Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/nessais

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

Disputed, with two major schools of thought.^[1] Either way, the superlative *nessamos is cognate with Oscan nessimas and Umbrian 𐌍𐌄𐌔𐌉𐌌𐌄𐌉 (nesimei, “nearest”)^[2] (which can mechanically be traced to Proto-Italic *nessisVmos).

Usually connected with Proto-Indo-Iranian *názdyas (“nearer”) (Sanskrit नेदीयस् (nedīyas), Avestan 𐬥𐬀𐬰𐬛𐬌𐬌𐬋 (nazdiiō)), from Proto-Indo-European *nésdyos (“nearer”), from the root *nesd- (“near”).^[3]
- However, Proto-Celtic *swizdeti and *nizdos show that Proto-Indo-European *-sd- becomes Proto-Celtic *-zd-, which in turn becomes /θ/ in Brythonic and /d/ in Goidelic (compare also *kʷezdis becoming Gaulish *pettyā, Welsh peth and Irish cuid). It does not become Gaulish -đđ- and Insular Celtic *-ss-. The Osco-Umbrian cognates are also inconsistent with *-sd-.
- This problem has a very simple solution; one only has to posit a metathesis in Italic and Celtic from *-sd- to *-ds- > *-ts-, which yields all Italic and Celtic forms straightforwardly.^[4]
- Other solutions to the -ss- problem include proposing an early loss of -i- of the superlative *nezdisamos > *nezdsamos > *nessamos, or to propose that the superlative *nessamos was formed from simple *-tm̥mós in the first place instead of the usual *-isamos.^[5] Both of these routes would then require secondary transfer of the consonantism *-ss- from the superlative *nessamos to comparative *nezd(a)is > *ness(a)is.
Alternatively from Proto-Indo-European *Hnedʰ-so- or *Hnedʰ-to-, from *Hnedʰ- (“to bind”); compare Sanskrit नहुस् (náhus, “neighbor”) and नह्यति (náhyati, “to bind”).^[6]

Adverb

*nessais

nearer, closer

Usage notes

Forms a suppletive comparative to *adgostus (“near”).

Alternative reconstructions

*nezdais^[7]

Related terms

*nessamos (superlative)

Descendants

Proto-Brythonic: *nes
- Middle Breton: nes
  - Breton: nes
- Old Cornish: nes
  - Middle Cornish: nes
- Old Welsh: nes
  - Middle Welsh: nes
    - Welsh: nes
Old Irish: nessa, nesa, neso, nesso, nessu, nesu
- Irish: neasa
  - ⇒ Irish: neas
- Manx: niessey

References

^ Delamarre, Xavier (2003) Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise: une approche linguistique du vieux-celtique continental [Dictionary of the Gaulish language: A linguistic approach to Old Continental Celtic] (Collection des Hespérides; 9), 2nd edition, Éditions Errance, →ISBN, page 233
^ Pedersen, Holger (1909) Vergleichende Grammatik der keltischen Sprachen [Comparative Grammar of the Celtic Languages] (in German), volume I, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, →ISBN, § 49.6, page 80
^ R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “nes”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies
^ Prósper, Blanca María (2018) “The Indo-European Personal Names of Pannonia, Noricum and Northern Italy: Comparative and Superlative Forms in Celtic, Venetic, and South-Picene”, in Voprosy onomastiki, volume 15, number 2, →DOI, pages 108–138
^ Stifter, David (2023) “The rise of gemination in Celtic”, in Open Research Europe‎^[1], volume 3, number 24, →DOI, page 17
^ Matasović, Ranko (2009) “*nesso-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, pages 289–290
^ Jasanoff, Jay (1991) “The origin of the Celtic comparative type OIr. tressa, MW trech ‘stronger’”, in Die Sprache, volume 34, pages 171-189

[1] Delamarre, Xavier (2003) Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise: une approche linguistique du vieux-celtique continental [Dictionary of the Gaulish language: A linguistic approach to Old Continental Celtic] (Collection des Hespérides; 9), 2nd edition, Éditions Errance, →ISBN, page 233

[2] Pedersen, Holger (1909) Vergleichende Grammatik der keltischen Sprachen [Comparative Grammar of the Celtic Languages] (in German), volume I, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, →ISBN, § 49.6, page 80

[3] R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “nes”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies

[4] Prósper, Blanca María (2018) “The Indo-European Personal Names of Pannonia, Noricum and Northern Italy: Comparative and Superlative Forms in Celtic, Venetic, and South-Picene”, in Voprosy onomastiki, volume 15, number 2, →DOI, pages 108–138

[5] Stifter, David (2023) “The rise of gemination in Celtic”, in Open Research Europe‎^[1], volume 3, number 24, →DOI, page 17

[6] Matasović, Ranko (2009) “*nesso-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, pages 289–290

[Jasanoff_adj-7] Jasanoff, Jay (1991) “The origin of the Celtic comparative type OIr. tressa, MW trech ‘stronger’”, in Die Sprache, volume 34, pages 171-189

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