In this episode we look into the Celtic roots of words for heather in some Romance languages. The Proto-Celtic word *wroikos means heather. Its origins are uncertain, and it possibly comes from a non-Indo-European substrate source [source]. Related words in the modern Celtic languages include: fraoch [fˠɾˠeːx] = heather, heath, moor in Irish fraoch [frɯːx] = heather in Scottish Gaelic freoagh = heather, heath in Manx grug [ɡrɨːɡ / ɡriːɡ] = heather, heath in Welsh grug [ɡryːɡ / ɡriːɡ] = heather, heath in Cornish brug [bryːk] = heather in Breton Words from the same Proto-Celtic roots, via Gaulish and Latin, include brezo (heath) in Spanish, breixo (heather) in Galician, brugo (heather) and brughiera (heath, moor) in Italian, and bruyère (heath, heather, brier) in French [source]. Related words in other languages possibly include vřes (heather) in Czech, wrzos (heather) in Polish, viržis (heather) in Lithuanian, and ericaceous (Of or pertaining to the heath family; Acid-loving, acidic) in English [source]. Incidentally, the word heather comes from Old English *hǣddre (heather), from hǣþ (wasteland, wilderness, heath), from Proto-Germanic *haiþī [ˈxɑi̯.θiː] (heath, wasteland), possibly from PIE *kóy-t-os (forest, wasteland, pasture) [source]. Other words from the same roots include heath in English, heide (heath, heathland, heather) in Dutch, Heide (heath, heathland, nation, country) in German [source], and also coed (forest, wood, trees) in Welsh, koos (forest) in Cornish, and koad (wood, forest) in Breton [source]. More about words for Heather, and Trees, Wood(s) & Forests, in Celtic languages. You can find more connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog. I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog. Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blub