blwyddyn
Welsh edit
Etymology edit
From Middle Welsh blwyðyn, from Old Welsh bloidin, from Proto-Brythonic *bluɨðėn (compare Cornish bledhen, Breton blizen), from Proto-Celtic *blēdanī (compare Old Irish blíadain), from *blēdū (compare Welsh blwydd (“age; year(s) old”)).[1]
Pronunciation edit
- (North Wales) IPA(key): /ˈblʊɨ̯ðɨ̞n/
- (South Wales) IPA(key): /ˈblʊi̯ðɪn/
- Rhymes: -ʊɨ̯ðɨ̞n
Noun edit
blwyddyn f (plural blynyddoedd or blynyddau)
Usage notes edit
In Welsh, blwydd refers to age and is the word used for a single year and is also found after numbers. The plural blwyddi is little utilised. When referring to any other kind of year, the word is blwyddyn in the singular, blynyddoedd in the plural and the special form blynedd is used after numbers.
Derived terms edit
- blwyddyn naid (“leap year”)
- Blwyddyn Newydd Dda (“Happy New Year”)
- undydd a blwyddyn (“a year and a day”)
See also edit
Mutation edit
| Welsh mutation | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| radical | soft | nasal | aspirate |
| blwyddyn | flwyddyn | mlwyddyn | unchanged |
| Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs. | |||
References edit
- ^ Schrijver, Peter C. H. (1995) Studies in British Celtic historical phonology (Leiden studies in Indo-European; 5), Amsterdam, Atlanta: Rodopi, page 245
Further reading edit
- R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “blwyddyn”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies