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Topic: The Welsh verb for open is agor

I am learning (some) Welsh, using the course at Duolingo.com

Recently one part involved talking about opening and closing a door or doors.

I noticed that the verb for open is agor and it occurred to me that agor is in agorapobia.

The verb for close is cau and, having related agor to agoraphobia, it has occurred to me that cau is a little like the start of the word claustrophobia.

However, it appears that the etymology of agoraphobia is that the word was coined in Germany, from the Greek for a marketplace.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agoraphobia#Etymology

So, I wonder if this is coincidence or if there is some connection from very many years ago.

William

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Re: The Welsh verb for open is agor

Re ‘agor’, from Wiktionary:

Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *n̥- (“negative”) + *ǵʰer- (“to enclose”).[1] Cognate with Cornish egeri, ygeri.

Re ‘cau’, also from Wiktionary:

From Middle Welsh keu, from Proto-Brythonic *kaw (whence Breton kev), from Proto-Celtic *kawyos, from Proto-Indo-European [Term?]. Cognate with Irish cuas, Latin cavus.

"Has it ever struck you that life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quick you hardly catch it going?"
― Tennessee Williams
  • Registered: 2022-01-21
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Re: The Welsh verb for open is agor

There are some very interesting videos about Welsh on YouTube.

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Was this Britain's Native Celtic Language? Brythonic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5Z3dXIJA40

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How to spot Welsh Place Names in England

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQoVaPvRqvc

William

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Re: The Welsh verb for open is agor

Somewhat off-topic, I’ve just learned that ‘peach’ in Welsh is ‘eirin gwlanog’ (literally, ‘woolly plum’).

"Has it ever struck you that life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quick you hardly catch it going?"
― Tennessee Williams