 | ThisProto-Celtic entry containsreconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directlyattested, but are hypothesized to have existed based oncomparative evidence. |
Generally agreed to be related toLatincreta(“clay, chalk, soil”), but the relationship is mysterious.[1][2][3] The Latin word itself could be related tocerno(“I separate”),Ancient Greekκρίνω(krínō,“to divide, separate”), fromProto-Indo-European*krey-.
Mallory & Adams reconstruct*tkʷreh₁yot-, addingTocharian Btukri(“clay”);[4] Matasovic suggests*kʷreh₁ +Proto-Celtic*-yet-, adding that the Tocharian words could have had their own prefix. However, these all could have instead been borrowed from a non-Indo-Europeansubstrate.
*kʷrīyets ?
| singular | dual | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | *kʷrīyets | *kʷrīyete | *kʷrīyetes |
| vocative | *kʷrīyets | *kʷrīyete | *kʷrīyetes |
| accusative | *kʷrīyetam | *kʷrīyete | *kʷrīyetans |
| genitive | *kʷrīyetos | *kʷrīyetou | *kʷrīyetom |
| dative | *kʷrīyetei | *kʷrīyetobom | *kʷrīyetobos |
| locative | *kʷrīyeti | — | — |
| instrumental | *kʷrīyete? | *kʷrīyetobim | *kʷrīyetobis |