Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/sanestos

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

Of unclear origin. The usual comparison to Proto-Celtic *swannati (from Proto-Indo-European *swenh₂- (“to sound”)) is formally very unlikely, as proto-Celtic *sw- regularly corresponds to chw- in Welsh, yet the Welsh descendant of this root features an h- instead. Perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *sn-Hes-to- (“wisdom of the elders, ancient lore”) (which would semantically shift to "advice" > "whisper"), from *sénos (“old”); however, this is semantically bold and makes an assumption that "advice" was the original meaning.

Noun

*sanestos m

1. secret, whisper
2. advice, counsel
3. history

Declension

Masculine o-stem
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*sanestos	*sanestou	*sanestoi
vocative	*saneste	*sanestou	*sanestoi
accusative	*sanestom	*sanestou	*sanestoms
genitive	*sanestī	*sanestous	*sanestom
dative	*sanestūi	*sanestobom	*sanestobos
locative	*sanestei	*?	*?
instrumental	*sanestū	*sanestobim	*sanestūis

Descendants

• Proto-Brythonic: *hanes
  • Cornish: hanas, hanys (“sigh”)
  • Middle Welsh: hanes
    • Welsh: hanes
• Middle Irish: sanas, sanais
  • Irish: sanas
  • Manx: sannish
  • Scottish Gaelic: sanas

References

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “sanas”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “hanes”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies