Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/ɸrobert-

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

Stifter resorts to a derivation from effectively *ɸro- (“before”) +‎ *bereti (“to carry”).^[1]

Noun

*ɸrobert- gender unattested

Reconstruction notes

Reconstructing a single form to account for all Celtic reflexes is impossible, due to Welsh having two contradictory and coexisting forms rhyferthi and rhyferthwy.

Old Irish robartae f can come from either *ɸrobertiyā, *ɸrobertesā, or *ɸrobertowyā.
Middle Welsh rhyferthi and Breton reverzhi can only come from *ɸrobertesā.
Welsh rhyferthwy is best taken as reflecting *ɸrobertowyos.

Descendants

Proto-Brythonic:
- Old Breton: rebirthi
  - Middle Breton: reverziou (pl.)
    - Breton: reverzhi
- Middle Welsh: rhyferthi, rhyferthwy
  - Welsh: rhyferthwy
Old Irish: robartae
- Middle Irish: robarta
  - Irish: rabharta
  - Scottish Gaelic: rabhart
  - Manx: roayrt

References

^ Stifter, David (2023) “With the Back to the Ocean: The Celtic Maritime Vocabulary”, in Kristian Kristiansen, Guus Kroonen and Eske Willerslev, editors, The Indo-European Puzzle Revisited Integrating Archaeology, Genetics, and Linguistics, Cambridge University Press, pages 172-192

[1] Stifter, David (2023) “With the Back to the Ocean: The Celtic Maritime Vocabulary”, in Kristian Kristiansen, Guus Kroonen and Eske Willerslev, editors, The Indo-European Puzzle Revisited Integrating Archaeology, Genetics, and Linguistics, Cambridge University Press, pages 172-192

[1]