< Reconstruction:Proto-Brythonic
Reconstruction:Proto-Brythonic/-enn
Proto-Brythonic
Etymology
From Proto-Celtic -inyā. Cognate with Old Irish -(i)ne.[1][2][3]
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /enː/
Suffix
*-enn f (masculine *-ɨnn)
- Forms singulatives of collective nouns.
- *llugod (“mice”) + *-enn → *llugodenn (“mouse”)
- *ster (“stars”) + *-enn → *sterenn (“star”)
- *know (“nuts”) + *-enn → *knowenn (“nut”)
- Forms abstract derivatives of certain nouns and adjectives.
- *llɨθer (“letter, missive”) + *-enn → *llɨθerenn (“letter, character, type”)
Descendants
- Old Breton: -enn
- Middle Breton: -enn
- Breton: -enn
- Middle Breton: -enn
- Old Cornish: -en
- Middle Cornish: -en
- Cornish: -en
- Middle Cornish: -en
- Old Welsh: -en
- Middle Welsh: -en
- Welsh: -en
- Middle Welsh: -en
References
- Schrijver, Peter C. H. (1995) Studies in British Celtic historical phonology (Leiden studies in Indo-European; 5), Amsterdam, Atlanta: Rodopi, page 260
- Irslinger, Britta (2010), “Les dérivés gallois, cornique -yn/-en, breton -enn et irlandais -ne: fonction et sémantique”, in La Bretagne Linguistique, page 58
- R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “-yn”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies