Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/tantus

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 *tén-tu-s ~ *tn̥-téw-s, from *ten- (“to stretch”). Contains *-tus.

Noun

*tantus m

1. cord
2. string

Inflection

Masculine/feminine u-stem
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*tantus	*tantū	*tantowes
vocative	*tantu	*tantū	*tantūs
accusative	*tantum	*tantū	*tantums
genitive	*tantous	*tantous	*tantowom
dative	*tantou	*tantubom	*tantubos
locative	*?	*?	*?
instrumental	*tantū	*tantubim	*tantubis

Alternative reconstructions

• *tantā

Reconstruction notes

The inflection of the word in Goidelic was unstable, leading to scholarly confusion. The Old Irish glosses attest masculine u-stem inflection, but later Gaelic shifted it to ā-stem inflection.

Descendants

• Proto-Brythonic: *tant
  • Old Breton: tanntou pl
    • Breton: tant (“cord”)
  • Old Welsh: tantou pl
    • Middle Welsh: tant
      • Welsh: tant
• Old Irish: tét (“cord, string”)
  • Middle Irish: tét f
    • Irish: téad
    • Manx: tead
    • Scottish Gaelic: teud