Where does “Celt” come from?
Celt comes from Latin Celtae, from Ancient Greek Κελτοί, from Proto-Celtic kel-to, from Proto-Indo-European kelh₂-, of unknown ultimate meaning.
Celt (English): A member of one of the ancient peoples of Western Europe called Celtae by the Romans
Definitions
- A member of one of the ancient peoples of Western Europe called Celtae by the Romans
Ancestry of “Celt”, step by step
Celt traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Latin celtis
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | celtis | a tree, considered to be the hackberry; chisel |
| 2 | Latin | certe | certainly, surely; at any rate |
| 3 | Latin | -ē | ly; used to form adverbs from adjectives |
| 4 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 5 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 6 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |