ceinach

Welsh

Etymology

From *cein +‎ -ach,[1] derived from an otherwise unattested Proto-Celtic *kasnī,[2] from Proto-Indo-European *ḱh₂s-n-. Cognates include Old Prussian sasnis (“hare”), Pashto سوی (soe, “hare”), Sanskrit शश (śaśa, “hare”), Proto-Germanic *hasô (“hare”) (whence English hare), Latin cānus (“white”), cascus (“old”).

Related to Welsh cannu (“to whiten”). Thus ceinach originally meant "(the) grey/white one".[3]

Likely unrelated to Latin cuniculus (rabbit) and all its derivations.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈkei̯naχ/

Noun

ceinach f (plural ceinachod or ceinych)

  1. (archaic) hare
    Synonym: ysgyfarnog

Mutation
Welsh mutation
radical soft nasal aspirate
ceinach geinach ngheinach cheinach
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References
  1. R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “ceinach”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies
  2. Matasović, Ranko (2009) “kasni-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 192
  3. https://www.academia.edu/428962/Against_a_Proto-Indo-European_phoneme_a
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.