blynedd

Welsh

Etymology

From Middle Welsh blyneð, originally a plural, from Proto-Brythonic *blɨneð, earlier *blɨðneð, with syncope of -a- and pretonic shortening of -ē- to -ɨ-, from Proto-Celtic *bleidaniyās, nominative plural of *bleidanī (whence blwyddyn).[1]

Pronunciation

Noun

blynedd f

  1. year (count form)

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.

Mutation

Mutated forms of blynedd
radical soft nasal aspirate
blynedd flynedd mlynedd unchanged

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

References

  1. ^ Schrijver, Peter C. H. (1995) Studies in British Celtic historical phonology (Leiden studies in Indo-European; 5), Amsterdam, Atlanta: Rodopi, pages 245–46

Further reading

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