Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/benā

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

A re-formation of *ben (directly inherited from Proto-Indo-European *gʷḗn) as a feminine ā-stem.

Noun

*benā f

1. woman

Declension

Ā-stem, irregular
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*benā	*bnai?	*bnās
vocative	*benā	*bnai?	*bnās
accusative	*benam	*bnai?	*bnams
genitive	*bnās	*bnous	*banom
dative	*bnāi	*bnābom	*bnābos
locative	*bnai	*?	*?
instrumental	*?	*bnābim	*bnābis

Related terms

• *ben
  • Old Irish: bé, ·bǽ, ·bée
    • Irish: bé

Descendants

• Brythonic: *ben
  • Old Breton: ban- (in ban-leu, ban-doiuis)
    • Middle Breton: e-ben
      • Breton: e-ben
  • Old Cornish: benen
    • Cornish: ben, benyn
  • Old Welsh: ben
    • Welsh: benyw, menyw
• Old Irish: ben
  • Scottish Gaelic: bean
  • Irish: bean
  • Manx: ben
• Gaulish: bena, benā, bnanom (genitive plural)