Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/krāb-

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

Unknown. Matasović is unconvinced by Pokorny's comparison to Sanskrit विश्रम्भते (viśrambhate, “to trust, confide, rely on”) from a putative root *ḱrebʰ-, since the Celtic words would require a peculiar long *ō grade of such a root.

Noun

*krāb- gender unattested

1. devotion, piety
2. religion

Reconstruction notes

• The original stem class of this word cannot be determined due to only derivatives with wildly differing suffixes being attested. Matasović's i-stem reconstruction has no evidence.
• Matasović's claim that the Goidelic forms contain *-i-tus is incorrect, since only o-stem inflection ever existed even in Old Irish. In addition, *-tus attaches to verb stems, not noun stems.
• Koch's reconstruction *krabidus is mechanical and cannot explain the long á in Goidelic.
• The e in Welsh is due to the influence of credu (“to believe”).

Derived terms

• *krāb-V-tos
  • Old Irish: crábud
    • Middle Irish: crábud
      • Irish: crábhadh
      • Manx: crauee (“religious”)
      • Scottish Gaelic: cràbhadh
• Unsorted terms:
  • ⇒ Middle Welsh: crefyd, crevyd
    • Welsh: crefydd