Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/brixtā

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

Possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerHǵ- (“enlighten”); compare Proto-Celtic *berxtos (“beautiful, bright”).

Noun

*brixtā f^[1]

spell, magical formula, incantation

Declension

Feminine ā-stem
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*brixtā	*brixtai	*brixtās
vocative	*brixtā	*brixtai	*brixtās
accusative	*brixtam	*brixtai	*brixtāms
genitive	*brixtās	*brixtous	*brixtom
dative	*brixtāi	*brixtābom	*brixtābos
locative	*brixtai	*?	*?
instrumental	*?	*brixtābim	*brixtābis

Descendants

Proto-Brythonic: *briθ
- Old Breton: brith
- Middle Welsh: brythron (“magic wand”), lledfrith (“delusion, illusion”) (in compounds)
  - Welsh: lledrith
Old Irish: bricht
- Middle Irish: bricht
  - Irish: briocht
Gaulish: brixtia
Celtiberian: *bruxtia
- → Spanish: bruja
- → Galician: bruxa
- → Portuguese: bruxa
- → Catalan: bruixa
- → Occitan: bruèissa

References

^ Matasović, Ranko (2009) “*brixta-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, pages 79-80

[Matasovic-1] Matasović, Ranko (2009) “*brixta-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, pages 79-80

[1]