Gaulish Personal Name Elements
Recently, I checked out a copy of Gaulish personal names: a study of some Continental Celtic formations, by D. Ellis Evans (2005, I believe). While I was reading it, I made a chart that included a number of Gaulsih name elements and his translations. I’m providing it here, in hopes that it will help others who are working hard to figure out some of the names.
Some notes on the table below:
- This is an incomplete table. While it does include all the name elements in the book, it does not include all the meanings given. I encourage you to purchase or check out the book for a more complete list.
- The “meanings” may have other synonymous meanings, as well. Those were not always included in an effort to make the table readable.
- The “Misc.” column indicates some cognates, some usage, and some other interesting tidbits. Really, things in that column could refer to just about anything.
- In 2003, an article was published in Etudes Celtiques: “Gaulish Personal Names: An Update,” which you can find on the Persee site.
Enjoy!
The Elements, meanings, and other items:
| element | meaning 1 | meaning 2 | meaning 3 | Misc. |
| -acto- | to drive | |||
| ad- | to | ad + subj | intensive (i.e. very great) | |
| aged-, ages-, agid-, agis- | face | hill | i.e. OIr aged-ban: ‘pale faced’ | |
| allo- | other | second | (foreign) | |
| ambi- | around | about | occ. Intensive | |
| ambio- | enclosure | fenced in | ||
| ande- | intensive prefix | |||
| ario-, areo- | nobleman? | he who is before | ||
| ate- | ? | re-? | ||
| aud-, -aud- | to swell? | fated? | ||
| bal-, ball- | white | white-peaked | ||
| banu- | pig, esp. a young pig | |||
| bil-, bill- | agreeable | good | ||
| boduo- | crow? | |||
| bogio- | fight | bruiseur | ||
| bor- | fat | strong | ||
| borm-, boru-, borb- | boil | agitated | ||
| boud- | victory | |||
| brog- | boarder | territory | ||
| camul- | potentas– able, powerful | |||
| caro- | love | friend | carenum- nectar, sweet wine | |
| caragus- fortune teller | ||||
| cart- | clean | scrape, rub | ||
| cassi-, casses | love/hate | superior | holy | |
| catu- | battle | fight | oft. App. First element | |
| cen- | lineage | spring from | ||
| cingo-, cingeto- | to go | to amble | ||
| cintu- | first | |||
| clouto-, cloto-, cluto- | famous | to hear | ||
| -cno- | patronymic suffix; to spring from | |||
| com-, con-, co-, cov-, (covi-), ?cob- | prefix denotes participation or connection | |||
| comnert-, cobnert-, convert-, covinert- | helpful | strength | privy to a secret | |
| cot-, cott- | food | sustenance | ||
| cumb- | cup | drinking vessel | ||
| dago-, daco- | good | can be intensive | ||
| danno- | judge | |||
| devo- | god | |||
| di- | out of, from | |||
| donno- | brown, dark | noble, king | ||
| du- | pejorative prefix | |||
| dubno-, dumno- | deep | world | ||
| epo- | horse | |||
| equ- | horse | |||
| esu-, esus | lord? | vital spirit? | wish? | Divine name |
| ex-, exs-, es-, ec- | out of | |||
| gen-, -gen(n)- | is born | begets | ||
| oft. First name is a divine name (Camulogenus) | ||||
| an abstract noun (Boduogenus) | ||||
| a river or sea name (Morigenos) | ||||
| an animal name (Matugenus) | ||||
| the name of a tree (Vernogenus) | ||||
| or of a mineral (Isarnogenos) | ||||
| gnato- | born | customary | second element only | |
| gno- | to beget | |||
| gon(n)- | born from | slays | ||
| iant-, iat-, iet-, ient-, iot- | longing | wish | ||
| lano- | full | even, flat | ||
| lati- | warrior | |||
| litano- | wide | broad | ||
| litavi- | earth | land | ||
| litu- | festival | luck | prosperity | |
| lucot- | mouse | shrew | ||
| lugu- | light | divine name Lugh | ||
| magu- | youth | slave | vassal | |
| mandu- | pony | learn | ||
| maro- | great | exclusive 2nd or 3rd element | ||
| matu-, mato-, mati- | bear | good | ||
| mori- | sea | |||
| mot- | amazement | stupor | a man | |
| namo-, namio-, namanto-, etc. | sanctuary | take | lord | |
| nantu- | valley | stream | ||
| nerto- | strength | might | power | |
| ollo- | great | all | ||
| orbio- | patrimony | estate | heir | |
| orgeto- | killer | striker | ||
| rato- | grace | career? | ||
| rectu- | law | |||
| -redo- | level | smooth | easy | |
| reg-, ric-, rig-, -rig-, -ric-, -reig-, -rix, -rex | ||||
| -reix, -ris, -ri | king | |||
| ret(t)-, reds-, rest-, res(s)-, rot(t)-, rit(t)- | run | |||
| sag- | approaches | seeks out | ||
| samo- | summer | |||
| sed- | sit | |||
| sego- | strength | vigor | daring | |
| su- | good | |||
| suadu- | sweet | |||
| talo- | swelling | shield boss | wave crest | cog. W/ “world”? |
| tanco- | peace | |||
| tarvo-, (tauro-) | bull | |||
| tasco-, tasgo- | peg? | company? | ||
| tecto- | to cover | possess | ||
| teuto- | tribe | people | ||
| val-, vall- | to be strong | powerful | ||
| vebru- | amber | |||
| vellauno- | woolen | seer? | ||
| veni- | family | kin-slayer | ||
| ver- | on, over | |||
| verto-, vorto- | pour out | turn | ||
| vic-, vict-, vec-, vect- | fights | village | time | |
| viro- | man | bracelets? | ||
| vo- | under |
