Cognate Set 6204 – Meaning: mouth

IE-CoR reference form:
*bek(k)o-
IE-CoR reference language:
Proto-Celtic
Ideophonic:
no
Parallel derivation:
no
Justification:
Etymology outside of Celtic obscure (Matasović 2009:60, cf. Deshayes 2003}:98-99). Delamarre 2003 suggests an etymology to an onomatopoeic IE root *buk- 'bark, scream', although the vocalism of Gaulish bocca rather than *bucca is unexpected.
Found in clades:
Celtic
Revised by:
Matthew Scarborough
Found in 1 clade by 3 lexemes.
Language Lexeme Native script Phonetic Phonemic Notes
148   Gaulish bocca Latin bucca is often regarded as a borrowing from this Gaulish word, and the Romance words for "mouth" are descended from that Latin word.
155   Middle Breton bec ˈbeːk
156   Breton: Gwened beg bek
References
  • Delamarre, Xavier: 80
    S.v. Gaul. bocca 'bouche'. A relationship with an IE onomatopoeic root *buk- meaning 'aboyer, hurler' has been proposed, cf. Skt. búkkati 'il aboie', Gk. βύκτης '(le vent) mugissent', Serb. búkati 'hurler', etc. The Gaulish inscription however shows bocca, not *bucca.
  • Deshayes, Albert: 98-99
    S.v. Bret. beg 'bec, bouche; pointe, embouchure'. Old French bec is a loanword from Gaulish *beccos, Latinised as beccus.
  • Matasović, Ranko: 60
    S.v. Proto-Celtic *bek(k)o- 'beak, snout', probably an expressive word comparable to Lat. bucca 'mouth', cf. Gaul. beccus (Suetonius), *bekko- > Fr. bec. No further etymology.