estate of deceased |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | bás(a), báas = death básaid, basat = to kill, put to death básaigid, bäsaiged = to kill put to death, slay básaire = executioner básamuil = mortal bath, baath, báth = death, destruction díbad, dibud, dibath = destruction, extinction, quenching |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | bás [bˠɑːsˠ / bˠæːsˠ] = death básachán = dying, feeble, creature básadóir = executioner básaigh = to put to death, execute, die básmhaireacht = mortality básmhar = mortal básúil = deathlike, deadly díobhadh = elimination, extinction díobhaí = without issue, extinct |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | bàs [baːs] = death, fatality, decease, demise bàsachadh [baːsəxəɣ] = (act of) dying, expiring bàsail [baːsal] = deadly, fatal, death-like bàsaire [baːsɪrʲə] = executioner bàsmhor [baːs(v)ər] = mortal, deadly, fatal, lethal bàsmhorach [baːsvərəx] = mortal bàsmhorachd [baːsvərəxg] = mortality, deadliness, lethalness diobhadh† = destruction, death, inheritance |
| Manx (Gaelg) | baase [bɛːs] = death baasoil = deadly, deathlike, fatal baasoiley = deadly baasoilid = deadliness, mortality |
| Proto-Brythonic | *bad = ? |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | bad, bat = plague, pestilence, death |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | bad = plague, pestilence, death |
| Old Cornish | badus = lunatic |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | badus = lunatic |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | badus = lunatic |
| Old Breton (Brethonoc) | bat = ? |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | bad(ou) = dizziness badet = dazzled |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | bad [bɑːt] = daze badañ = to daze badet = stupefied |
Etymology: from the Proto-Indo-European *gʷeh₂- (to go, step, stand) [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *marwos = dead *marwāti = to die, kill *marwonatus, *marwonatā = elegy, eulogy |
|---|---|
| Gaulish | *maruos = dead |
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | marb = dead; mortified, insensible, spiritually dead; inanimate; stagnant (water) marbaid = to die, kill marbán = corpse, dead person marbdae = mortal, lifeless, inanimate mart = death, dead animal, slaughtered cow or ox |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | marb = dead (person), mortal, mortified, insensible, spiritually dead, dying, lifeless, unconscious marbaid = to kill, slay marbnad, marbna, marbnadh = elegy |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | marbh [ˈmˠɑɾˠəvˠ / ˈmˠarˠuː / ˈmˠarˠu] = dead person, death, defunct marbhán = dead person, corpse, lethargic person, sultry weather marbhánta = lifeless, spirtless, lethargic, dull, stagnant, airless, sultry, oppressive marbhlann = morgue marbhna = elegy marfach = killing, slaying, carnage, slaughter, deadly, fatal, lethal marfóir = killer |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | marbh [marav] = dead person, the dead marbhach [maravəx] = deadly, mortal marbhachadh [maravəxəɣ] = (act of) killing marbhadair, marbhaiche = killer, slayer, murderer marbhadh [maravəɣ] = (act of) killing marbhan [maravan] = corpse marbhrann [maravrən] = elegy |
| Manx (Gaelg) | marroo = dead, lifeless, inanimate, glassy (look), muggy, dull, dud, stagnant, defunct, mortified, slaughtered, departed, deceased, killed, extinct marrooagh = deadly, fatal, lethal, overpowering, internecine marvaanagh = mortal, earthborn, fatal, vile merriu = (the) dead, dead men, departed souls |
| Proto-Brythonic | *marw = dead *marwọd [marˈwɔːd] = to die *marwnad = elegy (?) |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | marw, maru = dead, deceased, inanimate, spiritually dead maru, merwi, marw = to die, expire, cease to exist, vanish, fade away marwnad, marwnat = elegy, dirge, funeral song, epitaph marwavl, marwawl, marwol = mortal, transitory, transient |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | marw = dead, deceased, inanimate, spiritually dead, insensible, lifeless, dull, languid marwolaeth = death, decease, demise; suffering, tribulation; deadly plague or pestilence, fatal disease marw(af), merwi = to die, expire, cease to exist, vanish, fade away marwaidd = lifeless, languid, torpid, listless, dull, slugglish, drowsy, numb marwnad [ˈmar.(w)nad] = elegy, dirge, funeral song, epitaph marwol = mortal, transitory, transient |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | marow = dead, deceased, lifeless marwel, merwel = to die, become lifeness |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | marow = dead (person), switched off marwel = mortal marwostel = mortgage marwostla = to mortgage mernans = death merwel = to decease, die, pass away |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | marf, maru = death maruel = mortal meruell, meruel = to die |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | marv [mɑːro/ˈmarw] = death marvedigezh = extinction marvel = mortal marvelezh = mortality marvenn = necrosis marveenniñ = to necrotize, become gangrenous marvus = mortal, perishable mervel [mɛr.vɛl] = to die, pass away, become insensible, extinguish |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *mr̥wós (dead), from *mer- (to die, disappear) [source]. Words from the same roots include morbid, moribund, mortal, mortgage, murder, nightmare and postmortem in English, мереть (to die, stand still, sink) in Russian, mìrt (to die, stop working) in Latvian, and mir̃ti (to die) in Lithuanian [source].
| Proto-Celtic | *ankus = death |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | éc = death |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | éc, ec = death |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | éag = Death, numbness, powerlessness éagach = deceased (person) éagbhás = dead-and-alive person éaglach = (state of) extinction, death éagmhar = fatal, causing death |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | eug [eːg] = death, Death, ghost, spectre eug-lios = burial ground, churchyard, cemetery eugach [iəgəx] = deathly, death-like, ghastly eugachdainn [eːgəxgɪnʲ] = (act of) perishing, giving up the ghost eugail [iəgal] = deathly, death-like, ghastly |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | agheu, angheu, aghev = death, decease, demise |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | angau = death, decease, demise, annihilation, cessation, mortal danger |
| Old Cornish | ancou = death |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | ancow = death |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | ankow = death |
| Old Breton (Brethonoc) | ancou = Death |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | ancou, ancquou, anquou = Death |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | ankoù [ˈãŋkow/ˈãŋku] = Death, skeleton |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *neḱ- (to perish, disappear). Words from the same PIE roots include innocent, necropolis, nectar, noxious and nuisance in English, nuocere (to harm, injure, damage) in Italian, nuire (to harm, spoil) in French, anegar (to inundate, flood, drown) in Spanish, éacht (slaying, slaughter, feat, exploit) in Irish, aeth (pain, woe, grief, sorrow) in Welsh, and related words in the other Celtic languages [source].
Sources: Wiktionary, Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic, In Dúil Bélrai English – Old Irish glossary, eDIL – Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language, Teanglann.ie, Am Faclair Beag, An etymological dictionary of the Gaelic language, Fockleyreen: Manx – English Dictionary, Online Manx Dictionary, Gaelg Corpus, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Lexicon cornu-britannicum : a dictionary of the ancient Celtic language of Cornwall, Gerlyver Kernewek, Devri : Le dictionaire diachronique du breton, Dictionnaires bilingues de Francis Favereau / Edition Skol Vreizh, TermOfis
