Goidelic

[ goi-del-ik ]

/ gɔɪˈdɛl ɪk /

Linguistics

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noun

Also called Q-Celtic. the subbranch of Celtic in which the Proto-Indo-European kw-sound remained a velar. Irish and Scottish Gaelic belong to Goidelic.

adjective

of or belonging to Goidelic; Q-Celtic.

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Also Ga·dhel·ic

[guh-del-ik] /gəˈdɛl ɪk/ .

Compare Brythonic, P-Celtic.

Origin of Goidelic

1880–1885; <Old Irish Goídil Gael + -ic

Words nearby Goidelic

gohonzon, goi, Goiânia, Goiás, Goidel, Goidelic, go in, go in for, going, going for one, going, going, gone

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use Goidelic in a sentence

The language of the Ogam inscriptions is the oldest form of Goidelic with which we are acquainted.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 5|Various
The chief features which distinguish the Brythonic from the Goidelic dialects have already been enumerated.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 5|Various
The Goidelic dialects have preserved the vowels of accented syllables on the whole better than Brythonic.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 5|Various
Initial v gives f in Goidelic in the course of the 7th century, whereas in Brythonic it appears as gu, gw, cf. Lat.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 5|Various

The names of some of them occur in one source in a Goidelic, in another in a Brythonic form.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 5|Various

British Dictionary definitions for Goidelic

Goidelic

Goidhelic Gadhelic

/ (ɡɔɪˈdɛlɪk) /

noun

the N group of Celtic languages, consisting of Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic, and ManxCompare Brythonic

adjective

of, relating to, or characteristic of this group of languages

Word Origin for Goidelic

C19: from Old Irish Goidel a Celt, from Old Welsh gwyddel, from gwydd savage

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012