Reconstruction:Proto-Brythonic/egluɨs

This Proto-Brythonic entry contains reconstructed words 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-Brythonic

Etymology

From earlier *eglēs, borrowed from Vulgar Latin *eclēsia, from Latin ecclēsia, from Ancient Greek ἐκκλησία (ekklēsía, “assembly, congregation”).

The sound change *ē > *uɨ is regular in Proto-Brythonic (compare Proto-Brythonic *lluɨd from Proto-Celtic *ɸlētos), but had evidently not yet occurred when place-name instances of *eglēs in the north were being borrowed into Old English; Jackson (1953) dates this change to the late 7th century.[1]

Noun

*egluɨs f (plural *egluɨsow)

church

Descendants

Old Breton: [Term?]
- Middle Breton: ylis
  - Breton: iliz
Old Cornish: eglos
- Middle Cornish: eglos, egles, eglus
  - Cornish: eglos
Old Welsh: eccluys
- Middle Welsh: eglwys, egluys
  - Welsh: eglwys
→ English: Eccles (predating *ē > *uɨ)[2][3]
- ⇒ English: Eccleston (+ -ton), Eccleshill (+ hill), etc.[4]

Notes

Jackson (1953), p. 335
Jackson (1953), p. 227.
/g/ > /k/ is regular assuming borrowing into Old English, which did not have intervocalic /g/ except after a nasal; Jackson (1953), p. 557
James (2020), p. 126

Bibliography

Jackson, K. H. (1953) Language and History in Early Britain, Edinburgh University Press

James, Alan G. (2020), “The Brittonic Language in the Old North - A Guide to the Place-Name Evidence”, in Scottish Place Name Society‎

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

[1] Jackson (1953), p. 335

[2] Jackson (1953), p. 227.

[3] /g/ > /k/ is regular assuming borrowing into Old English, which did not have intervocalic /g/ except after a nasal; Jackson (1953), p. 557

[4] James (2020), p. 126