Perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *windo-, nasal infix of Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to see”).[1] However, Matasović refrains from assigning any etymology, only mentioning French vandoise (“dace, cub”), saying that it is itself probably a Gaulish borrowing.[2] Other theories relating the Celtic to Proto-Germanic *wintruz (“winter”) are not very semantically convincing.[3]
*windos
- white
O/ā-stem
|
masculine
|
singular
|
dual
|
plural
|
nominative
|
*windos
|
*windou
|
*windoi
|
vocative
|
*winde
|
*windou
|
*windoi
|
accusative
|
*windom
|
*windou
|
*windons
|
genitive
|
*windī
|
*windous
|
*windom
|
dative
|
*windūi
|
*windobom
|
*windobos
|
instrumental
|
*windū
|
*windobim
|
*windobis
|
feminine
|
singular
|
dual
|
plural
|
nominative
|
*windā
|
*windai
|
*windās
|
vocative
|
*windā
|
*windai
|
*windās
|
accusative
|
*windam
|
*windai
|
*windans
|
genitive
|
*windās
|
*windous
|
*windom
|
dative
|
*windai
|
*windābom
|
*windābos
|
instrumental
|
*?
|
*windābim
|
*windābis
|
neuter
|
singular
|
dual
|
plural
|
nominative
|
*windom
|
*windou
|
*windā
|
vocative
|
*windom
|
*windou
|
*windā
|
accusative
|
*windom
|
*windou
|
*windā
|
genitive
|
*windī
|
*windous
|
*windom
|
dative
|
*windūi
|
*windobom
|
*windobos
|
instrumental
|
*windū
|
*windobim
|
*windobis
|
Declension of the comparative
|
masculine
|
singular
|
dual
|
plural
|
nominative
|
*windyūs
|
*?
|
*windyoses
|
vocative
|
*windyūs
|
*?
|
*windyoses
|
accusative
|
*windyosam
|
*?
|
*windyosans
|
genitive
|
*windisos
|
*?
|
*windisom
|
dative
|
*windisei
|
*?
|
*windisbos
|
instrumental
|
*windisī
|
*?
|
*windisbis
|
feminine
|
singular
|
dual
|
plural
|
nominative
|
*windyūs
|
*?
|
*windyoses
|
vocative
|
*windyūs
|
*?
|
*windyoses
|
accusative
|
*windyosam
|
*?
|
*windyosans
|
genitive
|
*windisos
|
*?
|
*windisom
|
dative
|
*windisei
|
*?
|
*windisbos
|
instrumental
|
*windisī
|
*?
|
*windisbis
|
neuter
|
singular
|
dual
|
plural
|
nominative
|
*windis
|
*?
|
*?
|
vocative
|
*windis
|
*?
|
*?
|
accusative
|
*windis
|
*?
|
*?
|
genitive
|
*windisos
|
*?
|
*windisom
|
dative
|
*windisei
|
*?
|
*windisbos
|
instrumental
|
*windisī
|
*?
|
*windisbis
|
- ^ R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “gwyn”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies
- ^ Matasović, Ranko (2009) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 423
- ^ Guus Kroonen (2013) “*wintru-”, in Alexander Lubotsky, editor, Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11)[1], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 588