Celtic cognates - Verbs

This page contains verbs 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

Verbs

These words are cognate in all six Celtic languages.

Gaeilge (Irish)	Gàidhlig (Gaelic)	Gaelg (Manx)	Cymraeg (Welsh)	Kernewek (Cornish)	Brezhoneg (Breton)	English
bí	bì	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
ibh	ibh	iu	yfed	eva	evañ	to drink
labhair	labhair	loayrt	llefaru	leverel	lavaret	to speak to say to talk
léigh	leugh	lhaih	llên darllen	lenna	lenn	to read literature
léim	leum	lheim	llamu	lamma	lammat	to jump
loisc loscadh	loisg losgadh	losht lostey	llosgi	leski	leskiñ loskañ	to burn
marbh	marbh	marroo	marw	merwel	mervel	to die dead
rith	ruith	roie	rhedeg	resek	redek	to run
scríobh	sgrìobh	screeu	ysgrifennu	skrifa	skrivañ	to write
seas	seas	shass	sefyll	sevel	sevel	to stand
suigh	suidh	soie	eistedd	esedha sedha	sichañ	to sit
tacht	tachd	toghtey	tagu ystagu	taga	tagañ	to choke

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
básaigh	bàsaich	geddyn basse				to die dead
beir	beir	behr	beru		berañ	to carry to flow
bolaigh	boladh					to taste to smell
			casglu		klask	to collect to gather
ceannaigh	ceannaich	chionnaghey				to buy to purchase
			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
				dybri	debriñ	to eat
fairged*			gwneud	gul	ober	to do to make
fuirigh	fuirich	fariagh				to stay to abide
dul	dol	goll				to go
			gallu	gallos	gallout	to be able to
ith	ith	ee	ysu	esat*		to eat
feic	faic	faik				to see to be
folc(tha)			golchi	golhi	gwalc'hiñ	to wash
			galw	gelwel	galven galviñ	to call
guigh	guidh	guee	gweiddïo			to pray
lorg	lorg	lorgey				to search
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
				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
			trigio godrig(af)	triga	guotric*	to live to remain
triomaigh	tiormaich	chyrmaghey				to dry

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.

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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, Tartessian, Welsh

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