Welsh

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Etymology

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From Middle Welsh pwys, from Proto-Brythonic *puɨs, from Latin pēnsum.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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pwys m (plural pwysau or pwysi)

  1. weight, burden, pressure
    • 2021 September 22, BBC Cymru Fyw[1]:
      Dwy flynedd yn ôl dechreuodd Sioned Halpin o Gydweli godi pwysau. Erbyn heddiw mae hi'n un o'r menywod cryfa' yng Nghymru. Dechreuodd siwrne trawsnewid Sioned pan benderfynodd golli pwysau cyn ei phriodas.
      Two years ago Sioned Halpin from Kidwelly started lifting weights. Today she is one of the strongest women in Wales. Sioned's transformational journey began when she decided to lose weight before her wedding.
    • 2021 September 21, BBC Cymru Fyw[2]:
      Gyda bron hanner y cleifion yn yr unedau gofal dwys yng ngorllewin Cymru yn cael triniaeth am Covid-19, mae staff wedi rhybuddio bod y pwysau arnyn nhw cynddrwg os nad gwaeth nag ar unrhyw adeg ers dechrau'r pandemig.
      With almost half the patients in the intensive care units in welsh Wales receiving treatment for Covid-19, staff have warned that the pressure on them is as bad if not worse than at any time since the start of the pandemic.
  2. importance, significance
    • 2021 November 20, BBC Cymru Fyw[3]:
      Mae tua 400,000 o lyfrau wedi cael eu dinistrio mewn tân ddechreuodd mewn warws oedd yn cadw rhai eitemau o bwys hanesyddol.
      About 400,000 books have been destroyed in a fire that started in a warehouse which stored some items of historical significance.
  3. emphasis, stress
    • 2007 August 3, BBC Cymru[4]:
      "Yr oedd yn gymeriad arbennig iawn ac yn rhoi pwys mawr ar urddas yr orsedd," meddai. … "Roedd yn rhoi pwys mawr ar y ffaith fod aelodau'r Orsedd wedi eu dilladu'n daclus," hefyd.
      "He was a very special character and he used to put great emphasis on the dignity of the gorsedd," he said. … "He put great emphasis on the fact that the Gorsedd members were dressed well," also.
  4. (plural pwysi) pound (unit of measurement)

Usage notes

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The meaning "weight, pressure" is usually expressed by the plural pwysau rather than the singular. Note, for instance, the difference between rhoi pwys ar (to put emphasis on) and rhoi pwysau ar (to put pressure on).

Derived terms

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Mutation

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Welsh mutation
radical soft nasal aspirate
pwys bwys mhwys phwys
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.