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
Complete Cognates (all languages), Complete Cognates (Goidelic languages), Complete Cognates (Brythonic languages), 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
Words marked † are archaic/obsolete.
These words are cognate in all six Celtic languages.
| Gaeilge (Irish) |
Gàidhlig (Gaelic) |
Gaelg (Manx) |
Cymraeg (Welsh) |
Kernewek (Cornish) |
Brezhoneg (Breton) |
English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| aithin | aithnich | enney | adnabod | aswon | anavezout | to know to recognize |
| athraigh | atharraich | arraghey | atreg | edrega | azrekaat | to change to regret |
| báigh | bàth | baih | boddi | beudhi | beuziñ | to drown |
| bearr | beàrr | baarey | byr | berr | berr | to clip to cut short |
| 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 |
| — | — | — | chwerthin | hwerthin | c'hoarzhin | to laugh to smile to rejoice |
| cluin | cluinn | cluin | clywed | klewes | klevet | to hear |
| cogain | cagainn | caigney | cnoi | knias | krignat | to chew to gnaw to bite |
| cor | car | cor | agor | ygor ygeri |
digor | to open turn |
| creathán | crithnich | craa | crynu | krena | krenañ | to tremble quake shiver |
| creid | creid | cred | credu | krysi kreji |
krediñ | to believe |
| cuimhnigh | cuimhnich | cooinaghtyn | cofio | kova | kounaat | to remember |
| dóigh | dòth | daah | deifio | dewi | deviñ | to burn |
| fáisc | fàisg | faastey | gwasgu | gwaska | gwaskañ | to squeeze to press |
| 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 |
| lorg | lorg | lorgey | llwrw | lergh | lerc’h | to search track trail |
| marbh | marbh | marroo | marw | merwel | mervel | to die dead |
| meil | meil | beihll | malu | mala | malañ | to grind to crush to chew |
| osnaigh | osnaich | osnaghey | ucheneid(i)o | hanasa hanaja |
huanadañ | to sigh to groan |
| rith | ruith | roie | rhedeg | resek | redek | to run |
| scar | sgar | scarr | ysgaru | skwardya | skarat | to sever to separate to split |
| sceith | sgeith | skeayrey | chwydu | hwyja hweja |
c'hwedañ | to vomit |
| scoilt(eadh) | sgoilt | skeiltey scoltey |
holl(t)af holl(t)i |
folsa folja |
faoutañ | to split to cleave |
| 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 |
| — | — | — | syfrdanu | sowdhanas | saouzanan | to stupefy to amaze to be confused |
| 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 |
| agair | agair | aggyrt | — | — | — | to plead claim |
| bain | buain | buinn | — | — | benañ | reap dig cut |
| básaigh | bàsaich | geddyn basse | — | — | — | to die dead |
| beir | beir | behr | beru | perthi | berañ | to bear to produce to flow |
| bolaigh | boladh | — | — | — | — | to taste to smell |
| — | — | — | brydio | bryjyon | broudañ | to boil to burn |
| car | — | — | caru | kara | karout | to love like care for |
| 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 | holc’hiñ | 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 |
| dinid† | dighin† | — | denu | dena | denañ | to attract to suck(le) |
| — | — | — | disgyn | diyskynna skynnya |
diskenn | to descend |
| dligh | dligh dleas |
toill | dylu | tyli | dlead dlean |
to be entitled to to owe to deserve |
| — | — | — | dod dyfod |
dos | donet | to come |
| dul | dol | goll | — | — | — | to go |
| — | — | — | dwyn | don | dougen | to lead bear carry |
| — | — | — | — | dybri | debriñ | to eat |
| éadromaigh | aotromaich | eddrymaghey | — | — | — | to lighten |
| éigh | èigh | eie | — | — | — | to cry (out) shout call |
| éiligh | eile† | — | wylo | ola | gouelañ | to cry to weep claim prayer |
| — | — | — | esgyn | ascendya yskynna |
— | to ascend |
| fairged† | — | — | gwneud | gul | ober | to do to make |
| fan | fan | — | — | — | — | to wait to stay |
| foïd† | — | — | aros | gortos | ober | to wait stay |
| fuaigh | fuaigh | fuailley | — | — | — | to sew to stitch to mend |
| fuirigh | fuirich | fariagh | — | — | — | to stay to abide |
| gal | gal | — | gallu | gallos | gallout | to be able to ardour valour warfare |
| gin | gin | gientyn | geni | genys | genel | to be born to beget birth |
| ith | ith | ee | ysu | esat† | — | to eat |
| feic | faic | faik | — | — | — | to see to be |
| folc(tha) | — | — | golchi | golhi | gwalc'hiñ | to wash |
| fostaigh | fastaigh | — | paratoi | provia | prientiń | to catch to hire to prepare |
| glean | — | — | glynu | glena | gludañ | to stick to glue to adhere |
| gráigh | gràdhaich | graihaghey | — | — | — | to love |
| guigh | guidh | guee | gweiddïo | — | — | to pray |
| lean | lean | lhian(t) | llynu | — | — | to follow to pursue to infect |
| leáigh | leagh | lheie | — | — | — | to melt to thaw to disolve |
| léann | léigheann | — | llên | lien | lenn | to read reading literature learning |
| léigh | leugh | lhaih | lleaf lleu |
— | — | to read literature |
| ligh | ligh | liee | llyfu | — | leat | to lick |
| luigh | laigh | lhie | — | — | — | to lie to lay to lean |
| — | — | — | 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 |
| — | — | — | olhau | holya | heulian | to follow to trace |
| ól | òl | oyl | — | — | — | to drink |
| — | — | — | peri | — | parañ | to create to make to fix |
| — | — | — | — | pesi peji pysi |
pediñ | to pray |
| — | — | — | pobi | pobas | pobat | to bake |
| pós(adh) | pòs(aidh) | poose phoosey |
— | — | — | to marry |
| riail | riaghail | reill | rheol | rewl | reol | (to) rule to govern regulation |
| rogaid† | — | — | rhoi | ri rei |
reiñ | to stretch to give |
| sáigh | sàth | saih | — | — | — | to stab to thrust |
| — | — | saveeney | huno | — | — | to sleep slumber |
| scinn | sginn | skioot | ysgein(i)o | — | — | to spring (forth) to gush to disperse |
| seicheamh | — | — | — | sewya | — | to follow to pursue |
| siúil | siubhail | shooill | — | — | — | to walk |
| slaidh | — | slaigh | lladd(af) | ladha | lazhañ | to smite to kill to slay |
| slog(adh) | slug(adh) | sluggey | llyncu | lenki | lonkañ | to swallow to gulp |
| — | — | — | 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 |
| — | — | — | 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 |
| — | — | — | tyngu | tia | touiñ | to swear to vow |
| — | — | — | ysgafnhau | skafhe | skañvaad | to lighten |
Complete Cognates (all languages), Complete Cognates (Goidelic languages), Complete Cognates (Brythonic languages), 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, Neo-Brittonic, Scottish Gaelic, Welsh
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