Where does “hethen” come from?
hethen (Old Cornish) comes from Proto-Brythonic edn, from Proto-Celtic ɸetnos, from Proto-Indo-European péth₂r̥, from Proto-Indo-European peth₂- — to spread out; to fly.
Ancestry of “hethen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Brythonic | edn | bird |
| 2 | Proto-Celtic | ɸetnos | bird |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | péth₂r̥ | wing; feather |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | peth₂- | to spread out; to fly |