List of Galician words of Celtic origin
Encyclopedia
This is a list of Galician
words of Celtic
origin, some of them being also shared with Portuguese
. A few of these words existed in Latin
as loanwords from a Celtic source, usually Gaulish
, while other have been later received from other languages, mainly French
, Occitan, and Spanish
. Finally, some other words were directly acquired from local pre-Latin languages. Any form with an asterisk (*) is unattested and therefore hypothetical
.
A thoughtful and systematic investigation on the Galician lexicon of Celtic origin is still lacking.
Galician language
Galician is a language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia, an autonomous community located in northwestern Spain, where it is co-official with Castilian Spanish, as well as in border zones of the neighbouring territories of Asturias and Castile and León.Modern Galician and...
words of Celtic
Celtic languages
The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic"; a branch of the greater Indo-European language family...
origin, some of them being also shared with Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
. A few of these words existed in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
as loanwords from a Celtic source, usually Gaulish
Gaulish language
The Gaulish language is an extinct Celtic language that was spoken by the Gauls, a people who inhabited the region known as Gaul from the Iron Age through the Roman period...
, while other have been later received from other languages, mainly French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Occitan, and Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. Finally, some other words were directly acquired from local pre-Latin languages. Any form with an asterisk (*) is unattested and therefore hypothetical
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
.
A thoughtful and systematic investigation on the Galician lexicon of Celtic origin is still lacking.
A - C
- abanqueiro [m] 'waterfall < *(? beaver) dam', formally a derivative in -arium of *abanco, from Proto-Celtic *abankos 'beaver, water demon' cognate of Irish abacc 'dwarf', Welsh afanc 'beaver, dwarf', Breton avank 'dwarf, sea monster'.
- agruño / abruño [m] 'sloe', from proto-Celtic *agr-in-yo-,, influenced by Latin PRUNUM 'plum', akin to Irish áirne, Welsh eirin 'plum', Occitan agranhon, Catalan aranyó.
- albó, alboio [m] 'shed, barn, enclosure', from proto-Celtic *ɸare-bow-yo-, cognate of Old Irish airbe 'hedge, fence, pen'.
- ambas [f p] 'waters, river', ambas mestas [f] 'confluence', Old Galician, to Celtic *amb- 'water, river' (cognate of Gaulish ambe' 'river') and Latin mixtas 'mixed'.
- banzo [m] (alternative spelling banço) 'crossbar, beam', from proto-Celtic *wank-yo-, cognate of Spanish banzo, Irish féige 'ridgepole'.
- Derivatives: banza 'backrest', banzado, banzao 'palisade, dam'.
- barra [f] 'garret, loft, upper platform', from proto-Celtic *barro-, cognate of Irish, Welsh, Breton barr 'summit, top, spike'.
- Derivatives: combarro, combarrizo 'shed, shelter'.
- berro [m] 'watercress', from proto-Celtic *beru-ro-, cognate of Spanish berro, Old Irish biror, Old Breton beror, akin to French berle which derives from Gallo-Latin berula .
- bico [m] 'beak, kiss', from proto-Celtic *bekko-, cognate of Breton bec, Italian becco, French bec.
- Derivatives: bicar 'to kiss', bicaño 'hill', bicallo (a fish, Gadus luscus).
- bidueiro [m] < *betūlariu, biduo [m] < *betūlu, bidulo [m] < *betūllu 'birch', from Celtic *betu- or *betū-, akin to Spanish biezo, abedul, Old Irish beithe, Middle Breton bezu.
- Derivatives: Bidueiral, Bidual 'place with birch-trees'.
- billa, alternative spelling bilha, [f] 'spigot; stick' to Proto-Celtic *belyo- 'tree, trunk', akin to Irish bile 'large tree, tree trunk', French bille 'log, chunch of wood'.
- borba [f] 'mud, slime, mucus', from proto-Celtic *borwâ-, cognate of French bourbe 'mud'.
- Derivatives: borbento 'mucilaginous'.
- borne [m] 'edge', from French borne, from proto-Celtic *botina.
- braga [f] 'trousers', from proto-Celtic *braco-, cognate of Spanish braga, French braie, Italian brache.
- Derivatives: bragal, bragada 'spawn', bragueiro 'trus'.
- braña [f] (alternative spelling branha) 'meadow, bog, quagmire', from proto-Celtic *bragno-, cognate of Asturian braña, Catalan braina, akin to Irish brén Welsh braen Breton brein 'putrid', I bréanar W braenar B breinar 'fallow field'.
- Derivatives: brañal, brañeira, brañento 'idem'.
- breixo [m] 'heather', from the Hispano-Celtic form *broiccios, derivative of Proto-Celtic *wroyko-, cognate of Old Irish froich, Welsh gwrug, French bruyere, Spanish brezo.
- Old Galician bren [m] 'bran', maybe from Provençal brem, from proto-Celtic *brenno-, cognate of French bran, Lombard bren.
- bringa [f]'stalk, rod', from *brīnikā, to Celtic *brīnos 'rod', akin to French brin 'stalk'.
- brío [m] 'might, power', from proto-Celtic *brigo-, cognate of Spanish brío, Italian brio, Occitan briu, Welsh bri 'prestige, authority', Breton bry 'respect'.
- Old Galician busto [m] 'cattle farm, dairy', from a Celtic composite *bow-sto- meaning 'cow-place', cognate of Celtiberian boustom, similar to Breton boutig 'stable'.
- Derivatives: bustar 'pastures'.
- cai [m] 'quay, jetty', maybe from French (Normand) quai, from proto-Celtic *kag-yo-, cognate of Welsh cae Breton kae 'hedge'.
- cambiar 'to change', from Vulgar LatinVulgar LatinVulgar Latin is any of the nonstandard forms of Latin from which the Romance languages developed. Because of its nonstandard nature, it had no official orthography. All written works used Classical Latin, with very few exceptions...
cambiare, from proto-Celtic *kambo-, cognate of Italian cambiare French changer Provençal, Catalan, Spanish cambiar.
- Derivatives: cambio 'exchange', cambiador 'exchanger'.
- camba [f] 'wheel rim' from proto-Celtic *kambo-, cognate of Old Irish camm 'crooked'.
- Derivatives: cambito, cambada, camballa, cambeira 'coil; crooked log for hanging fish', cambela 'type of plough', cambota 'beam'.
- camiño [m] 'pathway', alternative spelling caminho, from Vulgar Latin *cammīnus, from proto-Celtic *kanxsman-, cognate of Italian cammino, French chemin, Spanish camino, Catalan, Provençal camí; akin to Old Irish céimm, Breton cam 'step'.
- Derivatives: camiñar 'to walk'.
- camisa [f] 'shirt' from proto-Celtic camisia.
- canga [f] 'collar, yoke', from proto-Celtic *kambika.
- canto [m] 'rim, corner', from proto-Celtic *kanto-, cognate of Old Irish cét 'round stone pillar, Welsh cant 'rim, tyre, dome', Breton kant 'disk', Old French chant Occitan cant, Spanish canto.
- Derivatives: recanto 'corner', cantón 'extreme of a field', acantoar 'to hide, to isolate', cantil 'cliff'
- carro [m] 'cart, wagon', from Vulgar Latin carrum, from proto-Celtic *karro-, cognate of Rumanian car, Italian carro, French char, Provençal car, Spanish carro, Irish carr, Welsh car, Breton karr.
- Derivatives: carreira 'road', carregar 'to load'.
- cervexa [f] 'beer', alternative spelling cerveja, from Vulgar Latin *cerevisiam, of Celtic origin. Cognates: French cervoise, Provençal, Spanish cerveza, Welsh cwrw.
- cheda [f] 'lateral external board of a cart, where the crossbars are affixed', from proto-Celtic *klētā, cognate of Irish clíath 'palisade, hurdle', Welsh clwyd 'barrier, wattle, scaffolding, gate', French claie, Provençal, Catalan cleda 'blinds'. Or either from proto-Celtic *klit- 'pilar, post'.
- choco [m] 'cowbell; squid', from proto-Celtic *klokko-, cognate of Old Irish cloc, akin to French cloche 'bell', English clok.
- Derivatives: chocar 'to bang, to shock', chocallo 'cowbell'.
- colmea [m] 'beehive', from a Celtic form *kolm-ēnā 'made of straw'.
- cómaro, comareiro [m] 'limits of a patch or field, usually left intentionally unploughed', from proto-Celtic *kom-ɸare-(yo)-, cognate of Old Irish comair 'in front of', Welsh cyfair 'direction, place, spot, acre'. Or either to *kom-boros 'brought together'.
- Derivatives: acomarar 'to mark out a field (literally to dote with cómaros)'.
- comba [f] 'valley, inflexion', from proto-Celtic *kumbā, cognate of North Italian komba, French combe, Provençal comba, Irish com, Welsh cwm, Breton komm.
- combo [m] (adj.) 'curved, bended', from proto-Celtic *kumbo-, cognate of Provençal comb, Spanish combo.
- Derivatives: combar 'to bend'.
- comboa [f] 'corral used for capturing fish trapped in low tide', from medieval combona, from proto-Celtic *combā 'valley' or *combos 'bended'.
- crica [f] 'vulva; nose; ribbon', from proto-Celtic *krīkʷā, cognate of Old Irish crich 'furrow, trench, boundary', Welsh crib 'comb, crest'.
- croio [m] 'rolling stone', croia [f] 'pip', from proto-Celtic *krowdi-, cognate of Irish cruaidh 'hard, harsh' Occitan croi North Italian crojo.
- Derivatives: croio (adj.) 'ugly, rude'; croído, croieira 'stony place/beach'.
- crouca [f] 'head; protuberance in the back of cows and ox', from proto-Celtic *krowkā-, cognate of French cruque 'mould', Irish croach 'heap', Welsh crug 'cairn, hillock', Old Breton krug 'protuberance'.
- Derivatives: crocar 'swell, bulge, bruise', croque 'bump'.
- curro [m] 'corral, pen; corner', from proto-Celtic *kurro-, cognate of Irish carr 'protruding', Welsh cwrr 'corner, edge, brim, end', French cor 'edge, corner', Spanish corro, corral.
- Derivatives: curruncho, currucho, currullo 'corner, end', currusco 'protruding part (in bread)', curral 'corral, pen'.
D - Z
- embaixada [f] 'embassy', from Provençal ambaissada, from proto-Celtic *ambactus 'servant'.
- gabela [f] 'handful, faggot', alternative spelling gavela, from proto-Celtic *gabaglā-, cognate of French javelle, Provençal gavela, Spanish gavilla; akin to Old Cornish gavael 'catch, capture'.
- galga [f] 'plain stone', from *gallikā, to Proto-Celtic *gallos 'stone', akin to Irish gall, French galet 'gravel' gallete 'plain cake', Spanish galga.
- Derivatives: galgar 'carving a stone to make it plain and regular'.
- gorar 'to hatch, to brood (an egg, or a sickness)', from proto-Celtic *gʷor-, akin to Old Irish guirid 'to warm' Welsh gori 'brood, sit (of hen)'.
- Derivatives: goro 'warmed infertile egg'.
- gubia [f] 'gouge', from proto-Celtic *gulb- 'beak', cognate of Italian sgorvia, Welsh gylf.
- lándoa [f] 'uncultivated plot', from *landula, Romance derivative of proto-Celtic *landā, cognate of Old Irish lann 'land, plot; church', Welsh lann 'church-yard', French lande 'sandy moor, heath', Provençal, Catalan landa.
- lavego [m], lavega [f] 'plough', from *ɸlāw-aiko-, to proto-Celtic *ɸlāwo-, cognate of Langobard plovum, German Pflug, English plough.
- laxe [f] 'stone slab', alternative spelling lage, from medieval lagena, from proto-Celtic *ɸlāgenā, cognate of Old Irish lágan, láigean, Welsh llain 'broad spearhead, blade'; akin to Irish láighe 'mattock, spade'.
- legua or légua [f] 'league', to Proto-Celtic *leukā, cognate of French lieue, Spanish legua.
- leira [f] 'plot, delimited and levelled field', from proto-Celtic *ɸlār-yo-, akin to Old Irish làr 'ground', Old Breton lor 'floor', English floor.
- Derivatives: leiro 'small, ou unleveled, plot', leirar 'land working', leiroto, leiruca 'small plot'.
- Old Galician ler [m] 'sea, seashore', from proto-Celtic *liro-, cognate of Old Irish ler, Breton llyr 'sea'.
- lousa [f] 'flagstone', from Proto-Celtic *laws-, cognate of Provençal lausa, Spanish losa.
- Derivatives: enlousar 'to cover with flagstones', lousado 'roof'.
- marulo [m] 'big, fat kid', from *mārullu, to proto-Celtic *māro- 'large, great, big'.
- meniño [m] 'kid, child, baby', alternative spelling meninho, from medieval mennino, from proto-Celtic *menno-, akin to Irish menn 'kid, young of an animal', Welsh myn 'young goat, kid', Breton menn 'young goat'.
- Derivatives: meniñez 'childhood'.
- miñoca [f] 'earthworm', alternative spelling minhoca, dialectal mioca, miroca, from medieval *milocca, from proto-Celtic *mîlo-, akin to Asturian milo, meruca 'earthworm', Old Irish, Welsh, Breton mil 'animal'.
- olga [f] 'patch, plot', from proto-Celtic *ɸolkā, cognate of French ouche, Provençal olca.
- peza [f] 'piece', alternative spelling peça, from Vulgar Latin *pettia, of Gaulish origin, from proto-Celtic *kʷezdi-, cognate of Old Irish cuit 'piece', Welsh peth 'thing', Italian pezza, French pièce, Spanish pieza.
- Derivatives: empezar 'to begin'.
- rego [m], rega [f] 'furrow, ditch', from proto-Celtic *ɸrica, cognate of Welsh rhych, French raie, Occitan, Catalan rega, Basque erreka.
- Derivatives: derregar 'to mark out a field', regato 'stream, gully, glen'.
- rodaballo [m] 'turbot', alternative spelling rodavalho, from a Celtic composite form *roto-ball-y-o-, meaning 'round-extremity'.
- tol and tola [m / f] 'irrigation channel', to Proto-Celtic *tullo- 'pierced, perforated', cognate of Irish toll 'hollow, cave, hole', Welsh twll 'pierced', Breton toull 'hole', Spanish tollo 'hole', Catalan toll 'pool in a river'.
- tona [f] 'skin, bark, scum of milk', from proto-Celtic *tondā, cognate of Old Irish tonn, Welsh tonn.
- Derivatives: toneira 'pot for obtaining butter from the milk'.
- toxo [m], alternative spelling tojo, 'spiny rush (ulex europaeus)', from proto-Celtic *togi-, akin to French tuie Gascon toja.
- Derivatives: fura-toxos 'marten'; toxa 'ulex gallii'; toxedo, toxa, toxeira 'place with toxos'.
- trosma [m] 'slow, heavy, awkward, fool', from proto-Celtic *trudsmo- or *truksmo- 'heavy'.
- trado, trade [m] 'auger', from proto-Celtic *taratro-, cognate of Irish tarathar, Welsh taradr, Breton tarar, Occitan taraire, Catalan taradre, Spanish taladro.
- Derivatives: tradar 'to drill'.
- tranca [f], tranco [m] 'beam, pole', from proto-Celtic *taranka-, cognate of Spanish tranca, akin to French taranche 'Iron nail', Provençal tarenco, Irish tarrag 'pin'.
- Derivatives: taranzón 'pillar inside the potter's oven' < *tarankyon-, tarangallo 'Wood nail, pin', trancar 'to bar a door'.
- trebo, trobo [m] 'beehive', from medieval trebano, proto-Celtic *trebno-, cognate of Welsh trefn 'house'.
- trogo [m] 'sadness, anxiety, pity', from proto-Celtic *trowgo-, akin to Old Irish trog, Welsh tru 'sad, wretched', Breton truez 'pity', tru 'miserable'.
- vasalo [m] 'vassal', alternative spelling vassalo, from Vulgar Latin vassalus, from proto-Celtic *wasto-, cognate of French vassal, Spanish vasallo, Irish foss 'servant', Breton gwoz 'man, husband'.
- verea [f] 'main road', from proto-Celtic *uɸo-rēdo-,, cognate of Spanish vereda 'pathway', akin to Welsh gorwydd 'steed', Vulgar Latin veredus 'horse'.
Literature
- Bascuas López, Edelmiro (2006). La Diosa Reve y los trasancos. Estudios Mindonienses (22): 801-842.
- Bascuas López, Edelmiro (2008). La hidronimia de Galicia. Tres estratos: paleoeuropeo, celta y latino. Estudios Mindonienses (24): 521-550.
- Carvalho Calero, Ricardo (1976). Gramática elemental del gallego común. Galaxia. ISBN 84-7154-037-1. Google Books
- Coromines, J. (1997). Breve diccionario etimológico de la lengua castellana. Gredos. ISBN 9788424935559.
- Donkin, T. C. (1864). An etymological dictionary of the Romance languages; chiefly from the Germ. of F. Diez. Williams and Norgate. Online at the Internet Archive.
- Mariño Paz, Ramon (1998). Historia da lingua galega. Sotelo Blanco. ISBN 84-7824-333-X.
- Matasovic, R. (2009). Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic. Brill. ISBN 9004173366.
- Meyer-Lübke, W. (1911). Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch. Carl Winter's U. Online at the Internet Archive.
- Moralejo, Juán J. (2007) Callaica Nomina. A Coruña: Fundación Barrié. 2007. ISBN 978-84-95892-68-3.
- Prósper, Blanca María (2002). Lenguas y religiones prerromanas del occidente de la península ibérica. Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca. ISBN 978-84-7800-818-6.
- Ward, A. (1996). A Checklist of Proto-Celtic lexical Items. Online at Scribd.