A Celtic Gloss in the Hesychian Lexicon

Abstract

The well known lexicon, prepared by Hesychios of Alexandria (5th or 6th cent. AD), contains a number of glosses which are defined as “Celtic” or as “Galatian”. However, most Hesychian glosses appears with no ethnic designation. Some of them can be convincingly treated as Celtic (especially Galatian) terms. There is also the case which is connected with the following gloss: mátan · hē lynx. énioi dè matakòs è matakón “mátan [means] she-lynx. Some [call lynx] matakós or matakón.” These three names for ‘lynx’ seem to possess exact and convincing equivalents only in the Celtic Insular languages. Celtic *mat- ‘a kind of predator’ (1. lynx, 2. bear, 3. fox), *matākós m. ‘id.’ (1. lynx, 3. fox). 1. Continental Celtic mátan gl. hē lynx; also matakòs and matakón ‘lynx’ (Hesych.); 2. OIr. math (gen. sg. matho) m. (u-stem) ‘bear’ (< Celt. Goid. *matu-); see Gaul., OBritt. PN Matugenus m. Hisp.-Celt. PN Matugenus, Matucenus, OIr. PN Mathgen, OW. PN Madyein (< Celt. *Matu-genos, liter. ‘son of bear’); Scottish Gaelic mathan m. ‘bear’ (< Celt. Goid. *mat-agnos), also Sc. Gael. mathghamhuin ‘bear’, Early Ir. mathgaman ‘id.’; 3. OW. madawg, W. madog m. ‘fox’ (< Celt. Britt. *matākos); see Gaulish PN Matacus, Old Brittonic PN Matucus, Old Welsh PN Matauc, Matoc, Breton PN Matoc, later Matec; W. madyn m. ‘fox’, maden f. ‘a small she-fox, vixen’ (< Celt. Britt. *matinos m. vs. *matinā f.); see also Gaul. PN Matinus m., Matina f. I discuss the Celtic origin of the Hesychian gloss, the etymology of the Celtic words, as well as the problems of the original meaning.