Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/kaɸerūxs

This Proto-Celtic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Celtic

Etymology

Possibly from an extension of Proto-Indo-European *kápros (“goat”) (compare *gabros (“goat”)), and thus cognate with Latin caper and Old Norse hafr; but the -ɸr- is difficult to explain as it normally should have become -br- in Proto-Celtic.

Stifter proposes a stem-ablaut variant of Proto-Indo-European *kápros (“goat”), *kápero-, which then compounded with a zero-grade form of *h₃ekʷ- (“to see”) to form a root noun kaperoh₃kʷs. -oh₃- would regularly yield -ū- in a final syllable and -ā- elsewhere. The Brittonic forms would thus show a back-formation from the nominative singular, as a stem-final labial stop was not yielded.

Noun

*kaɸerūxs f

1. sheep

   Synonyms: *dametos, *owis

Inflection

Masculine/feminine consonant stem
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*kaɸerūxs	*kaɸerāke	*kaɸerākes
vocative	*kaɸerūxs	*kaɸerāke	*kaɸerākes
accusative	*kaɸerākam	*kaɸerāke	*kaɸerākams
genitive	*kaɸerākos	*kaɸerākou	*kaɸerākom
dative	*kaɸerākei	*kaɸerākobom	*kaɸerākobos
locative	*kaɸerāki	—	—
instrumental	*kaɸerāke?	*kaɸerākobim	*kaɸerākobis

Descendants

• Old Irish: cauru
  • Middle Irish: cáera
    • Irish: caora
    • Manx: keyrrey
    • Scottish Gaelic: caora
• ⇒ Middle Welsh: kaeriwrch (“roebuck”)
  • Welsh: caeriwrch (“roebuck”)