Where does “Gaeltacht” come from?
Gaeltacht (Irish) comes from Irish Gael, from Irish Gaoidheal, from Middle Irish Gaídel, from Old Irish Goídel, from Old Welsh Guoidel, from Proto-Brythonic guɨðel, from Proto-Celtic wēdus, from Proto-Indo-European widʰu- — forest, wood; tree, beam.
Gaeltacht (Irish): Irish-speaking area
Ancestry of “Gaeltacht”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Irish | Gael | Gael, Irish person; Highlander |
| 2 | Irish | Gaoidheal | — |
| 3 | Middle Irish | Gaídel | — |
| 4 | Old Irish | Goídel | Gael |
| 5 | Old Welsh | Guoidel | wild man, warrior |
| 6 | Proto-Brythonic | guɨðel | savage, woodsman |
| 7 | Proto-Celtic | wēdus | wild |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | widʰu- | forest, wood; tree, beam |
Words derived from “Gaeltacht”