< Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic

Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/druwits

This Proto-Celtic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Celtic

Etymology

Traditionally taken to be from *daru (“oak”) (from from Proto-Indo-European *dóru (“tree”)) + *wid-, the root of *windeti (“to know, to see”), thus meaning ‘oak-knower’ or ‘tree-knower’. Since 1960s the first part is often derived from Proto-Indo-European *drew- (“firm, solid, hard”), thus meaning ‘one with solid knowledge, great sage’. The connection with ‘oak’ is doubtful both on phonological and historical grounds (Pliny the Elder being the only ancient author drawing the connection, and proposing a folk etymology of the Celtic word as borrowed from Ancient Greek δρῦς (drûs, “oak tree”)).[1][2][3] The first element being an intensifying adverbial modifier of the second element also fits better with other similar compounds preserved in Old Irish: suí (“wise man, sage”) < *suwits (“good knower”), duí (“idiot, fool”) < *duwits (“bad knower”), ainb (“ignorant”) < *anwits (“not knower”).

Noun

*druwits m

  1. druid

Declension
Masculine/feminine consonant stem
singular dual plural
nominative *druwiss *druwide *druwides
vocative *druwiss *druwide *druwides
accusative *druwidam *druwide *druwidams
genitive *druwidos *druwidou *druwidom
dative *druwidei *druwidobom *druwidobos
locative *druwidi — —
instrumental *druwide? *druwidobim *druwidobis

Descendants
  • Proto-Brythonic: *drüw
    • Old Cornish: druw
    • Middle Welsh: dryw
    • → Old English: drȳ (see there for further descendants)
  • Old Irish: druí
  • Gaulish: *druwits, druwides (nominative plural)
    • → Ancient Greek: δρυΐδαι (druḯdai, nominative plural)
    • → Latin: Druidēs (nom.pl.) (see there for further descendants)

References
  1. Bruce Lincoln (1991) “The Druids and Human Sacrifice”, in Death, War, and Sacrifice: Studies in Ideology and Practice, The University of Chicago Press, →ISBN, pages 176, 185
  2. Ronald Hutton (2009) Blood and Mistletoe: The History of the Druids in Britain, →ISBN, pages 16–17
  3. Christian-J. Guyonvarc’h (1960) “Notes d’étymologie et de lexicographie gauloises et celtiques (5), no. 16: Les noms celtiques du ‘chêne’, du ‘druide’ et du ‘roitelet’”, in Ogam, volume 12, pages 49–58
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.