Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/sterkā

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

From Proto-Indo-European *sterg- (“to love”). Cognate to Ancient Greek στέργω (stérgō, “to love”). Matasović notes that the disparity of voicing of the final root consonants can be resolved by assuming a back-formation from a consonant stem because the nominative *-xs can be used by both stems in *-k and *-g.

Noun

*sterkā f

1. love

Declension

Feminine ā-stem
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*sterkā	*sterkai	*sterkās
vocative	*sterkā	*sterkai	*sterkās
accusative	*sterkam	*sterkai	*sterkāms
genitive	*sterkās	*sterkous	*sterkom
dative	*sterkāi	*sterkābom	*sterkābos
locative	*sterkai	*?	*?
instrumental	*?	*sterkābim	*sterkābis

Descendants

• Proto-Brythonic: *serx
  • Breton: serc'h f (“concubine, mistress”)
  • Welsh: serch m
• Old Irish: serc f
  • Irish: searc
  • Scottish Gaelic: seirc

References

• Matasović, Ranko (2009) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 355