Celtic cognates - Verbs

This page contains verbs 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


Verbs

These words are cognate in all six Celtic languages.

Gaeilge
(Irish)
Gàidhlig
(Gaelic)
Gaelg
(Manx)
Cymraeg
(Welsh)
Kernewek
(Cornish)
Brezhoneg
(Breton)
English
báigh bàth baih boddi beudhi beuziñ to drown
bearr beàrr baarey byr berr berr to clip
to cut
short
bee bod bos bezañ to be
beo beò bio byw bewa bevañ to live
alive
bhfuil bheil vel gweld gweles gwelet to see
to be
blais blais blasstyn blasu blasa blasa to taste
to smell
caoineadh caoidh keayney cwyno kyni keuziañ to lament
to complain
can can caayn canu kana kanañ to sing
to speak
cluin cluinn cluin clywed klewes klevet to hear
cor car cor agor ygor
ygeri
digor to open
turn
creathán crithnich craa crynu krena krenañ to tremble
quake
shiver
figh fighe fee gweu gwia gweañ to weave
fionn fionn feddyn gwybod godhvos gouzout to know
find out
discover
gabh gabh gow gafael gavel gabael to hold
to take
gair gàir guee gair ger ger to call
to shout
to invoke
glao glaodh gyllagh galw galow galv (to) shout
(to) call
appeal
goin goin guinney gwanu gwana gwanañ to wound
stab
ibh ibh iu yfed eva evañ to drink
labhair labhair loayrt llefaru leverel lavaret to speak
to say
to talk
léim leum lheim llamu lamma lammat to jump
líomh(adh) lìomh shleeu llymu llymma lemmañ to grind
to polish
to sharpen
loisc
loscadh
loisg
losgadh
losht
lostey
llosgi leski leskiñ
loskañ
to burn
marbh marbh marroo marw merwel mervel to die
dead
meil meil beihll malu mala malañ to grind
to crush
to chew
rith ruith roie rhedeg resek redek to run
scríob sgrìob screeb (y)sgrap scrivinas† skrabañ to scrape
scratch
scríobh sgrìobh screeu ysgrifennu skrifa skrivañ to write
seas seas shass sefyll sevel sevel to stand
sníomh snìomh sneeu nyddu nedha nezañ to spin
to twist
suigh suidh soie eistedd esedha
sedha
sichañ to sit
tacht tachd toghtey tagu
ystagu
taga tagañ to choke

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These words are cognate in some of the Celtic languages.

Gaeilge
(Irish)
Gàidhlig
(Gaelic)
Gaelg
(Manx)
Cymraeg
(Welsh)
Kernewek
(Cornish)
Brezhoneg
(Breton)
English
abair abair abbyr to say
to speak
admhaigh addef anavout to acknowledge
admit
bain buain buinn benañ reap
dig
cut
básaigh bàsaich geddyn basse to die
dead
beir beir behr beru berañ to carry
to flow
bolaigh boladh to taste
to smell
brydio bryjyon broudañ to boil
to burn
casadh casadh cassey to curl
twist
turn
casglu klask to collect
to gather
ceannaigh ceannaich chionnaghey to buy
to purchase
ceil ceil keill cêl kel to hide
to conceal
cerdded kerdhes kerzhet to walk
chwilio hwilas c'houilia to search
to seek
comio kows
kewsel
komz
kaozeal
to speak
to say
to talk
codail caidil caddil to sleep
crean crean prynu prena prenañ to buy
to purchase
to obtain
cysgu koska kousket to sleep
cónaígh còmhnaidh cummal to live
to grip
déan dèan jean geni to do
to make
dod
dyfod
dos donet to come
dwyn don dougen to lead
bear
carry
dybri debriñ to eat
éigh èigh eie to cry (out)
shout
call
fairged† gwneud gul ober to do
to make
fan fan to wait
to stay
foïd† aros gortos ober to wait
stay
fuirigh fuirich fariagh to stay
to abide
dul dol goll to go
éadromaigh aotromaich eddrymaghey to lighten
gal gal gallu gallos gallout to be able to
ardour
valour
warfare
ith ith ee ysu esat† to eat
feic faic faik to see
to be
folc(tha) golchi golhi gwalc'hiñ to wash
guigh guidh guee gweiddïo to pray
léann léigheann llên lien lenn to read
reading
literature
learning
léigh leugh lhaih lleaf
lleu
to read
literature
lorg lorg lorgey to search
magu maga magañ to raise
feed
nurture
mair mair to live
mol mol moyl moli meuliñ to praise
muinithir† mynd mos monet to go
nasc naisg naisht naskañ to bind
to fasten
nigh nigh niee to wash
ól òl oyl to drink
pobi pobas pobat to bake
pesi
peji
pysi
pediñ to pray
saveeney huno to sleep
slumber
siúil siubhail shooill to walk
sychu segha sec'hañ to dry
tar
tig
thig tar
çheet
to come
téigh tèid ardwy† to go
toddi teudha
teudhi
teuziñ to thaw
to melt
tongaid† tyngu ti(a) touiñ to swear
vow
trigio
godrig(af)
triga guotric† to live
to remain
triomaigh tiormaich chyrmaghey to dry
troi troyllya treiñ to turn
spin
tuit tuit tuitt to fall
tyfu tevy teñviñ to grow
éiligh eile† wylo ola gouelañ to cry
to weep
claim
prayer
ysgafnhau skafhe skañvaad to lighten

Celtic cognates

Complete Cognates, Partial Cognates . Cognates arranged thematically: Adjectives | Animals | Birds | Clothes | Colours | Conjunctions | Countries | Directions | Food and Drink | Landscape | Buildings | Languages | Metals | Musical terms | Numbers | Parts of the body | People | Pronouns | Prepositions | Sea creatures | Time expressions | Trees and Plants | Verbs | Weather | Tools | Other words | Names

Celtiadur

Celtiadur

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.

Celtic Pathways

Celtic Pathways

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.

Links and sources

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, Welsh

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