Alternative etymologies for two British Celtic verbal forms

Abstract

Abstract This paper addresses the issues arising from the unexpected /x/ in the two British Celtic verbal forms: MW techaf ‘to retreat, flee’, MBret. techet ‘to flee’, and OW diguormechis ‘which he added’, OBret. degurmehim ‘adding/addition’. As will be shown in the discussion below, there is no need for assuming influence from the s-subjunctive nor the existence of an otherwise unattested secondary verb. It is argued here that the forms are intra-Celtic borrowings from Irish.