Celtic cognates

This page contains words for people that are cognate in all or most 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

Other words

These words are cognate in all six Celtic languages.

Gaeilge (Irish)	Gàidhlig (Gaelic)	Gaelg (Manx)	Cymraeg (Welsh)	Kernewek (Cornish)	Brezhoneg (Breton)	English
abar	abar, obar	aber	aber	aber	aber	estuary river mouth
abhainn	abhainn	awin	afon	avon	aven	river
aingeal	aingeal	aile	angel	eledh	ael	fire angel
ainm	ainm	ennym	enw	hanow	anv	name
alt	alt	alt	allt	als	aod	hillock precipice hill(side) cliff coast
anáil	anail	ennal	anadl	anal	anal	breath
anam	anam	annym	enaid	enev	ene	soul spirit
aois	aois	eash	oes oed	oos ooj	oad	age
bealach	bealach	bollagh	bwlch	bolgh	boulc'h	way pass breach road
beann	beann	beinn	ban	ban	bann	horn mountain top peak
beatha	beatha	beaghey	bywyd	bewnans	buhez	life
beo	beò	bio	byw	bew	bev	alive living
bith*	bith	beays	byd	bys	bed	world being existence
bord	bòrd	boayrd	bwrdd bwrd	bord bordh	bourzh	table board
bóthar	bòthar	bayr	beidr	bownder		road alley lane
brí	brìgh	bree	bri	bri	bri	strength essence power honour dignity
broinne	broinn	brein	bryn	bronn brodn	bronn	hill(ock) breast bulge
Cáisg	Càisg	Caisht	Pasg	Pask	Pask	Easter
carraig	carraig	carrick	carreg	karrek	karreg	rock stone
cloch	clach	clagh	clog	clog	kleger	stone cliff
leac	leac	leac	llech	legh	lec'h	stone slate
cath	cath	cah	cad	kas	kad	battle
cill	cill	keeill	cell	kell	kell	(hermit's) cell church
cistin	cistin	kishteen	cegin	kegin	kegin	kitchen
cliath	cliath	cleea	clwyd	kloos	kloued	hurdle fence
clé	clì	cleeah	cledd	cleth	kleiz	left
clog	clag	clag	cloch	clogh	kloc'h	bell clock
clú	cliù	goo	clyw	klew	klev	hearing fame
cnoc	cnoc	cronk	cnwc	krug	krec’h	hill mount mound breast
caiseal	caisteal	cashtal	castell	kastel	kastell	fort fortress town city castle
cruach	cruach	creagh	crug	krug	cruc	hillock heap mound pile
dún	dùn	doon	din dinas	din dinas	din	fort fortress town city castle
eaglais	eaglais	agglish	eglwys	eglos	iliz	church
eidheann	eidheann	hibbin	eiddew	idhyow(en)	iliav(enn) iliou(enn)	ivy
féan	feun	fainagh	gwain	goen gweyn	gouin	wagon cart chariot sheath
féar	feur	faiyr	gwair	gora	garzh	hay grass
geil	geil	gyndyr	gwellt	gwels	geot gwelt	grass graze
flaith	flath	flah	gwlad	gwlas gulas	glad	sovereignty country nation
icht	aiteam	eggys	iaith	yeth	yezh	language people
lár	làr	laare	llawr	leur	leur	floor ground
lann*	lann	lann	llan	lann	lan	church parish land enclosure
leabhar	leabhar	lioar	llyfr	lyver	levr	book
lus	lus	lus	llys	les	louzaouenn	plant herb
má	magh	magh	maes	mes	maez	field plain
marbh	marbh	merriu marroo	marw marwolaeth	mernans	marv	dead death deceased
moned* monad*	monadh	muyne	mynydd	menydh	menez	mountain moorland hillside
muir	muir	mooir	môr	mor	mor	sea
Nollaig	Nollaig	Nollick	Nadolig	Nadelik	Nedeleg	Christmas
olann	olann	ollan	gwlân	gwlan	glaon	wool
seo	seo	shoh	hwn hon hyn	ma	mañ	this
sin	sin	shen	hwnnw honno hynny	homma honna	se	that
siabhainn*	siabhann	sheeabin	sebon	sebon	soavon	soap
spiorad	spiorad	spyrryd	ysbryd	sperys spyrys	spered	soul life spirit
sráid	sràid	straid	stryd	stret	straed	street alley highway
sruth	sruth	stroo	ffrwd	frot*	froud	stream river current valley
tábla	tàbla	taabyl	tabl	tabel	taol	table board
táille	taille	tailley	tâl talaith	tal	tailh	fare fee tally
teach	taigh	thie	tŷ	chi	ti	house
teanga	teanga	çhengey	tafod	taves tavas	teod	language tongue tribe people
tine	teine	çhenney	tân	tan	tan	fire lightning
tír	tìr	çheer	tir	tir	tir	land country

These words are cognate in some of the Celtic languages.

Gaeilge (Irish)	Gàidhlig (Gaelic)	Gaelg (Manx)	Cymraeg (Welsh)	Kernewek (Cornish)	Brezhoneg (Breton)	English
achadh	achadh					field garden enclosure hedge plain
anseo	an-seo	ayns shoh	yma	omma	amañ	here
ansin	an-sin	ayns shen	yna	ena	aze	there
ansiúd (thall ansin)	an-siud	ayns shid	draw acw	yn tre	ahont	yonder
			asgell	askel	askell	wing feather fin
áth	àth	aah				ford
			rhyd	rys	red	ford
baile	baile	balley	beili			home town bailey
bás	bàs	basse				death
brí	bre*		bre	bre	bre	hill mount hillock height
bríste	briogais	breeçhyn	brits(h)		bragez bragoù	trousers breeches
			caer	ker	kaer	fort castle
caí*			cae	ke	kae	field hedge
caint	cainnt	caaynt				speech to speak talk
casúr	casar	casoor				hammer
cluain	cluain		clun			meadow pasture moor
cosán	casan	cassan				path
cris			crys	krys	krez	shirt
damhna	damhna		defnydd	devnydh	danvez	matter material substance
droichead	drochaid	droghad				bridge
éag	eug		angau	ankow	ankow	dead death deceased
eite eiteog	ite iteag	fedjag	adain			wing feather fin
fáilte	fàilte	failt				welcome
			ffordd	fordh		street alley highway
gort	gort		garth	orth	garth	field garden enclosure hedge plain
inbhear	inbhir	inver				river mouth estuary confluence
				lavrek	lavreg	trousers breeches
leann			llen	len	lenn	curtain cloak cover blanket
léine	lèine	lheiney				shirt tunic girdle
machaire	machair	magher	magwyr		moger	plain field wall
maighean			maen	men	maen	stone place
			morthwyl	morthol	morzhol	hammer
			nant	nans	ant	stream
óir	oir	oyr				for because reason
póg	pòg	paag	poc		pok	kiss
			pont	pons	pont	bridge
raon	raon	rheam				field garden enclosure hedge plain
ród	rathad	raad	rhawd		roud	road course route
saol	saoghal	seihll				world existence lifetime
séad	séad		hynt	hens hyns	hent	path way course road
ser*			sêr	ster	ster	river star
slí	slighe	sleayd				path track offspring
sliabh	sliabh	slieau				mountain moorland hillside
sliocht	sliochd	sluight	llwybr			path track section offspring
treibh	treabh treubh		tre(f)	trev	trev	town house farmstead
triús	triubhas	troosyn	trywsus			trousers breeches
uaimh	uaimh	oghe ooig	(g)ogof	gogoow gug		cave

Notes

Sea is also farraige is Irish, fairge is Scottish Gaelic, and faarkey in Manx.
brí = strength, energy, force, significance, meaning (GE)
bourzh = deck/bridge (of a ship), taol = table (BR)
bugul = shepherd, bugel = child (BR)
lu = army (BR)

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Celtic cognates

Celtiadur

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.

If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, or if you can provide recordings, please contact me.

Links

Stòr-fhaclan Co-dhàimheil Ceilteach (Database of Celtic cognates)
http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/gaidhlig/faclair/scc/lorg.php

McBain's Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language
http://www.ceantar.org/Dicts/MB2/

Information about Celtic languages

Breton, Celtiberian, Cornish, Cumbric, Gaulish, Irish, Lepontic, Lusitanian, Manx, Scottish Gaelic, Tartessian, Welsh

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