Words for trees and other plants that are cognate in all or 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| beith | beith | beih | bedw | besewen | bezv | birch |
| biolar | biolair | burley | berwr berw |
beler(en) | beler | cress watercress |
| bláth | blàth | blaa | blodyn | bleujen | bleuñv | flower blossom |
| crann | crann | croan | pren | pren | prenn | tree mast boom wood bar |
| fiodh | fiodh | fuygh | gwŷdd | gwydh | gwez | tree wood timber |
| abhaill | abhall | ooyl | afall | avalen | avalwez | apple |
| beith | beith | beih | bedw | besewen | bezv | birch |
| coll | coll calltainn |
coull | coll | koll | kelvez | hazel |
| cuileann | cuileann | cullyn | celyn(en) | kelyn(nen) | kelen(enn) | holly |
| dair doire |
dair darach |
darragh darrag |
dâr derw(en) |
dar derw(en) |
derv | oak |
| duille | duille | duilley | dail | delen | deil | leaf foliage |
| eidheann | eidheann | hibbin | eiddew | idhyow | iliav | ivy |
| feá | feagha | faih | ffawydden | fowenn | faouenn | beech |
| fearnóg | feàrna | farney | gwern | gwern | gwern | alder |
| féar | feur | faiyr | gwair | gora | garzh | hay grass |
| fraoch | fraoch | freoagh | grug | grug | brug | heather |
| fréamh | freumh | fraue | gwraidd | gwreydh | gwrizienn | root origin source |
| geil | geil | gyndyr | gwellt | gwels | geot gwelt |
grass graze |
| fuinseog | fuinnseag uinnseann |
unjin | onn | onn | onn | ash |
| iúr | iubhar iùbhar |
euar | efwr ewr |
evor | evor | yew alder |
| eó | eo | iodh | yw | ewin | iwin ivin |
yew |
| leamhán | leamhan | lhiouan | llwyf | elow | evlec'h | elm linden lime |
| lus | lus | lus | llys | les | louzaouenn | plant herb |
| clann planda |
clann plannt |
cloan plant |
plant | plans | plantenn | children clan plant |
| raithneach | raineach | renniagh | rhedyn | reden | raden | fern bracken |
| saileach | seileach | shellagh | helygen (sg) helyg (pl) |
helygen (sg) helyk (pl) |
halegenn (sg) haleg (pl) |
willow |
These words are cognate in some of the Celtic languages.
| Gaeilge (Irish) |
Gàidhlig (Gaelic) |
Gaelg (Manx) |
Cymraeg (Welsh) |
Kernewek (Cornish) |
Brezhoneg (Breton) |
English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| abhaill | abhall | — | afallen | avalen | avalwez | apple tree |
| aiteann | ait atain aiteann |
aittin | eithin | eythinen | ethin† | furze gorse whin |
| — | bealaidh | — | banadl banal |
banadhel | banal | broom (shrub) |
| bile | bile | billey | pill | — | pil | tree mast bush trunk |
| — | — | — | coed coeden |
koos | koad | forest wood tree |
| craobh | craobh | crouw | — | — | — | branch tree bush |
| cabhail (?) | cabhail (?) | — | cyff | — | kef | trunk stump stock |
| duileasc | duileasg | dullish | delysg | — | tellesk | dulse (Palmaria palmata) |
| — | — | — | egroesen | amgroasenn | agroazenn | (rose) hip(s) brier |
| géag | geug | — | cainc | — | — | branch bough limb |
| giolcach | giolcach | giucklagh | — | — | — | broom (shrub) |
| learóg | learag làrag |
lhiarrag larsh |
lars llar(s)wydd |
larwedhen | melez | larch (tree) |
| — | — | — | meillion | mellyon | melchon | clover shamrock |
| seamair | seamair | — | — | — | — | clover shamrock |
| seamróg | siumrag | shamrag samark |
siamroc samrog |
— | — | shamrock |
| tinne | teine tinne |
— | glastannen | glastanen | tann(enn) | oak furze gorse whin |
Geirfa Natur (Nature Glossary) - words for animals, birds, fish and other creatures in the modern Celtic language (Excel format, provided by Gwyn Harrison)
Complete Cognates, Partial Cognates . Cognates arranged thematically: Adjectives | Animals | Birds | Clothes | Colours | Conjunctions | Countries | Directions | Food and Drink | Landscape | Buildings | Languages | Metals | Musical terms | Names | Numbers | Parts of the body | People | Prepositions | Pronouns | Sea creatures | Time expressions | Tools | Trees and Plants | Vehicles | Verbs | Weather | Other words
The Celtiadur blog is a collection of Celtic cognates, with definitions, pronunciation, etymologies - includes the modern Celtic languages, older versions of these languages, such as Middle Welsh, Middle Breton and Old Irish, and their extinct and reconstructed relatives and ancestors, including Gaulish, Proto-Brythonic and Proto-Celtic.
On the Celtic Pathways podcast I discuss connections between the Celtic languages, and look for words with Celtic roots in non-Celtic languages, such as English, French, Spanish, Galician and Portuguese.
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If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, or if you can provide recordings, please contact me.
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/
Breton, Celtiberian, Cornish, Cumbric, Gaulish, Irish, Lepontic, Lusitanian, Manx, Scottish Gaelic, Welsh
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