This page contains words 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
These words are cognate in all six Celtic languages.
| Gaeilge (Irish) |
Gàidhlig (Gaelic) |
Gaelg (Manx) |
Cymraeg (Welsh) |
Kernewek (Cornish) |
Brezhoneg (Breton) |
English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| aingeal | aingeal | aile | angel | eledh | ael | fire angel |
| ainm | ainm | ennym | enw | hanow | anv | name |
| anáil | anail | ennal | anadl | anal | anal | breath |
| anam | anam | annym | enaid | enev | ene | soul spirit |
| aois | aois | eash | oes oed |
oos ooj |
oad | age |
| bac | bac | bac | bach | bagh | bac'h | hook mattock hindrance |
| barr | bàrr | baare | bar | barr | barr | top point summit |
| 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 |
| both | bùth | bwaag, bwaane | bwd bwth |
bôth* | bothan* | shop booth hut |
| brí | brìgh | bree | bri | bri | bri | strength essence power honour dignity |
| brugh | brugh | brogh | bro | bro | bro | country territory broch |
| bua | buaidh | booie | budd | budh | buz | victory profit |
| bun | bun | bun | bôn | ben | ben | base foundation |
| caí | caoidh | coe | cwyn | kynvan | keuziañ | lament mourning weeping |
| Cáisg | Càisg | Caisht | Pasg | Pask | Pask | Easter |
| caileann | cailindha | caillyn | calan | kalan | kala kaland |
calends 1st of month |
| carcair | carcair | carchyr | carchar | carhar* | karc'har | prison jail |
| carbad | carbad | carbyd | cerbyd | cerpit* | karbed | chariot car |
| carr | càr | carr | car | karr | karr | car chariot wagon |
| cath | cath | cah | cad | kas | kad | battle |
| céim | ceum | keim | cam | kamm | kamm | step |
| ciorcal | cearcall | kiarkyl | cylch | kelgh kylgh |
klec'h | circle ring |
| cistin | cistin | kishteen | cegin | kegin | kegin | kitchen |
| cliabh | cliabh | clean | cawell | kowell | kavell | basket creel pannier |
| clog | clag | clag | cloch | klogh | kloc'h | bell clock |
| clú | cliù | goo | clyw | klew | klev | hearing fame |
| criathar | criathar | creear | crwydr | kroder | krouer | sieve riddle wandering |
| crith | crith | crie | cryd | kren | kren | fever trembling shaking |
| cúl | cùl | cooyl | cil | kil | kil | back corner |
| curach | curach | curragh | corwg | koroug | korac'h | coracle currach |
| díoghail | dìoghail | jeeyl | dial | dial | dial | revenge vengence damage |
| driocht | draoidheachd | druaight | derwyddiaeth | drewydhieth | drouizelezh | magic sorcery druidism |
| eochair | iuchair | ogher | agoriad | — | — | key |
| féile | fèil | feaill feailley |
gŵyl | gool | gouel | feast festival |
| feis | fèis | feish | gwest | gwester | guest* | festival entertainment guest |
| ficheall | fidhcheall | feeal | gwyddbwyll | gwydhbol | gwezboell | chess |
| flaith | flath | flah | gwlad | gwlas gulas |
glad | prince lordship country nation |
| fleá | fleadh | fleah | gwledd | gwledh | gloê | feast banquet |
| gabhal | gobhal | goal | gafl | gowl | gaol | fork crotch gable |
| gair gáir |
goir gàir |
gerr | gair gawr |
ger | ger | call shout word |
| gairm | gairm | gerrym | garm | garm | garm | call shout yell |
| gal | gal | gaal gall |
gâl | gal | gal* | ardour vapour enemy |
| geil | geil | gyndyr | gwellt | gwels | geot gwelt |
grass graze |
| gríos | grìos | gree | gwres | gwres | gwrez | warmth heat |
| leabhar | leabhar | lioar | llyfr | lyver | levr | book |
| leath | leth | lieh | lled | les | led | half breadth width |
| liach | liogh | lheegh | llwy | lo | loa | spoon ladle |
| marbh | marbh | merriu marroo |
marw marwolaeth |
mernans | marv | dead death deceased |
| Nollaig | Nollaig | Nollick | Nadolig | Nadelik | Nedeleg | Christmas |
| olann | olann | ollan | gwlân | gwlan | glaon | wool |
| póg | pòg | paag | pocyn | poccuil* | pok | kiss |
| rann roinn |
rann roinn |
rheynn | rhan | radn | rann | division part |
| rath | rath | raah rah |
rhad | ras | rat | grace virtue |
| rún | rùn | roon | rhin cyfrin |
rin kevrin |
rin | secret mystery |
| rúsc | rùsg | roost | rhisgl | rusken | rusk | bark beehive |
| saighead | saighead | side | saeth | seth | saezh | arrow |
| scafa | sgiof sgoth |
skiff | (y)graff | skath | skor | boat skiff |
| scuab | sguab | skeab | ysgub ysgubell |
skub skubell |
skub skubell |
brush broom sheaf |
| seo | seo | shoh | — | — | — | this |
| seol | seòl | shiaull | hwyl | gool | gouel | sail |
| sí síth |
sìth sìoth |
shee | hedd | hedh | hez | peace mound fairy |
| sin | sin | shen | hwn hon hyn |
henn | henn* | that this |
| siabhainn* | siabhann | sheeabin | sebon | sebon | soavon | soap |
| slat | slat | slat | llath | lath | lazh | stick rod staff |
| solas | solas | sollys | golau | golow | gouloù | light flame |
| suan | suain | saveen | hun | hun | hun | sleep slumber |
| spiorad | spiorad | spyrryd | ysbryd | sperys spyrys |
spered | soul life spirit |
| sráid | sràid | straid | stryd | stret | straed | street alley highway |
| tábla | tàbla | taabyl | tabl | tabel | taol | table board |
| táille | tàille | 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 |
| teas | teas | çhiass | tes | tes | tes | heat warmth |
| tine | teine | çhenney | tân | tan | tan | fire lightning |
| tonn | tonn | tonn | ton | ton | tonn | wave billow |
| tuí | tugha | thoo | to | to | to | roof thatch |
| uath | uath | owan | uthr | euth | euzh | fearful horror dread |
These words are cognate in some of the Celtic languages.
| Gaeilge (Irish) |
Gàidhlig (Gaelic) |
Gaelg (Manx) |
Cymraeg (Welsh) |
Kernewek (Cornish) |
Brezhoneg (Breton) |
English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ábhar | adhbar | oyr | — | — | material matter reason |
|
| adhal | adhal | aall | — | — | fork trident |
|
| — | — | — | allwedd | alhwedh | alc'hwez | key |
| anseo | an-seo | ayns shoh | yma | omma | amañ | here |
| ansin | an-sin | ayns shen | yna | ena | aze | there |
| ansiúd | an-siud | ayns shid | yno | yn tre | ahont | yonder |
| — | — | — | annwyd | anwos | anoued | cold chill |
| — | — | — | awen | awen | awen | muse inspiration imagination |
| bád | bàta | baatey | bad | — | bag | boat |
| basc* | basc* | — | baich | begh | bec'h | load burden |
| bascead | basgaid | basca(i)d baskad |
basgeg | basket | — | basket pannier |
| bás | bàs | basse | — | — | — | death |
| — | — | — | bedd | bedh | bez | grave ditch |
| — | — | — | bel | bell | — | war tummult |
| béarla Béarla |
Beurla | Baarle | — | — | — | speech English |
| briocht | — | — | lled(f)rith | — | brith* | charm spell enchantment |
| bruth | bruth | — | brwd | bredion* | broud | heat hot(ness) ardent |
| buinne | — | — | ben | — | — | cart wagon wattle |
| cábán | caban | cabbane | caban | — | koban | cabin hut booth |
| caint | cainnt | caaynt | — | — | — | speech to speak talk |
| caoin | caoin | keayn | cwyn | can* | — | lament weep complaint anguish |
| casúr | casar | casoor | — | — | — | hammer |
| cis ciséan |
cis cisean ciosan |
kishan | — | — | — | basket creel |
| clár | clàr | claare | clawr | — | kleur | board table cover |
| cló | clò | clou | clo | — | klaou | bolt lock nail |
| cogadh | cogadh | caggey | — | — | — | war fighting |
| colum* | — | — | cwlwm | kolm kolmen |
skoulmoù skoulm |
knot |
| cuire | — | — | cordd | kordh | — | tribe clan troop |
| cuach | cuach | — | cawg | — | — | cup dish bowl |
| — | — | — | cudd | kudh | kuzh | secret hidden |
| — | — | — | cusan | kussyn | — | kiss |
| — | — | — | cwch | kok | kouc'h* | boat beehive |
| — | — | — | cwsg | kosk | kousked | sleep slumber |
| — | — | — | cyllell | kollell | kontell | knife |
| daigh | daigh | — | goddeith | — | — | flame fire pain |
| damhna | damhna | — | defnydd | devnydh | danvez | matter material substance |
| díon | dìon | jeen | — | — | — | protection waterproof roof |
| doras | doras | dorrys | drws | daras | — | door |
| — | — | — | dôr | — | dor | door |
| dú | dùth | dooie | — | — | — | place natural |
| éad | eud | ead | eiddig (?) | — | — | jealousy envy zeal |
| eire | eire | errey | arau | — | — | load burden |
| éag | eug | — | angau | ankow | ankow | dead death deceased |
| fadhb | fadhb | uddan | oddf | — | — | knot lump problem |
| fáilte | fàilte | failt | — | — | — | welcome |
| féan | feun | fainagh | — | — | — | wagon cart chariot |
| — | — | — | ffenestr | fenester | prenestr fenestr |
window |
| fiabhras | fiabhras | — | — | — | — | fever |
| fios | fios | fys | gwŷs | — | — | knowledge information |
| fochraig | — | — | gwobr | gober | gopradenn | prize reward fee |
| forc | forca | — | fforc | forgh | forc'h | fork |
| fuinneog | uinneag | uinnag | — | — | — | window |
| gor | gor | — | gôr | — | gor | pus light to warm |
| gnách | gnàchach | — | — | — | — | customary usual familiar |
| gnáth | gnàth | — | gnawd | gnas | — | custom habit quality |
| — | — | — | hanner | hanter | hanter | half |
| — | — | — | hud | hud | hud | magic |
| icht* | — | — | iaith | yeth | yezh | language people |
| ionadh | iongnadh | — | angnawd annawd |
— | — | unknown obscure unusual surprise |
| iontas | iongantas | yindys | — | — | — | wonder surprise admiration |
| leas | leus | lossey | — | — | — | light ray blister |
| líon | lìon | — | llin | lin | lin | flax lint |
| leastar | leastar | — | llestr | lester | lestr | vessel ship cup vase |
| líth | lì | — | — | — | lid | festival prosperity ceremony |
| long | long | lhong | llong | — | — | ship vessel |
| — | — | — | morthwyl | morthol | morzhol | hammer |
| mullach | mullach | mullagh | — | — | — | top roof |
| óir | oir | oyr | — | — | — | for because reason |
| ord | òrd | oard | gordd | — | horzh | hammer |
| príosún | prìosan | pryssoon | — | prison | prizon | prison |
| réilig | réilig réileag |
ruillick rhullick |
— | — | — | graveyard ossuary |
| rian | rian | rane | — | — | — | course path method river |
| samhail | samhail samhla |
— | hafal | hevelep | — | likeness similarity equal |
| Samhain | Samhain | Sauin Souney |
— | — | — | Halloween November |
| sanas | sanas | sannish | hanes | hanas | — | whisper history secret |
| saol | saoghal | seihll | — | — | — | world existence lifetime |
| scian | sgian | skyeen | ysgïen sgien |
— | skejañ | knife to sever |
| snaidhm | snaidhm | sniem | nadd | — | nascañ | knot carving hinder |
| snas | snas | — | — | — | — | finish polish elegance |
| spúnóg | spàin | spein | — | — | — | spoon |
| — | stuth | stoo | stwff | stoff | — | material stuff substance |
| te | teth | çheh | — | — | — | heat |
| tonn | tonn | — | ton | ton* | tonn | surface land skin |
| uaigh | uaigh | oaie oaye |
— | — | — | grave tomb |
| ualach | uallach | — | — | — | — | burden load |
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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.
If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, or if you can provide recordings, please contact me.
Breton, Celtiberian, Cornish, Cumbric, Gaulish, Irish, Lepontic, Lusitanian, Manx, Scottish Gaelic, Tartessian, Welsh
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