blwyddyn
Welsh
Etymology
From Middle Welsh blwyðyn, from Old Welsh bloidin, from Proto-Brythonic *bluɨðėn (compare Cornish bledhen, Breton blizen), from Proto-Celtic *bleidanī (compare Old Irish blíadain), from *bleidū (compare Welsh blwydd (“age; year(s) old”)).[1]
Pronunciation
- (North Wales) IPA(key): /ˈblʊɨ̯ðɨ̞n/
- (South Wales) IPA(key): /ˈblʊi̯ðɪn/
- Rhymes: -ʊɨ̯ðɨ̞n
Noun
blwyddyn f (plural blynyddoedd or blynyddau)
Usage notes
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
- blwyddyn naid (“leap year”)
- Blwyddyn Newydd Dda (“Happy New Year”)
- undydd a blwyddyn (“a year and a day”)
See also
Mutation
| radical | soft | nasal | aspirate |
|---|---|---|---|
| blwyddyn | flwyddyn | mlwyddyn | unchanged |
Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.
References
- ^ Schrijver, Peter C. H. (1995) Studies in British Celtic historical phonology (Leiden studies in Indo-European; 5), Amsterdam, Atlanta: Rodopi, page 245
Further reading
- 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