Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/lexstrom

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

Root derivation unclear, though all etymologies require a suffixed *-strom.

  • Matasović, presuming the original meaning was "something made of wickerwork," reconstructs an earlier form *ɸlexstrom, from Proto-Indo-European *pleḱ- (“to weave, twine”), see also Latin plecto, Ancient Greek πλέκω (plékō).[1]
  • The GPC derives this from *les- (“to collect, gather”), reconstructing simple *lestrom. But this proto-form suffers from being unable to explain Old Irish lestar unless a borrowing from Brittonic to Irish is supposed. This issue could be sidestepped by instead supposing *lesstrom.
  • Schrijver also entertains a derivation from Proto-Indo-European *leg- (“to leak”).[2]

Old Irish lestar is traditionally taken to be a Brittonic borrowing due to the -st- cluster not reducing to -s-. However, Schrijver points out that -xstr- clusters regularly do not lose the *t in Irish, making the positing of a borrowing unnecessary.[2]

Noun

*lexstrom n

  1. vessel, dish

Inflection

Neuter o-stem
singular dual plural
nominative *lestrom *lestrou *lestrā
vocative *lestrom *lestrou *lestrā
accusative *lestrom *lestrou *lestrā
genitive *lestrī *lestrous *lestrom
dative *lestrūi *lestrobom *lestrobos
locative *lestrei *? *?
instrumental *lestrū *lestrobim *lestrūis

Descendants

  • Proto-Brythonic: *llestr
  • Old Irish: lestar

References

  1. ^ Matasović, Ranko (2009), “*lestro-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 238
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Schrijver, Peter (2022), “The Development of Proto-Celtic *st in British Celtic”, in Simon Rodway, Jenny Rowland, and Erich Poppe, editors, Celts, Gaels, and Britons: Studies in Language and Literature from Antiquity to the Middle Ages in Honour of Patrick Sims-Williams (Medieval Texts and Cultures of Northern Europe), Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols, →ISBN

Further reading

  • R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “lestr”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies
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