This is a list ofSpanish words ofCeltic origin. It is further divided into words that are known (or thought) to have come fromGaulish and those that have come from an undeterminedCeltic source. Some of these words existed inLatin asloanwords from a Celtic source. Some of these words have alternateetymologies and may also appear on a list ofSpanish words from a differentlanguage. Any form with anasterisk (*) is unattested and thereforehypothetical.
embajador "ambassador" and this from gaulishambi-actos "who serves around".
jabalina, from Middle Frenchjaveline, diminutive ofjavelot; akin to Irishgabhla "spear", Welshgaflach "dart", Bretongavelod
tenería "tannery", from Frenchtannerie, fromtan "tanbark"; akin to Bretontann "red oak", Old Cornishtannen, Old and Modern Irishtinne "mass of metal from furnace; metal bar, ingot"; (ogham letter) "holly, elder".
pingüino "penguin" from fr.pingouin.
tonel "barrel" from Frenchtonel and this from Celtic *tunna "skin"
abedul "birch tree" from late Latinbetula "birch", diminutive of Gaulishbetuā "birch"; akin to Old Irishbethe, Irish/Scottishbeith, Manxbeih, Welshbedw, Bretonbezv. The 'a' ofabedul is by the influence of Spanishabeto "fir tree.
alondra "lark" (OSpaloa), from Gaulishalauda "crest lark", derivative of *ala "swan", akin to Irisheala and Welshalarch
ambuesta, (also Catalanembosta,almosta), from Gaulishambostā "hands together"; akin to Old Irishimbas
amelga, (also Galicianembelga) from *ambelica, fromambi "around" +el- "to go" + -ica; akin to Old Irishadellaim "to visit, go to", Welshelo "I went", Cornishella "he was going"
añicos "smithereens" (also Galiciananaco, Old Catalananyoc), from *ann- + -acos
Old Spanisharapende "arpent"; akin to Old Irishairchenn "end, extremity", Welsharbenn "chief" anderbyn "against", Cornisherbynn "id."
banzo "cross-bar", (also Galicianbanzo) from *wankio "bar, beam"; akin to Irishféige "ridgepole"
baranda "railing, balustrade", (also Portuguesevaranda, Catalanbarana) from *varandā, from *rannā "part, portion"; Welshrhan, Cornish/Bretonrann, Irishroinn
beleño "henbane", frombelenion (Pseudo-Aristotle,De plantis, 7.821); akin to Welshbela "henbane", Old Irishbéal "sun"
belga "ofBelgium, a Belgian": fromLatinBelga, singular ofBelgae, from GaulishBelgae, possibly meaning "the threatening (ones), the swollen (ones)," theIEroot *bʰel-ǵʰ- (cf. Dutchbelgen 'to worsen', originally 'to swell'), enlargement of *bʰel- "toswell";[1] akin to Old Irishbolgaid '(s)he swells'.
berrendo "bicolor; pronghorn", originally just "pronghorn", from *barrovindos "white-tipped", from *barros "tip, peak" +vindos "white"; akin to Irish/Bretonbarr "peak", Cornish/Welshbar "id."; also Old Irishfind, Ir/Scfionn, Welshgwyn, Bretongwenn
berro "watercress", (also Galicianberro) from *beruro; akin to Welshberwr, Breton/Cornishbeler, Old Irishbirar, Irishbiolar, Scottish Gaelicbiolaire
centollo "spider crab", (also Galiciancentolo, Portuguesesantola) from Celticcintu "first" +ollos "large, big", referring to the fact it is larger than more common species of crabs; akin to Bretonkent "before", Cornishkens,kyns "before, early", Welshcynt "id.", Irishcéad "first"; and Middle Irisholl "big, large", Welsh/Cornisholl "all, entire"
colmena "beehive" (also Portuguesecolmeia, Galiciancolmea), from *colmēnā "made from straw", from *colmos "straw" (cf. Leonesecuelmo "straw"); akin to Bretonkolo "stalk" (MBrkoloff)
combleza "mistress, home-wrecker", (also Old Galiciancombooça) from OSpcomblueça ~conborça, from *combortia, from *com-berō "to take"; akin to Welshcymeryd,cymryd 'to take', Bretonkemer,komer, Cornishkemeres 'to take', Irishcobirth 'help'
combo "bent", from *combos; akin to
correa=belt, from Gallo-Latincorrigia "strap" (compare also Galiciancorre "twisted twig using as a bond"); akin to Old Irishcuimrech "fetter", Scottishcuibhreach "bond, chain", Welshcyfrwy "saddle", Middle Welshkyfreieu "leashes", Cornishkevrenn "fastening, link", Bretonkevre "link, bond"
cresa "maggot" (also Galiciancareixa), olderqueresa "maggot", from *carisia "decay"; akin to Old Irishdoro-chair "to fall", Irishtorchair, Scottishtorchuir
duerna "trough" (also Galiciandorna), from *durnos "hand"; akin to Irishdorn, Welshdwrn, Bretondourn
engorar "to addle", in OSp "to brood" (also Galiciangorar "to brood, sit on eggs"); akin to Old Irishgorid 'to warm', Welsh/Cornishgori 'to brood, sit (on eggs)', Bretongoriñ
galga "large stone", from *gallicā, from *gallos; akin to Old Irishgall 'stone pillar',gallán 'standing stone'
gancho "hook" (also Frenchjachère "fallow field"), from *ganscio "small curved branch"; akin to Old Irishgesca "branch"
garra "claw, talon"; akin to Welshgar "leg", Corn/Bretgarr "leg, stalk, stem", Old Irishgairri "calves of the leg", Irishcara
garza "heron" (also Portuguesegarça), from *cárcia; akin to Welshcrychydd, Cornishkerghydh, Bretonkerc'heiz
gavilla "handful", fromgabella, from *gabali; akin to Irishgabhaim "to take", Welshgafael "to grasp, hold", Cornishgavel; also Welshgefel "tongs", Breton/Cornishgevel, Old Irishgabál
greña (OSpgreñón "hair, beard"), from *grennos; akin to Old Irishgrend "beard", Irishgreann, Welshgrann "eyelid", Bretongourenn
gubia "gouge" (also Portuguesegoiva, Frenchgouge), from *gulbia; akin to Old Irishgulba "sting", Scottishgilb "chisel", Old Welshgilb "piercer", Welshgylf "beak", Old Bretongolb "beak", Bretongolv "tailless"
güero ~huero "vain, vacuous, without substance", from dialectalgorar "to brood, sit on eggs" (seeengorar above)
legua "league", from Late Latinleucas; akin to Old Irishlíe (gen.líac) "stone", Irishliag
Old Spanishmañero 'sterile, infertile', from *mannuarius, derivative of Latinmannus 'dwarf horse' (cf. Portuguesemaninho 'sterile'), from Gaulish *mandos (cf. Basquemando 'mule')
mina "mine", from *mēna (also Asturianmena "vein"), from *meina "ore"; akin to Welshmwyn "ore", Cornishmoen, Irishmíanach
páramo "moor", attested asparami, from *par- +-amus (superlative).[3]
pinzón "finch" (var. pinchón; also Catalanpinsà, Occitanquinçon, Tuscanpincióne) from Gaulishpinciō(ne); akin to Welshpinc, Bretonpint
quejigo "Portuguese oak", from earliercajigo, from Asturiancaxigu (also Aragonesecaxico, caixico "oak", Galiciancaxigo "Portuguese oak"), from *cass- (cf. Gasconcasse, Frenchchêne) +-ico; akin to Middle Irishcas "curly, gnarled",cassaim "to bend", Irishcas "to twist, turn, spin", Old Welshcascord, Welshcosgordd "twist"
rodaballo "brill, seabass", from *rota-ballos "round-limbed", fromrota "wheel, circle" +ballos "limb"; akin to Old Irishroth, Welshrhod, Cornishros, Bretonrod and Irishball "limb", Welshballeg ‘sack, purse’, Cornishballek ‘bow-net’
sábalo "shad" (also Portuguesesável, Catalansaboga, Galiciansable), from *sabolos; akin to Old Irishsam "summer", Welshhaf, Bretonhañv, Cornishhav, with typical Celtic m > b lenition
saya; akin to Middle Irishsén "snare",semmen "rivet", Welshhoenyn "snare",hemin "rivet"
sel, from *sedlon "seat"; akin to Old Welshhadl
serna "tilled or sown field" (also Old Galiciansenara, Galiciansenra, Portugueseseara), from *senaro, from *sen "separate, apart" + *aro "field"; akin to Old Irishsain "alone", Welshhan "other", Cornishhonan "self, one's own", and Irishár, Welshâr, Cornish/Bretonar.
soga (also Portuguese/Italiansoga, Old Frenchseuwe), from Gaulish *sōca; akin to Welsh/Cornishsyg "chain", Bretonsug "harness trace", Irishsuag "rope", Scottishsùgan "straw rope"
taladro, (also Galiciantrado) from *taratron; akin to Welshtaradr "drill", Irishtarachair, Cornishtarder, Bretontarar
tarugo, from *tarūcon; akin to Scottishtarag,tarrag "nail, stud"
tejón "badger" (also Portuguesetexugo, Catalanteixó,toixó, Old Frenchtaisson, Italiantasso), from OSptexón, from Gaulish *taskios; akin to Old Irish (person's name)Tadg "badger", Scottishtaghan "marten", Old Welsh (person's name)Teuhuant
tollo "mire, muddy place" (also Catalantoll "pool in a river", Galiciantol "dam"), from *tollos; akin to Irish/Cornishtoll "hole", Welshtwll, Bretontoull
tona, from Galiciantona "skin, bark", from Gaulish *tunna, "skin, hide, rind"; akin to Old Irishtonn "skin, surface", Irishtonn "hide, skin", Welshton "skin", Cornishton "surface", Bretontonnen "rind, surface". From the same source came Late Latintunna 'wine-cask',[4] whence Frenchtonne 'tun' (wine-cask)',tonneau 'barrel'.
tranca "club, cudgel" (also Portuguese/Galiciantranca "door bolt"), from *tarinca; akin to Old Irishtairinge "iron nail, tine", Irishtairne "metal nail", Scottishtairnge "nail"
yezgo, yiezgo "elder" (also Asturianeldu, Galicianengo, Occitanaugué,êgou), from olderyedgo,iedgo, from *edecus, alteration of Gaulishodecus,odicus (Marcellus Empiricus,De medicamentis liber, 7.13), which was also loaned into GermanAttich "dwarf elder, danewort",Old Saxonaduk, Dutchhadik.
bateríabattery: fromFrenchbatterie (originally referred to a battery ofkitchen utensils made with ahammer), frombattre, fromLatinbattere, battuere, seebatir below.
batir to hit, strike: fromLatinbattere, battuere, "to beat, strike," probably of Celtic origin.
bohemio abohemian, ofBohemia,vagabond,eccentric,Gitano,Gypsy: frombohemio/Bohemia (from the belief that theGitanos came from Bohemia), from LatinBoihaemum, literally "place of the Boi/Boii", from tribal nameBoii +-haemum fromGermanic *xaim- "home" (seebohemiohere). Theetymology of Boii is disputed, either "cattle-owners" or "warriors, strikers".
jabalina, from Middle Frenchjaveline, diminutive ofjavelot; akin to Irishgabhla "spear", Welshgaflach "dart", Bretongavelod
teneria "tannery", from Frenchtannerie, fromtan "tanbark"; akin to Bretontann "red oak", Old Cornishtannen, Old and Modern Irishtinne "mass of metal from furnace; metal bar, ingot; (ogham letter) "holly, alder".
^This word is known in the native lexicon of the Celtiberian region in Roman times in names and adjectives: PARAMI (CIL II 266), and the town Segontia Paramica. The word could belong to a Hispanic Celtic language which preserved the phoneme /p/ or to another Western Indo-European language asLusitanian (X. Ballester "Páramo' o del problema de la */P/ en celtoide",Studi celtici 3, 2004, 45-56).
Cornelius Joseph Crowly, "New Linguistic Date for Hispano-Celtic: An Evaluation",Bono Homini Donum: Essays in Historical Linguistics in Memory of J. Alexander Kerns, vol. 1, ed., Yoël L. Arbeitman & Allan R. Bomhard (Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 1981), pp. 73–85.
Guido Gómez de Silva,Breve diccionario etimológico de la lengua española (ISBN968-16-2812-8)
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edn. (2000).
