This page contains adjectives that are cognate in all of some of the six modern Celtic languages.
Click on the English versions that are links and you will be taken to the Celtiadur, where you can see what each word means, and how some of them are pronounced. There are also details of related words and expressions, and words in older versions of the Celtic languages, such as Middle Welsh and Old Irish. More Celtic Cognates
These words are cognate in all six Celtic languages.
| Gaeilge (Irish) |
Gàidhlig (Gaelic) |
Gaelg (Manx) |
Cymraeg (Welsh) |
Kernewek (Cornish) |
Brezhoneg (Breton) |
English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ard | àrd | ard | ardd | ardh | arz | high |
| beag | beag | beg | bach bychan |
byghan | bihan | small |
| bodhar | bodhar | bouyr | byddar | bodhar | bouzar | deaf |
| breac | breac | breck | brych | brygh* | brec'h | speckled striped spotted |
| bréan | breun | breinn | braen | breyn | brein | rotten |
| cam | cam | cam | cam | kamm | kamm | crooked bent curve |
| cruinn | cruinn | cruinn | crwn | krenn kern |
krenn | round |
| dall | dall | doal | dall | dall | dall | blind |
| droch | droch | drogh | drwg | drog | drouk | bad evil |
| eile | eile | elley | ail | eyl | eil | other second |
| fia | fiadh | feie | gŵydd | goodh | gouez | wild |
| fíor | fìor | feer | gwir | gwir | gwir | true |
| fliuch | fliuch | fliugh | gwlyb | gleb glyb |
gleb | wet |
| Gael | Gàidheal | Gael | Gwyddel | Godhal | Gouezel | Gael Irish person |
| glan | glan | glen | glân | glan | glan | clean clear |
| fogas | fagas faisg |
faggys | agos | ogas | hogos | near close |
| íseal | ìosal | injil ishil* |
isel | isel | izel | low |
| lán | làn | lane | llawn | leun | leun | full |
| leathan | leathann | lhean | llydan | ledan | ledan | wide broad |
| maith | math | mie | mad* | mas* | mat/mad | good |
| maoin | maoin | mayn | mwyn | muin | maon | gift gentle thin |
| maol | maol | meayl | moel | mool | moal | bald bare |
| mór | mòr | mooar | mawr | meur | meur | big large great |
| muad* | muadh | meeley | meddal | medhel | med(d)al* | soft tender |
| nua | nuadh | noa | newydd | nowydh | nevez | new |
| óg | òg | aeg | ifanc | yowynk yonk |
yaouank | young |
| sean | sean | shenn | hen | hen | hen | old |
| tiubh | tiugh | çhiu | tew | tew | tev | thick |
| trua | truagh | truan trieh |
tru | tru | tru | miserable wretched sad |
| uasal | uasal | ooasle | uchel | ughel | uhel | high noble |
These words are cognate in some of the Celtic languages.
| Gaeilge (Irish) |
Gàidhlig (Gaelic) |
Gaelg (Manx) |
Cymraeg (Welsh) |
Kernewek (Cornish) |
Brezhoneg (Breton) |
English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| amh | amh | aw | of | — | — | raw uncooked |
| bearr | beàrr | baarey | byr | berr | berr | short brief to cut |
| bog | bog | bog | — | — | boug | soft tender |
| bras* | bras | — | bras | bras | bras | great big swift |
| brecht* | — | — | brith | brith | brizh | speckled variegated |
| brón | bròn | bran | brwyn | — | — | sad |
| caladh | — | — | caled | kales | kalet | hard stingy |
| caoch | caoch | kyagh | coeg | koeg | — | one-eyed blind |
| caoin | caoin | keain | cain | — | ken | tender gentle mild |
| caomh | caomh | — | cu | kuv | kuñv | dear gentle sweet |
| caol | caol | keyl | cul | kul | — | narrow |
| — | — | — | chwech | hweg | c'hwek | sweet delicate |
| cóir | còir | cair | cywair | — | — | just rightful |
| — | — | — | cri | kriv | kriz | raw crude |
| cúacca* | — | — | gwag | gwag | gwak | empty soft delicate |
| daor | daor | deyr | — | — | — | servile unfree expensive |
| dara | dala | derrey | — | — | — | second |
| drúth | drùth | — | drud | drudh | — | fool dear cherished |
| earc | earc | — | erch | — | — | mottled speckled |
| fás | fàs | faase | — | — | — | empty |
| fial | fial | feoilt | gŵyl | — | — | modest seemly |
| fiar | fiar | — | gŵyr | gwarr | gwar | crooked bent curve |
| folamh | falamh | follym | — | — | — | empty |
| — | — | — | golau | golow | gouloù | light bright fair |
| labhar | labhar | — | llafar | lavar | lavar | talkative |
| — | — | — | llawen | lowen lowenek |
laouen | happy merry |
| lom | lom | lhome | llwm | lomm | — | bare naked |
| lonn | lonn | — | llon | — | — | merry fierce bold |
| luas | lùthas | laueys | — | — | — | speed earliness |
| luath | luath | leah | lleygys lleiges |
— | — | quick fast early soon |
| mall | mall | moal | — | — | — | slow late |
| mear | mear | merre | miri | meri | — | quick fast lively |
| milis | milis | millish | melys | melys | — | sweet |
| moch | moch | mogh | moch | meuch* | — | early soon |
| nocht | nochd | — | noeth | noth | noazh | naked bare |
| — | — | — | rhydd | rydh | rid* | free cheap |
| sámh | sàimh | — | — | — | — | peace tranquility rest |
| sámhach | sàmhach | — | — | — | — | silent quiet calm |
| saor | saor | seyr | — | — | — | free cheap |
| sona | sona | sonney | — | — | — | happy merry |
| — | — | — | sych | sygh segh |
sec'h | dry |
| tirim | tioram | çhirrym | — | — | — | dry |
| — | — | — | trist | trist | trist | sad |
| trom | trom | trome | trwm | trom* | — | heavy |
| uafásach | uabhasach | — | — | — | — | horrible terrible |
| úr | ùr | oor | ir | yr | — | new fresh verdant |
Complete Cognates, Partial Cognates . Cognates arranged thematically: Adjectives | Animals | Birds | Clothes | Colours | Conjunctions | Countries | Directions | Food and Drink | Landscape | Languages | Metals | Musical terms | Numbers | Parts of the body | People | Pronouns | Prepositions | Sea creatures | Time expressions | Trees and Plants | Verbs | Weather | Other words
A collection of Celtic cognates, with definitions, pronunciation, etymologies - includes the modern Celtic languages, older versions of these languages, such as Middle Welsh, Old Irish, and their extinct and reconstructed relatives and ancestors, including Gaulish, Celtiberian, Proto-Brythonic and Proto-Celtic.
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Breton, Celtiberian, Cornish, Cumbric, Gaulish, Irish, Lepontic, Lusitanian, Manx, Scottish Gaelic, Tartessian, Welsh
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