Celtic cognates - Parts of the Body

This page contains words for parts of the body 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


Parts of the body

These words are cognate in all six Celtic languages.

Gaeilge
(Irish)
Gàidhlig
(Gaelic)
Gaelg
(Manx)
Cymraeg
(Welsh)
Kernewek
(Cornish)
Brezhoneg
(Breton)
English
ae adha aane afu avi avu liver
ascaill asgall aghlish
oghlish
asgell askel askell wing
fin
armpit
béal beul beeal gwefus gweus gweuz lip
mouth
bolg bolg bolg bol(a) bolgh bolc'h belly
stomach
bos bas bass bos bas boz palm
fist
broinne broinne brein bron
bryn
bronn bronn breast
hill
ceann ceann kione pen penn penn head
ciall ciall keeall pwyll poll poell mind
sense
cíoch cìoch keeagh cig kig kig breast
meat
flesh
corp corp corp corff korf korf body
craiceann craiceann crackan croen kroghen kroc'hen skin
hide
surface
croí cridhe cree craidd kres kreiz heart
centre
core
dorn dòrn doarn dwrn dorn dorn fist
hand
eite ite fedjag adain aden† attanoc† wing
fin
feather
fabhra
abhra
fabhra
abhra
ferroogh amrant abrans abrant eyelid
eyelash
eyebrow
féith fèith feh gwyth gooth gwazh sinew
muscle
vein
channel
stream
folt falt folt gwallt gols guolt† hair
fuil fuil fuil gweli goli gouli blood
wound
glúin glùin glioon glin glyn glinn knee
gualainn gualainn geaylin
geayliney
ysgywdd skoodh skoaz shoulder
ionga ìne
ionga
yngin ewin ewin ivin (finger/toe)
nail
lámh làmh laue llaw leuv lav hand
arm
sáil sàil saayl sawdl seudhel seul heel
scamhóg sgamhan scowan ysgefaint skevens skevent lung(s)
súil sùil sooill haul howl heol eye
sun
srón sròn stroin ffroen frig froen nose
nostril
teanga teanga çhengey tafod taves teod tongue
language
troigh troigh trie troed troos troad foot
tul tul tool tâl tal tal forehead
brow
head
uillinn uileann uillin elin elin ilin elbow

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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
adhbrann abane ankle
aghaidh aghaidh oai face
front
aineach
eineach
eanach wyneb enep eneb face
honour
reputation
alt alt olt joint
organ
knuckle
éadan aodann eddin brow
forehead
asgwrn askorn askorn bone
ball ball organ
(male) member
blew blew blev hair
bristles
biss† bys bys biz finger
bòc boch bogh boc'h cheek
bloat
bonn bonn boyn sole
base
foot
brac brac braich bregh brec'h arm
hand
brollach brollach brollagh breast
bosom
caill† caill kell kell testicle
calon kolon kalon heart
soul
caolán caolan collane gut
bowel
cefn keyn kein back
cluas cluas cleaysh clust ear
clun klun klun hip
buttocks
cnámh cnàimh craue cnaw bone
skull
cneas cneas cnawd kneus kneud (?) skin
flesh
colainn colann callin celain body
torso
corpse
coludd kolodhyon kaouded intestine
guts
heart
cos cas
cos
cass coes koos leg
foot
cramen kramenn scab
sore
crust
cró crò crau krow blood
gore
déad deud dant dans dant tooth
dreach dreach dreagh drych derch† look
aspect
expression
face
droim druim dreeym back
ridge
éadan aodann eddin front
face
facade
esna asna asney ais asownn rib
fiacail fiacail feeackle
feeackyl
tooth
galba galba gylfin gelvin golv beak
nose
gairr† gar garr gar leg
shank
thigh
gnúis gnùis grooish gnis greuv face
brow
jaw
gob gob gob beak
bill
point
gwaed goos gwad blood
gwddf
gwddw
gwddwg
gouzoug
goûg
throat
neck
inchinn eanchainn ymennydd ympynnyon empenn mind
brain
intinn inntinn inçhyn brain
leiceann lethcheann lieckan cheek
llygad lagas lagad eye
magairle magairle maggle testicle
mala mala mollee malvenn eyebrow
eyelid
eyelash
méar meur mair finger
toe
más màs maaish buttock(s)
ham
thigh
migwrn migorn ankle
knuckle
cartilage
min min min lip
mouth
pout
muineál muineal mwannal mwnwgl
mwnwg
mynwgl
neck
pen-glin
pen-lin
penn glin
/>pedn glin
penn-glin knee
ruighe roih forearm
arm
scornach sgòrnan scoarnagh throat
mouth
tóin tòn thoyn
toinn
tin tin† bottom
buttocks
breech
trwyn tron stroen nose
snot
ucht uchd ught chest
breast
lap
ysgyfarn† skovarn skouarn ear
handle

Words marked* are archaic or obselete.

Notes

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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.

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.

Information about Celtic languages

Breton, Celtiberian, Cornish, Cumbric, Gaulish, Irish, Lepontic, Lusitanian, Manx, Scottish Gaelic, Welsh

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