Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/bodyā

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.

Pokorny's derivation from Proto-Indo-European *bʰewdʰ- (“to be awake”) is questioned by Matasović^[1] and Schrijver for semantic reasons. Schrijver instead brings up the alternative *bʰed- (“to make better”) as the root.^[2]

*bodyā f

1. satisfaction
2. pleasure

The formations of the descendant forms are unclear.

• Schrijver prefers to unite the Brittonic and Goidelic forms under one form *bodyā. *-yā regularly disappears without a trace in Brittonic while yielding -e in Goidelic. The masculine gender of the Brittonic words would have to be secondary in this case.
• Matasović would rather reconstruct a base *bodos for the Brittonic masculine words, and derives buide from an *-iyā of this base.

Schrijver's reconstruction is adopted here out of simplicity.

• Proto-Brythonic: *boð m
  • Cornish: both
  • Middle Welsh: bodd, bot, bod
    • Welsh: bodd
  • ⇒ Proto-Brythonic: *boðlọn (“content, satisfied”)
    • Old Breton: bodlon
    • ⇒ Old Welsh: anbodlaun
    • Middle Welsh: boðlawn, botlawn
      • Welsh: bodlon
• Old Irish: buide (“gratitude”)
  • Irish: buí (“thanks”)
  • Scottish Gaelic: buidhe (“thanks”)
  • ⇒ Manx: booise