Reconstruction:Proto-Brythonic/kėw

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This Proto-Brythonic 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-Brythonic

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Etymology

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From Proto-Celtic *kawyos,[1] perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *ḱh₁u-yó-s, from *ḱewh₁- (to swell). Cognate with Old Irish cuae, cue (hollow) (whence Irish cuas), Latin cavus. Doublet of *koudọd, borrowed from Latin cavitātem.

Adjective

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*kėw

  1. hollow

Alternative reconstructions

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Reconstruction notes

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An Old Cornish or Middle Cornish descendant is not directly attested, but a cognate form *kew can be inferred from a number of toponyms.[4] By contrast Cornish kow is a neologism, perhaps formed by analogy with Welsh cau in comparison with pairs such as Welsh cnau, Cornish know (nuts) (from Proto-Brythonic *know), and Welsh crau, Cornish krow (gore) (from Proto-Brythonic *krow).

Descendants

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  • Middle Breton: queu
  • Middle Cornish: *kew (see notes)
  • Middle Welsh: keu

References

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  1. ^ Zair, Nicholas (2011) “Olr cuae, MW keu, MB queu 'hollow'”, in Ériu[1], volume 61
  2. ^ Matasović, Ranko (2009) “kuwo-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 230
  3. ^ Pokorny, Julius (1959) Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 2, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, page 592
  4. ^ Padel, Oliver James (1985) Cornish place-name elements, page 57

Further reading

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  • R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “cau”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies