anifail

Welsh

Alternative forms

• enifail

Etymology

From Middle Welsh anyueyl, from Proto-Brythonic *anɨβ̃ėl, borrowed from Latin animal, animālis (compare Breton aneval, Middle Cornish enevalles pl).

Pronunciation

• (North Wales, standard, colloquial) IPA^(key): /aˈnɪvai̯l/
  • (North Wales, colloquial) IPA^(key): /aˈnɪvɛl/
• (South Wales, standard) IPA^(key): /aˈniːvai̯l/, /aˈnɪvai̯l/
  • (South Wales, colloquial) IPA^(key): /aˈniːvɛl/, /aˈnɪvɛl/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪvai̯l, -ɪvɛl

Noun

anifail m (plural anifeiliaid or anifeilaid or anifeiliod or anifeilod, feminine anifeiles, diminutive anifeilyn)

1. animal, beast
2. (figuratively, derogatory, offensive) beastly person

Derived terms

• anifail baich m (“pack animal, beast of burden”)
• anifail cors m (“brutish person”)
• anifail gwaith m (“work animal, beast of burden”)
• anifail (y) maes (“beast of the field”)
• anifeilaid disynnwyr m pl (“dumb animals, brute beasts”)
• anifeilaidd (“animal-like, bestial, beastly, brutish, savage, foul; animal, carnal, sensual”)
• anifeildra m (“animal nature, brutishness, bestiality, beastliness, cruelty”)
• anifeilddyn m (“savage”)
• anifeileg f (“zoology”)
• anifeiliaid gwedd m pl (“draught animals”)
• anifeilig, anifeiliol (“animal”, adjective)
• anifeilrwydd m (“carnality, sensuality”)

 

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	h-prothesis
anifail	unchanged	unchanged	hanifail
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “anifail, &c.”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies