Below is a list of words related to custom and ritual in Gaulish. There are many reconstructions of Gaulish, of course. The one mostly used here is called Iextis Galation, compiled by Iumâros Cunoulatis. The word Scâxslon provided by Farwater. Iumâros pulled from the best and up to date reconstructions to make a function, revived and growing Gaulish.
Some basic things to know about pronunciation:
- “ð” makes a “ts” sound
- When “u” is before or after a vowel, it makes an English “w” sound.
- When “i” is before a vowel, it makes an English “y”, or German “j”.
- The circumflex “â,ê,î,ô,û” indicates a long vowel.
- All “c” are “hard”, having a “k” sound.
There is of course much more, but these five things are sufficient to know. Pronunciation likely varied throughout Gaul, just as any other language has many different dialects and pronunciations of words. Those five items however, are constant regardless of other kinds of variants in speech.
Whenever you see (os/â/is) it means (masculine/feminine/ambiguous) these endings denote gender. This is used here when I speak of kinds of people. The -is ending can be masculine or feminine grammatically, which allows for general ambiguity. Hopefully those who identify outside of the “binary” will find this useful.
With that said, here are a list of words relevant to ritual (Dedmatâ) and custom (Bessus):
adbertâ – offer, sacrifice
adgarion – invocation
admetiû – hymn
adolos – holy, venerable, sacred
aidletâ – hearth
aidu – sacrificial fire, altar
Albios – the celestial world
anaman – soul, consciousness, character, personality
anatiâ – souls, spirits (collectively)
anation – life-force, energy, soul, breath
anatlon – breath
annâ – cup, goblet, drinking vessel
ansus – message, revelation
Antumnos – Otherworld (exists interwoven into the three realms)
ari – east
atriâ – ancestry, genealogy
auenâ – muse, inspiration
baccos – stick, staff
bard(os/â/is) – bard, singer, poet
basson – death
bedorâti – graveyard, cemetery
belatus – ritual death and rebirth; coming of age ceremony
bergât(os/â/is) – one who does malevolent magic
berus – source, spring, well, fountain
bessus – custom, practice
Bitus – the world, humanity
biuotus – life
boruû – hot spring
boudros – filthy, dirty
brâton – thanks, grace
brattos – cloth
bratudecanð – fulfilling an oath or vow
brition – will, intention, mind
brixtâ – magic
brixtu – incantation, spell
brogilos – grove (lit. “little forest”)
buteion – reality, existence, essence
caddos – holy, sacred, divine
cailon – destiny, lot, fortune, omen
calditâ – holt, grove, copse
cancâ – branch
cantos – circle
carnux – Gallic long war trumpet
celicnon – banquet hall
cladios – sword
cloccâ – bell
cogliâ – good omen, divination
congestlos – mutual pledge, oath
consseron -constellation, asterism
couercanâ – chant
crabedus – religion, faith
crâbiion – piety
creddâ – faith, belief
credron – sacred object, idol
cumba – bowl
datus – giving, donation, service
dedmâ – statute, divine law
dedmatâ – ritual, rite, ceremony
dedmis – law, sacred law
dêuocâros – pious, devout
dêuos – a god
dêuâ – a goddess
dexiuos – south
diastus – order, perscribed according to ritual
diuanos – divine, holy
druidessâ – druidess, priestess
druið – druid, wizard
drunemeton – holy grove, temple
Dubnos – the chthonic, underworld
dugion – worship
duscelinatiâ – bad fate, ill omen
erissâ – piety, faith
eurisis – dedicant, consecrant, donor
gaisos – spear
giamos – winter; principle of chaos, dark
glanos – clean, pure
gutuatîr – a kind of priest, parson, master of invocation
iaccâ – health, healing
iâlos – ritually correct, pious
loidâ – poem, saga
lorgâ – staff, club, cudgel
lubinerton – power of love
lucrâ – moon
maruos – death
medios – center
meinis – wish, desire, intent
molianton – praise, offering
natu – poem, song, chant
nemeton – sanctuary, temple, sacred woods
noibos – holy, sacred
orgenon – place of sacrifice
parios – cauldron
râton – gift
rêdon – ride, voyage, journey
rotos – wheel
runâ – secret, rune
sacros – taboo; sacred, consecrated
salos – dirt, filth
samos – summer; principle of order, light
sanesson – secret, lore
scâxslon – spirit, genius, daemon
sciienos – knife
segos – power, energy
senisamû – ancestor
senisamûnes – ancestors
sonnos – sun
sounos – sleep, dream
sulabariâ – blessing
suraton – grace, luck, blessing
tenos – fire
teutos – north
torcos – torc
trâtu – travelling, journey
uandalâ – candle
uasos – stone temple, cave temple, basement temple
uatus – frenzy, prophecy, divination
uediâ – prayer
ueiâ – energy, force, vigor
ueled(os/â/is) – prophet, seer, observer
uelitâ – seeress
uespros – west
