This page contains adjectives 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| amhlabharach | amhlabhair† | amloayrtagh | aflafar | amlavar | amlavar | mute dumb inarticulate |
| ard | àrd | ard | ardd | ardh | arz | high |
| beag | beag | beg | bach bychan |
byghan | bihan | small |
| bodhar | bodhar | bouyr | byddar | bodhar | bouzar | deaf |
| breac | breac | breck | brych | brygh† | brec'h | speckled striped spotted |
| bréan | breun | breinn | braen | breyn | brein | rotten |
| cam | cam | cam | cam | kamm | kamm | crooked bent curve |
| Ceilteach | Ceilteach | Celtiagh | Celtaidd | keltek | kelteg | Celtic |
| cruinn | cruinn | cruinn | crwn | krenn kern |
krenn | round |
| dall | dall | doal | dall | dall | dall | blind |
| dearbh | dearbh | jarroo | (cefn)der(w) | (ken)derow | (ken)derv | sure certain |
| domahain | domhain | dowin | dwfn | down | don | deep profound |
| droch | droch | drogh | drwg | drog | drouk | bad evil |
| eile | eile | elley | ail | eyl | eil | other second |
| fia | fiadh | feie | gŵydd | goodh | gouez | wild |
| fíor | fìor | feer | gwir | gwir | gwir | true |
| fliuch | fliuch | fliugh | gwlyb | gleb glyb |
gleb | wet |
| Gael | Gàidheal | Gael | Gwyddel | Godhal | Gouezel | Gael Irish person |
| glan | glan | glen | glân | glan | glan | clean clear |
| fogas | fagas faisg |
faggys | agos | ogas | hogos | near close |
| íseal | ìosal | injil ishil† |
isel | isel | izel | low |
| lán | làn | lane | llawn | leun | leun | full |
| leathan | leathann | lhean | llydan | ledan | ledan | wide broad |
| maith | math | mie | mad | mas | mat/mad | good |
| maoin | maoin | mayn | mwyn | muin | maon | gift gentle thin |
| maol | maol | meayl | moel | mool | moal | bald bare |
| mó | mò | moo | mwy | moy | mui | bigger more |
| mór | mòr | mooar | mawr | meur | meur | big large great |
| muad† | muadh | meeley | meddal | medhel | med(d)al† | soft tender |
| nua | nuadh | noa | newydd | nowydh | nevez | new |
| óg | òg | aeg | ifanc | yowynk yonk |
yaouank | young |
| scamhóg | sgamhan | scowan | ysgafn | skav | skañv | light (weight) |
| sean | sean | shenn | hen | hen | hen | old |
| searbh | searbh | sharroo | chwerw | hwerow | c'hwerv | bitter sour |
| síor | sìor | sheer | hir | hir | hir | long constant eternal |
| tanaí | tana | thanney | tenau | tanaw | tanav | thin slender |
| tiubh | tiugh | çhiu | tew | tew | tev | thick |
| trua | truagh | truan trieh |
tru | tru | tru | miserable wretched sad |
| uasal | uasal | ooasle | uchel | ughel | uhel | high noble |
| umhal | umhal | imlee | ufyl hyful |
uvel | uvel | humble meek submissive |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| adha | — | — | addas | — | adas† | fitting worthy proper |
| allúrach | allmharach | — | allmyr | — | — | foreign(er) exotic strange(r) |
| amh | amh | aw | of | — | — | raw uncooked |
| bailc | bailc | — | balch | balgh | balc'h | proud arrogant strong |
| balbh | balbh | balloo | — | — | — | mute dumb silent |
| bearr | beàrr | baarey | byr | berr | berr | short brief to cut |
| binn | binn | bing | ban | — | bann† | sweet melodious loud |
| bog | bog | bog | — | — | boug | soft tender |
| borr | bòrr | — | — | — | — | puffed up swollen proud |
| bras† | bras | — | bras | bras | bras | great big swift |
| — | — | — | brith | brith | brizh | speckled variegated |
| brón | bròn | bran | brwyn | — | — | sad |
| bruth | bruth | brooan | brwd | — | broud | hot heat rash |
| — | — | — | buan | buan | buan | fast lively quick |
| cadrán | — | — | cadarn | cadarn† | — | hard strong |
| caladh | — | — | caled | kales | kalet | hard stingy |
| caoch | caoch | kyagh | coeg | koeg | — | one-eyed blind |
| caoin | caoin | keain | cain | — | ken | tender gentle mild |
| caomh | caomh | — | cu | kuv | kuñv | dear gentle sweet |
| caol | caol | keyl | cul | kul | — | narrow |
| cas | cas | cast | — | — | — | curly twisted complicated difficulty |
| ceart | ceart | kiart | certh | — | — | right just true |
| — | — | — | chwech | hweg | c'hwek | sweet delicate |
| cinnteach | cinnteach | kinjagh | — | — | — | definite certain constant |
| cóir | còir | cair | cywair | — | — | just rightful |
| — | — | — | cri | kriv | kriz | raw crude |
| clamh | clamh | claf | klav | klañv | ill diseased leper |
|
| cróga | crògha | — | — | — | — | cruel brave bold |
| — | — | — | cryf | krev | kreñv | strong forceful solid |
| cúacca† | — | — | gwag | gwag | gwak | empty soft delicate |
| cúng | cumhang | coon | cyfyng | — | — | narrow |
| daor | daor | deyr | — | — | — | servile unfree expensive |
| dara | dala | derrey | — | — | — | second |
| dea- | deagh | — | da | da | da | good well pleasant |
| — | — | — | diogel | diogel | diogel | safe secure sure |
| dona | dona | donney | — | — | — | bad unfortunate |
| dorcha | dorcha | dorraghey | — | — | — | dark(ness) obscure |
| drúth | drùth | — | drud | drudh | — | fool dear cherished |
| éadrom | aotrom | eddrym | — | — | — | light frivolous |
| earc | earc | — | erch | — | — | mottled speckled |
| — | — | — | estron | estren | estren | foreign strange |
| fada | fada | foddey | — | — | — | long far tall |
| fann | fann | — | gwan | gwann | gwan | weak feeble |
| fás | fàs | faase | — | — | — | empty |
| fial | fial | feoilt | gŵyl | — | — | modest seemly |
| fiar | fiar | — | gŵyr | gwarr | gwar | crooked bent curve |
| folamh | falamh | follym | — | — | — | empty |
| fosadh | fosadh | — | gwastad | gwastas | gou(e)stad | stay respite flat slow |
| fuar | fuar | feayr | oer | oor | — | cold |
| goirt | goirt | gort | — | — | — | salted sore bitter |
| — | — | — | golau | golow | gouloù | light bright fair |
| — | — | — | hygar | hegar | hegar | amiable congenial |
| — | — | — | iain | yeyn | yen | cold freezing icy |
| il- | il- iol- |
yl- | — | — | — | many plenty multi- |
| — | — | — | eang | efan | — | wide broad |
| labhar | labhar | — | llafar | lavar | lavar | talkative |
| lax† | — | — | llaes | lows | laosk | loose slack lax |
| léir | lèir | leayr | llwyr | — | loir† | clear complete |
| leor | leòr | liooar | llawer | lowr | — | many enough |
| — | — | — | lliaws llios lluos |
lies | lies | many several multi- |
| — | — | — | llawen | lowen lowenek |
laouen | happy merry |
| lasair | lasair | lossyr | llachar | — | — | bright shining flame |
| lobh | lobh | loau(a)ghey | — | — | — | rot decay |
| lobhar | lobhar | lourane | llwfr | — | lovr | weak cowardly leper |
| lonn | lonn | — | llon | — | — | merry fierce bold |
| luas | lùthas | laueys | — | — | — | speed earliness |
| luath | luath | leah | lleygys lleiges |
— | — | quick fast early soon |
| mall | mall | moal | — | — | — | slow late |
| mear | mear | merre | miri | meri | — | quick fast lively |
| milis | milis | millish | melys | melys | — | sweet |
| minic | minig | mennick | mynych | menowgh | — | frequent often |
| moch | moch | mogh | moch | meuch† | — | early soon |
| nocht | nochd | — | noeth | noth | noazh | naked bare |
| olc | olc | olk | — | — | — | evil bad |
| — | — | — | parod | parys | pared | ready convenient cooked |
| — | — | — | pell | pell | pell | far disant long |
| — | — | — | poeth | pooth | poazh | hot cooked |
| — | — | — | rhydd | rydh | rid† | free cheap |
| réidh | rèidh | rea | rhwydd | — | rouez | easy even ready |
| salach | salach | sollagh | — | — | — | dirty filthy |
| sámh | sàimh | — | — | — | — | peace tranquility rest |
| sámhach | sàmhach | — | — | — | — | silent quiet calm |
| saor | saor | seyr | — | — | — | free cheap |
| scamhógach | sgamhanach | scowanagh | ysgyfeinaidd ysgyfeiniol |
— | skevent | pulmonary |
| — | — | — | segur | syger | sigur | idle lazy slow |
| séimh | sèimh | seyr | — | — | — | thin smooth calm |
| — | sicir | shickyr | sicr siŵr |
sur | segur | sure cetain shrewd |
| slaodach | slaodach | sleaydagh | — | — | — | flowing slow trailing |
| sona | sona | sonney | — | — | — | happy merry |
| — | — | — | sych | sygh segh |
sec'h | dry |
| tapa | tapadh | tappee | — | — | — | quick fast cleverness |
| — | — | — | taw | taw | taw | silence quiet |
| te | teth | cheh | — | — | — | hot warm |
| teimheal | teimhall | — | tywyll | tew(a)l | teñval | dark(ness) gloom swoon |
| tirim | tioram | çhirrym | — | — | — | dry |
| tláith | tlàth | — | tlawd | — | — | weak mild poor |
| — | — | — | trist | trist | trist | sad |
| trom | trom | trome | trwm | trom† | — | heavy |
| — | — | — | twym | tomm | tomm | warm hot |
| uabhar | uabhar | — | ofer | euver | euver | vain pride worthless bland |
| uafásach | uabhasach | — | — | — | — | horrible terrible |
| ullamh | ullamh | ullee | — | — | — | ready finished prepared |
| úr | ùr | oor | ir | yr | — | new fresh verdant |
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
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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