gwair

Welsh

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ɡwai̯r/
  • Rhymes: -ai̯r

Etymology 1

From Middle Welsh gweir, from Proto-Brythonic *gweɣr, from Proto-Celtic *wegrom, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *h₂weg- (“increase, enlarge”) via a sense ‘outgrowth’.[1] Cognate with Cornish gora and Old Irish fér (“grass”).

Noun

gwair m (plural gweiriau)

  1. hay
Derived terms
  • clefyd y gwair (“hay fever”)
  • gwair merllyn (“quillwort”)
  • gweirdir (“meadowland”)
  • gweirglodd (“meadow”)
  • gweiryn (“blade of grass”)
  • neidr y gwair (“grass snake”)
  • sboncyn y gwair (“grasshopper”)
  • silwair (“silage”)

Noun

gwair m (uncountable)

  1. bend, curve, ring
Usage notes

This word is only found in compounds (see below).

Derived terms
  • anniwair (“unchaste”)
  • diwair (“chaste”)
  • genwair (“fishing rod”)
  • mynwair (“torque, collar”)

Mutation
Welsh mutation
radical soft nasal aspirate
gwair wair ngwair unchanged
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References
  1. Matasović, Ranko (2009) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 409
  • R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “gwair”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies
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