Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/uɸostos

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.

• *wastos^[1]

Derived from Proto-Indo-European *upo-sth₂-ó-s (“standing beneath”), from *upó (“under”) +‎ *steh₂- (“to stand”) +‎ *-ós (“agent suffix”).^[2][3] Matasović, however, is confused at how the -o- in *uɸo- became -a- in Gaulish and Brythonic.^[1] However, Schrijver believes that in Brythonic, sequences of *wo regularly split into *wa and *wo depending on whether the *w was lenited; in this case, the vowel in the Brythonic descendants would be generalized from the lenited form. The Gaulish conversion of *wo to ua is regular.^[4]

*uɸostos m

1. servant

• Proto-Brythonic: *gwass
  • Middle Breton: uuas, guas
    • Breton: gwaz
  • Cumbric: gos
  • Old Cornish: guas
    • Cornish: gwas
  • Old Welsh: guas
    • Middle Welsh: gwas
      • Welsh: gwas
• Old Irish: foss
  • Scottish Gaelic: fasdadh
• Gaulish: *uassos
  • → Latin: Vassa (cognomen of a Brescian)
  • → Late Latin: vassus
    • ⇒ Medieval Latin: vassallus (see there for further descendants)