Gwrac'h
/ɡʁaχ/noun
A Breton word meaning an old woman, hag, or witch, also used in Breton folklore for a female supernatural being.
Did you know?In Breton legend, the Groac’h can appear as a beautiful woman or an ominous hag, reflecting the old folkloric link between feminine transformation, water, and supernatural power.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Celtic
Proto-Celtic
*wrogā
“A reconstructed Celtic word associated with an old woman or hag”
Proto-Brythonic
Brythonic
*gwroɣ
“An ancestral Brythonic form meaning an old woman or supernatural female figure”
Old Breton
Old Breton
groac
“Old woman or hag”
Middle Breton
Middle Breton
groah
“An old woman, hag, or witchlike figure”
Modern Breton
Breton
gwrac’h / groac’h
“Old woman, hag, witch, or folkloric female spirit”