< Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic

Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/nessais

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

From Proto-Indo-European *Hnedʰ-so- or *Hnedʰ-to-, from *Hnedʰ- (“to bind”); compare Sanskrit नहुस् (náhus, “neighbor”) and नह्यति (náhyati, “to bind”).[1]

The superlative *nessamos is cognate with Oscan nessimas and Umbrian 𐌍𐌄𐌔𐌉𐌌𐌄𐌉 (nesimei, “nearest”).[2]

A different etymology is given by Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, which connects it with Proto-Indo-Iranian *názdyas (“nearer”) (Sanskrit नेदीयस् (nedīyas), Avestan 𐬥𐬀𐬰𐬛𐬌𐬌𐬋‎ (nazdiiō‎)), from Proto-Indo-European *nésdyos (“nearer”), from the root *nesd- (“near”).[3] However, Proto-Celtic *swizdeti and *nizdos show that Proto-Indo-European *-sd- becomes Proto-Celtic *-zd-, which in turn becomes /θ/ in Brythonic and /d/ in Goidelic (compare also *kʷezdis becoming Gaulish *pettyā, Welsh peth and Irish cuid). It does not become Gaulish -ꟈꟈ- and Insular Celtic *-ss-. The Osco-Umbrian cognates are also inconsistent with this hypothesis.

Adjective

*nessais

  1. nearer, closer

Usage notes

Forms a suppletive comparative to *adgostus (“near”).

Alternative reconstructions

Derived terms
  • *nessamos (superlative)
    • Proto-Brythonic: *nesaβ̃
      • Old Breton: nesham
        • Breton: nesañ
      • Old Cornish: nesheuin
      • Middle Welsh: nessaf
    • Old Irish: nessam
    • Gaulish: neꟈꟈamon (genitive plural)

Descendants

References
  1. Matasović, Ranko (2009) “*nesso-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, pages 289–290
  2. Pedersen, Holger (1909) Vergleichende Grammatik der keltischen Sprachen (in German), volume I, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, →ISBN, page 80
  3. R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “nes”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies
  4. Jasanoff, Jay (1991) “The origin of the Celtic comparative type OIr. tressa, MW trech ‘stronger’”, in Die Sprache, volume 34, pages 171-189
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.