Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/towissus

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

From *to- (“to, towards”) +‎ *wissus (“knowledge”).[1]

Noun

*towissus m[2]

act of leading, beginning
leadership

Inflection

Masculine/feminine u-stem
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*towissus	*towissū	*towissowes
vocative	*towissu	*towissū	*towissūs
accusative	*towissum	*towissū	*towissums
genitive	*towissous	*towissous	*towissowom
dative	*towissou	*towissubom	*towissubos
locative	*?	*?	*?
instrumental	*towissū	*towissubim	*towissubis

Alternative reconstructions

*tuwestus[3]
*tuwissus[4]

Descendants

Proto-Brythonic: *togwɨs
- Middle Welsh: tywys
  - Welsh: tywys
Old Irish: tús, tuus
- Irish: tús
- Scottish Gaelic: tùs

References

Lewis, Henry; Pedersen, Holger (1989) A Concise Comparative Celtic Grammar, 3rd edition, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, →ISBN, page 47; 266
Matasović, Ranko (2009), “*to-wissu-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 386
Koch, John (2004), “leading *tu-westu-”, in English–Proto-Celtic Word-list with attested comparanda, University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies, page 198
Schrijver, Peter C. H. (1995) Studies in British Celtic historical phonology (Leiden studies in Indo-European; 5), Amsterdam, Atlanta: Rodopi, page 342: “*tu-wissu-”

[1] Lewis, Henry; Pedersen, Holger (1989) A Concise Comparative Celtic Grammar, 3rd edition, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, →ISBN, page 47; 266

[2] Matasović, Ranko (2009), “*to-wissu-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 386

[3] Koch, John (2004), “leading *tu-westu-”, in English–Proto-Celtic Word-list with attested comparanda, University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies, page 198

[4] Schrijver, Peter C. H. (1995) Studies in British Celtic historical phonology (Leiden studies in Indo-European; 5), Amsterdam, Atlanta: Rodopi, page 342: “*tu-wissu-”