gafael

Welsh

Etymology

From Middle Welsh gauael, from Proto-Brythonic *gaβaɨl, from Proto-Celtic *gabaglā (compare Cornish gavel, Old Breton gabael, Old Irish gabál), verbal noun of *gabyeti (“to take, hold”) (compare Old Irish gaibid), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰh₁bʰ- (compare Latin habeō, German geben).

Pronunciation

  • (North Wales, standard) IPA(key): /ˈɡavaɨ̯l/
    • (North Wales, colloquial) IPA(key): /ˈɡavɛl/, /ˈɡaval/
  • (South Wales, standard) IPA(key): /ˈɡaːvai̯l/, /ˈɡavai̯l/
    • (South Wales, colloquial) IPA(key): /ˈɡaːvɛl/, /ˈɡavɛl/

Verb

gafael (first-person singular present gafaelaf)

  1. to hold
    Synonym: cymryd
  2. to grasp, grip
    Synonym: cydio

Conjugation

Conjugation (literary)
singular plural impersonal
first second third first second third
present indicative/future gafaelaf gafaeli gafael, gafaela gafaelwn gafaelwch gafaelant gafaelir
imperfect (indicative/subjunctive)/
conditional 		gafaelwn gafaelit gafaelai gafaelem gafaelech gafaelent gafaelid
preterite gafaelais gafaelaist gafaelodd gafaelasom gafaelasoch gafaelasant gafaelwyd
pluperfect gafaelaswn gafaelasit gafaelasai gafaelasem gafaelasech gafaelasent gafaelasid, gafaelesid
present subjunctive gafaelwyf gafaelych gafaelo gafaelom gafaeloch gafaelont gafaeler
imperative — gafael gafaeled gafaelwn gafaelwch gafaelent gafaeler
verbal noun gafael
verbal adjectives gafaeledig
gafaeladwy
Conjugation (colloquial)
inflected
colloquial forms 		singular plural
first second third first second third
future gafaela i,
gafaelaf i 		gafaeli di gafaelith o/e/hi,
gafaeliff e/hi 		gafaelwn ni gafaelwch chi gafaelan nhw
conditional gafaelwn i,
gafaelswn i 		gafaelet ti,
gafaelset ti 		gafaelai fo/fe/hi,
gafaelsai fo/fe/hi 		gafaelen ni,
gafaelsen ni 		gafaelech chi,
gafaelsech chi 		gafaelen nhw,
gafaelsen nhw
preterite gafaelais i,
gafaeles i 		gafaelaist ti,
gafaelest ti 		gafaelodd o/e/hi gafaelon ni gafaeloch chi gafaelon nhw
imperative — gafaela — — gafaelwch —

Note: All other forms are periphrastic, as usual in colloquial Welsh.

Derived terms

  • gafaelgar (“gripping, captivating, catchy”)
  • ymafael (“to seize”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of gafael
radical soft nasal aspirate
gafael afael ngafael unchanged

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

Further reading

  • D. G. Lewis, N. Lewis, editors (2005–present), “gafael”, in Gweiadur: the Welsh–English Dictionary, Gwerin
  • R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “gafael”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies
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