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.

Words marked with an asterisk are archaic and/or used only in place names. The Cornish words shown are in the Standard Written Form (Furv Skrifys Savonek) of Cornish. The Breton words are in Peurunvan/Modern Standard Spelling.

Other words

Gaeilge (Irish)	Gàidhlig (Gaelic)	Gaelg (Manx)	Cymraeg (Welsh)	Kernewek (Cornish)	Brezhoneg (Breton)	English
abhainn	abhainn	awin	afon	avon	aven	river star
ser*			sêr	ster	ster	river star
ainm	ainm	ennym	enw	hanow	anv	name
alt	alt	alt	allt	als	aod	hillside cliff height
anáil	anail	ennal	anadl	anal	anal	breath
anam	anam	annym	enaid	enev	ene	soul life spirit
spiorad	spiorad	spyrryd	ysbryd	sperys spyrys	spered	soul life spirit
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
aois	aois	eash	oes oed	oos ooj	oad	age
áth	àth	aah				ford
baile	baile	balley	beili			ford	town house farmstead
treibh	treabh treubh		tre(f)	trev	trev		town house farmstead
bealach	bealach	bollagh	bwlch	bolgh	boulc'h	way road track
beann	beann	beinn	ban	ban	bann	top peak horn
beatha	beatha	beaghey	bywyd	bewnans	buhez	life
beo	beò	bio	byw	bew	bev	alive living
bás	bàs	basse				dead death deceased
marbh	marbh	merriu marroo	marw marwolaeth	mernans	marv
éag	eug		angau	ankow	ankow
bith*	bith	beays	byd	bys	bed	world existence lifetime
saol	saoghal	seihll				world existence lifetime
bord	bòrd	boayrd	bwrdd bwrd	bord bordh	bourzh	table board
tábla	tàbla	taabyl	tabl	tabel	taol	table board
bóthar	bòthar	bayr	beidr	bownder		road lane track way
			ffordd	fordh		road lane track way
brí	brìgh	bree	bri	bri	bri	strength energy honour dignity
bríste	briogais	breeçhyn	brits(h)		bragez bragoù	trousers breeches
triús	triubhas	troosyn	trywsus
				lavrek	lavreg
broinne	broinn	brein	bryn	bronn brodn	bronn	hill(ock) breast bulge
caint	cainnt	caaynt				speech talk
Cáisg	Càisg	Caisht	Pasg	Pask	Pask	Easter
carraig	carraig	carrick	carreg	karrek	karreg	stone rock cliff
cloch	clach	clagh	clog	clog	kleger	stone rock cliff
cath	cath	cah	cad	kas	kad	battle
casúr	casar	casoor				hammer
			morthwyl	morthol	morzhol	hammer
cill	cill	keeill	cell	kell	kell	(hermit's) cell church
cistin	cistin	kishteen	cegin	kegin	kegin	kitchen
cliath	cliath	cleea	clwyd	kloes	kloued	hurdle
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
brí	bre*		bre	bre	bre
broinne	broinne	brein	bryn	bronn	bronn
dún	dùn	doon	din dinas	din dinas	din	fort fortress town city castle
			caer	ker	kaer
caiseal	caisteal	cashtal	castell	kastel	kastell
cruach	cruach	creagh	crug	cruk	cruc	hillock heap stack pile
damhna	damhna		defnydd	devnydh	danvez	matter material substance
droichead	drochaid	droghad				bridge
			pont	pons	pont	bridge
eaglais	eaglais	agglish	eglwys	eglos	iliz	church
eidheann	eidheann	hibbin	eiddew	idhyow(en)	iliav(enn) iliou(enn)	ivy
eite eiteog	ite iteag	fedjag	adain			wing feather fin
			asgell	askel	askell	wing feather fin
fáilte	fàilte	failt				welcome
féan	feun	fainagh	gwain	goen gweyn	gouin	wagon wain cart sheath scabbard
féar	feur	faiyr	gwair	gora	garzh	hay grass
fíor	fìor	feer	gwir	gwir	gwir	true
flaith	flath	flah	gwlad	gwlas gulas	glad	sovereignty lordship country nation
glan	glan	glen	glan	glan	glan	clean clear
gort	gort		garth	orth	garth	field garden enclosure hedge plain
achadh	achadh
machaire	machair	magher
raon	raon	rheam
caí*			cae	ke	kae
			maes	mes	maez
inbhear	inbhir	inver				river mouth estuary confluence of waters
	obar		aber	aber	aber	river mouth estuary confluence of waters
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
léine	lèine	lheiney				shirt tunic girdle
cris			crys	krys	krez	shirt tunic girdle
leann			llen	len	lenn	curtain cloak cover blanket
lus	lus	lus	llys	les	louzaouenn	plant herb
muir	muir	mooir	môr	mor	mor	sea
Nollaig	Nollaig	Nollick	Nadolig	Nadelik	Nedeleg	Christmas
olann	olann	ollan	gwlân	gwlan	glaon	wool
póg	pòg	paag	poc		pok	kiss
óir	oir	oyr				for because reason
ród	rathad	raad	rhawd		roud	road
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
sliabh	sliabh	slieau				mountain moorland hillside
moned* monad*	monadh	muyne	mynydd	menydh	menez	mountain moorland hillside
sliocht	sliochd	sluight	llwybr			path track section offspring
cosán	casan	cassan
slí	slighe	sleayd
séad	séad		hynt	hens hyns	hent
spiorad	spiorad	spyrryd	ysbryd	speris	speret	spirit ghost
sráid	sràid	straid	stryd	stret	straed	street alley highway
			ffordd	fordh		street alley highway
sruth	sruth	stroo	ffrwd	frot*	froud	stream river current valley
			nant	nans	ant	stream river current valley
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
icht	aiteam	eggys	iaith	yeth	yezh	language tongue tribe people
tine	teine	çhenney	tân	tan	tan	fire angel lightning
aingeal	aingeal	aile	angel	eledh	ael	fire angel lightning
tír	tìr	çheer	tir	tir	tir	land country
uaimh	uaimh	oghe ooig	(g)ogof	gogoow gug		cave
					groc'h mougev	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)

[top]

Celtic cognates

Celtiadur

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

Why not share this page:

If you need to type in many different languages, the Q International Keyboard can help. It enables you to type almost any language that uses the Latin, Cyrillic or Greek alphabets, and is free.

If you like this site and find it useful, you can support it by making a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or by contributing in other ways. Omniglot is how I make my living.

Learn a new language from home with Mondly

Note: all links on this site to Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.fr are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission if you click on any of them and buy something. So by clicking on these links you can help to support this site.