chwarae

Welsh

Alternative forms

gwarwy, gwary

Etymology

From Middle Welsh chwarae, from Old Welsh guaroimaou (“playground”). Of uncertain ultimate origin; VGK suggests Proto-Celtic *worigo-, related to Irish fuirech (*fo-rig), second element possibly related to *regeti (“to stretch, straighten”)).

Cognate with Cornish gwari and Breton c'hoari.

Pronunciation

• (North Wales, standard) IPA^(key): /ˈχwaraɨ̯/
  • (North Wales, colloquial) IPA^(key): /ˈχwarɛ/, /ˈχwara/
• (South Wales, standard) IPA^(key): /ˈχwa(ː)rai̯/
  • (South Wales, colloquial) IPA^(key): /ˈχwa(ː)rɛ/, /ˈʍa(ː)rɛ/, /ˈwa(ː)rɛ/
• Rhymes: -araɨ̯

Verb

chwarae (first-person singular present chwaraeaf, not mutable)

1. to play

   Mae’r plant yn chwarae tennis.

   The children are playing tennis.

2. to play, or perform with, a percussive instrument such as a drum. (Should not be used with any other type of instrument – see canu.)

   Dw i'n chwarae'r drymiau.

   I play the drums.

Conjugation

Conjugation (literary)

	singular			plural			impersonal
	first	second	third	first	second	third
present indicative/future	chwaraeaf	chwaraei	chwery	chwaraewn	chwaraewch	chwaraeant	chwaraeir
imperfect (indicative/subjunctive)/ conditional	chwaraewn	chwaraeit	chwaraeai	chwaraeem	chwaraeech	chwaraeent	chwaraeid
preterite	chwaraeais	chwaraeaist	chwaraeodd	chwaraeasom	chwaraeasoch	chwaraeasant	chwaraewyd
pluperfect	chwaraeaswn	chwaraeasit	chwaraeasai	chwaraeasem	chwaraeasech	chwaraeasent	chwaraeasid, chwaraeesid
present subjunctive	chwaraewyf	chwaraeych	chwaraeo	chwaraeom	chwaraeoch	chwaraeont	chwaraeer
imperative	—	chwarae, chwaraea	chwaraeed	chwaraewn	chwaraewch	chwaraeent	chwaraeer
verbal noun	chwarae
verbal adjectives	chwaraeedig chwaraeadwy

Conjugation (colloquial)

Inflected colloquial forms	singular			plural
	first	second	third	first	second	third
future	chwaraea i, chwaraeaf i	chwaraei di	chwaraeith o/e/hi, chwaraeiff e/hi	chwaraewn ni	chwaraewch chi	chwaraean nhw
conditional	chwaraewn i, chwaraeswn i	chwaraeet ti, chwaraeset ti	chwaraeai fo/fe/hi, chwaraesai fo/fe/hi	chwaraeen ni, chwaraesen ni	chwaraeech chi, chwaraesech chi	chwaraeen nhw, chwaraesen nhw
preterite	chwaraeais i, chwaraees i	chwaraeaist ti, chwaraeest ti	chwaraeodd o/e/hi	chwaraeon ni	chwaraeoch chi	chwaraeon nhw
imperative	—	chwaraea	—	—	chwaraewch	—
Note: All other forms are periphrastic, as usual in colloquial Welsh.

Derived terms

• chwarae cis (“game of tag, tick”)
• chwarae ciwri (“game of tag, tick”)
• chwarae chwiw (“hide and seek”)
• chwarae gyda (“play with”)
• chwarae moch duon (“leapfrog”)
• chwarae rhan (“to roleplay”)
• chwarae sbei (“hide and seek”)
• chwarae sgarmes (“to playfight”)
• chwarae taflo (“to play see-saw”)
• chwarae tic (“game of tag, tick”)
• chwarae ymladd (“to playfight”)
• chwarae yn ôl y glust (“to play by ear”)
• chwarae'n fyrfyfyr (“to improvise”)
• chwarae'n llawn (“to play in full”)
• chwaraewr (“player”)
• chwareus (“playful”)
• rhwng chwarae a difrif (“half-serious, half joking”)

 

Noun

chwarae m (plural chwaraeon, not mutable)

1. play, activity of playing
2. (often in the plural) sport, game

   Synonyms: gêm, sbort

Derived terms

• ar y chwarae (“at stake”)
• buarth chwarae (“playground”)
• chwarae annheg (“unfair play”)
• chwarae bach (“child's play, small effort”)
• chwarae brwnt (“foul play”)
• chwarae cystadleuol (“competitive play”)
• chwarae cysylltiadol (“associative play”)
• chwarae digymell (“spontaneous play”)
• chwarae llawn dychymyg (“imaginative play”)
• chwarae peryglus (“dangerous play”)
• chwarae rhydd (“freeplay”)
• chwarae sgarmes (“rough and tumble”)
• chwarae teg (“fair play”)
• chwarae therapiwtig (“therapeutic play”)
• chwarae unigol (“solitary play”)
• chwarae ymladd (“playfighting”)
• chwarae ysgogol (“stimulating play”)
• torri ar chwarae rhywun (“to put a spoke in someone's wheel, put an end to someone’s antics”)

 

Further reading

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “chwarae”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies
• Delyth Prys, J.P.M. Jones, Owain Davies, Gruffudd Prys (2006) Y Termiadur: termau wedi'u safoni; standardised terminology‎^[1] (in Welsh), Cardiff: Awdurdod cymwysterau, cwricwlwm ac asesu Cymru (Qualifications curriculum & assessment authority for Wales), →ISBN, page 130