Today we’re looking at the words for belief, religion and related things in Celtic languages.
Words marked with an * are reconstructions.
| Proto-Celtic | *kreddīti = to believe |
|---|---|
| Old Irish (Goídelc) | creitid [ˈkʲrʲedʲiðʲ] = to believe creitem = belief, faith |
| Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) | creitid, craitid = to believe, trust, give allegiance creitem = (act of) believing, being converted; belief, faith, religion; credit, credibility, good standing |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | creid [cɾʲɛdʲ / cɾʲɪdʲ] = to believe, give credence to, suppose creideamh = belief, faith, religion, creed creidiúint = credit creidiúnach = creditable, reputable, respectable creidiúnacht = creditableness, respectability creidiúnaí = creditor creidmheach = believer, believing, faithful creidte = credible |
| Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) | creid [krʲedʲ] = (to) believe, suppose creideadh [krʲedʲəɣ] = belief, creed, faith creideamh [krʲedʲəv] = belief, creed, faith creideas [krʲedʲəs] = faith, credit, credibility, credence creideasachd [krʲedʲəsəxg] = credibility creideasaiche [krʲedʲəsɪçə] = creditor creidmheach [krʲedʲvəx] = believer |
| Manx (Gaelg) | cred [kredʲ] = to believe credjuagh = believer, disciple, believing, believable credjue = belief, creed, conviction, faith, religion |
| Proto-Brythonic | *krėdid = to believe |
| Middle Welsh (Kymraec) | cred, cret, kred = belief, creed, religion, faith credaduy, credadwy = credible, trustworthy, genuine, authentic, certain sure, believed credaw, credu, credv = to believe, have faith in, trust |
| Welsh (Cymraeg) | cred = belief, creed, religion, faith, trust, oath, promise, integrity, fidelity, credit credadwy = credible, trustworthy, genuine, authentic, certain sure, believed crediniaeth = belief, opinion, religion, creed, faith, confidence, credulity credu [ˈkrɛdɨ̞ / ˈkreːdi] = to believe, have faith in, trust, give credit, be disposed, feel inclined |
| Middle Cornish (Cernewec) | cred, crêd, cresy, cregy = belief, faith credgyans, credzhans, cregyans = the Creed, belief |
| Cornish (Kernewek) | krysi, kreji = to believe, think krysadow, kryjus = credible kryjans, krejyans = belief, religion kryjyk = religious |
| Old Breton (Brethonoc) | critim = to believe |
| Middle Breton (Brezonec) | cridiff, credyt, credaff = to believe |
| Breton (Brezhoneg) | krediñ [ˈkreː.dĩ] = to believe, dare kredad = credit kredañ = credenza, wardrobe kredapl = believable, likely kredekaat = to credit kredenn = belief, superstition kreder = believer, creditor kredig, kredik = credulous kredoniezh = caution |
Etymology: from Proto-Indo-European *ḱreddʰh₁-éh₂ / *ḱréddʰh₁eti (to believe, trust) from *ḱḗr (heart) [source]. Words from the same PIE roots include credible, credenza, credit, credo and incredible, in English, credere (to believe, think) in Italian, croire (to believe) in French, and creer (to believe, think, reckon) in Spanish [source].
Sources: Wiktionary, Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic, In Dúil Bélrai English – Old Irish glossary, eDIL – Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language, Teanglann.ie, Am Faclair Beag, An etymological dictionary of the Gaelic language, Fockleyreen: Manx – English Dictionary, Online Manx Dictionary, Gaelg Corpus, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, Lexicon cornu-britannicum : a dictionary of the ancient Celtic language of Cornwall, Gerlyver Kernewek, Devri : Le dictionaire diachronique du breton, Geriafurch, TermOfis