chwarae

Welsh

Alternative forms

gwarwy, gwary

Etymology

From Middle Welsh chwarae, from Old Welsh guaroimaou (playground).[1] Of uncertain ultimate origin; VGK suggests Proto-Celtic *worigo-, related to Irish fuirech (*fo-rig), second element possibly related to *regeti (to stretch, straighten)).[2]

Cognate with Cornish gwari and Breton c'hoari.

Pronunciation

  • (North Wales, standard) IPA(key): /ˈχwaraɨ̯/
    • (North Wales, colloquial) IPA(key): /ˈχwarɛ/, /ˈχwara/
  • (South Wales, standard) IPA(key): /ˈχwa(ː)rai̯/
    • (South Wales, colloquial) IPA(key): /ˈχwa(ː)rɛ/, /ˈʍa(ː)rɛ/, /ˈwa(ː)rɛ/
  • Rhymes: -araɨ̯

Verb

chwarae (first-person singular present chwaraeaf, not mutable)

  1. to play
    Mae’r plant yn chwarae tennis.
    The children are playing tennis.
  2. to play, or perform with, a percussive instrument such as a drum. (Should not be used with any other type of instrument – see canu.)
    Dw i'n chwarae'r drymiau.
    I play the drums.

Conjugation

Conjugation (literary)
singular plural impersonal
first second third first second third
present indicative/future chwaraeaf chwaraei chwery chwaraewn chwaraewch chwaraeant chwaraeir
imperfect (indicative/subjunctive)/
conditional
chwaraewn chwaraeit chwaraeai chwaraeem chwaraeech chwaraeent chwaraeid
preterite chwaraeais chwaraeaist chwaraeodd chwaraeasom chwaraeasoch chwaraeasant chwaraewyd
pluperfect chwaraeaswn chwaraeasit chwaraeasai chwaraeasem chwaraeasech chwaraeasent chwaraeasid, chwaraeesid
present subjunctive chwaraewyf chwaraeych chwaraeo chwaraeom chwaraeoch chwaraeont chwaraeer
imperative chwarae, chwaraea chwaraeed chwaraewn chwaraewch chwaraeent chwaraeer
verbal noun chwarae
verbal adjectives chwaraeedig
chwaraeadwy
Conjugation (colloquial)
inflected
colloquial forms
singular plural
first second third first second third
future chwaraea i,
chwaraeaf i
chwaraei di chwaraeith o/e/hi,
chwaraeiff e/hi
chwaraewn ni chwaraewch chi chwaraean nhw
conditional chwaraewn i,
chwaraeswn i
chwaraeet ti,
chwaraeset ti
chwaraeai fo/fe/hi,
chwaraesai fo/fe/hi
chwaraeen ni,
chwaraesen ni
chwaraeech chi,
chwaraesech chi
chwaraeen nhw,
chwaraesen nhw
preterite chwaraeais i,
chwaraees i
chwaraeaist ti,
chwaraeest ti
chwaraeodd o/e/hi chwaraeon ni chwaraeoch chi chwaraeon nhw
imperative chwaraea chwaraewch

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

Derived terms

  • chwarae cis (game of tag, tick)
  • chwarae ciwri (game of tag, tick)
  • chwarae chwiw (hide and seek)
  • chwarae gyda (play with)
  • chwarae moch duon (leapfrog)
  • chwarae rhan (to roleplay)
  • chwarae sbei (hide and seek)
  • chwarae sgarmes (to playfight)
  • chwarae taflo (to play see-saw)
  • chwarae tic (game of tag, tick)
  • chwarae ymladd (to playfight)
  • chwarae yn ôl y glust (to play by ear)
  • chwarae'n fyrfyfyr (to improvise)
  • chwarae'n llawn (to play in full)
  • chwaraewr (player)
  • chwareus, chwaraegar (playful)
  • rhwng chwarae a difrif (half-serious, half joking)

Noun

chwarae m (plural chwaraeon, not mutable)

  1. play, activity of playing
  2. (often in the plural) sport, game
    Synonyms: gêm, sbort

Derived terms

  • ar y chwarae (at stake)
  • buarth chwarae (playground)
  • card chwarae (playing card)
  • chwarae annheg (unfair play)
  • chwarae bach (child's play, small effort)
  • chwarae brwnt (foul play)
  • chwarae cystadleuol (competitive play)
  • chwarae cysylltiadol (associative play)
  • chwarae digymell (spontaneous play)
  • chwarae llawn dychymyg (imaginative play)
  • chwarae peryglus (dangerous play)
  • chwarae rhydd (freeplay)
  • chwarae sgarmes (rough and tumble)
  • chwarae teg (fair play)
  • chwarae therapiwtig (therapeutic play)
  • chwarae unigol (solitary play)
  • chwarae ymladd (playfighting)
  • chwarae ysgogol (stimulating play)
  • torri ar chwarae rhywun (to put a spoke in someone's wheel, put an end to someone’s antics)

References

  1. ^ Schrijver, P. (1995). Studies in British Celtic historical phonology. Netherlands: Rodopi., p. 216
  2. ^ Falileyev, A. (2011). Etymological Glossary of Old Welsh. Germany: De Gruyter, p. 64

Further reading

  • R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “chwarae”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies
  • Delyth Prys, J.P.M. Jones, Owain Davies, Gruffudd Prys (2006) Y Termiadur: termau wedi'u safoni; standardised terminology[1] (in Welsh), Cardiff: Awdurdod cymwysterau, cwricwlwm ac asesu Cymru (Qualifications curriculum & assessment authority for Wales), →ISBN, page 130