Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/salā

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

Sometimes derived from *seh₂l- (“salt”), but Matasović finds this dubious on semantic grouds. Has also been connected with Latin salīva, but this is not wholly convincing either. Matasović notes a possible cognate in Proto-Germanic *salwaz, whence Old English salu.^[1]

Noun

*salā f

dirt

Inflection

Feminine ā-stem
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*salā	*salai	*salās
vocative	*salā	*salai	*salās
accusative	*salam	*salai	*salāms
genitive	*salās	*salous	*salom
dative	*salāi	*salābom	*salābos
locative	*salai	*?	*?
instrumental	*?	*salābim	*salābis

Derived terms

*salākos (“dirty”)

Descendants

Proto-Brythonic:
- Old Welsh: halou
Old Irish: sal
- Irish: sail

References

^ Matasović, Ranko (2009) “*salā”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 319

[Matasovich_1-1] Matasović, Ranko (2009) “*salā”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 319

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