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 *blēdanyās, nominative plural of *blēdanī (whence blwyddyn).[1]
Pronunciation
- (North Wales, standard, colloquial) IPA(key): /ˈblənɛð/
- (North Wales, colloquial) IPA(key): /ˈblənað/
- (South Wales) IPA(key): /ˈblənɛð/
- Rhymes: -ənɛð
Noun
blynedd f
- 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
| Welsh mutation | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| radical | soft | nasal | aspirate |
| blynedd | flynedd | mlynedd | unchanged |
| Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs. | |||
References
- 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