Where does “Irish” come from?

Irish comes from Old Irish Ériu, which derives from Proto-Celtic ɸīweryū, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European peyH-.

Irish (English): The Goidelic language indigenous to Ireland, also...

Definitions

  1. The Goidelic language indigenous to Ireland, also...

Ancestry of “Irish”, step by step

Irish traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English Irisce

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishIrisce—
2Old EnglishĪrasIrishmen
3Old NorseÍrarIrishmen
4Old IrishÉriuIreland
5Primitive Irish*Īweriū—
6Proto-CelticΦīweryū—
7Proto-Indo-EuropeanpiHweryon-—
8Proto-Indo-EuropeanpeyH-fat, milk

via Middle English Irish

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishIrishIrish

Words derived from “Irish”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European peyH- →