chwerthin

Welsh

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *swaryeti (to laugh), from Proto-Indo-European *swer- (to sound, make a sound). Cognate with Breton c’hoarzin, Old Cornish hwerthin; outside of Brythonic, compare Sanskrit स्वरति (svarati, to sing, make a sound), Old Norse sverja (swear), and perhaps Latin susurrus (whisper).

Pronunciation

  • (North Wales) IPA(key): /ˈχwɛrθɨ̞n/
  • (South Wales, standard, colloquial) IPA(key): /ˈχwɛrθɪn/
    • (South Wales, colloquial) IPA(key): /ˈhwɛrθɪn/, /ˈwɛrθɪn/
  • Rhymes: -ɛrθɪn

Verb

chwerthin (first-person singular present chwarddaf or chwerthaf or chwerthinaf, not mutable)

  1. to laugh

Conjugation

Conjugation (literary)
singular plural impersonal
first second third first second third
present indicative/future chwarddaf chwerddi chwardd chwarddwn chwerddwch, chwarddwch chwarddant chwerddir
imperfect (indicative/subjunctive)/
conditional
chwarddwn chwarddit chwarddai chwarddem chwarddech chwarddent chwerddid
preterite chwerddais chwerddaist chwarddodd chwarddasom chwarddasoch chwarddasant chwarddwyd
pluperfect chwarddaswn chwarddasit chwarddasai chwarddasem chwarddasech chwarddasent chwarddasid, chwarddesid
present subjunctive chwarddwyf chwerddych chwarddo chwarddom chwarddoch chwarddont chwardder
imperative chwardd chwardded chwarddwn chwerddwch, chwarddwch chwarddent chwardder
verbal noun chwerthin
verbal adjectives chwarddedig
chwarddadwy
Conjugation (colloquial)
inflected
colloquial forms
singular plural
first second third first second third
future chwertha i,
chwerthaf i
chwerthi di chwerthith o/e/hi,
chwerthiff e/hi
chwerthwn ni chwerthwch chi chwerthan nhw
conditional chwerthwn i,
chwerthswn i
chwerthet ti,
chwerthset ti
chwerthai fo/fe/hi,
chwerthsai fo/fe/hi
chwerthen ni,
chwerthsen ni
chwerthech chi,
chwerthsech chi
chwerthen nhw,
chwerthsen nhw
preterite chwerthais i,
chwerthes i
chwerthaist ti,
chwerthest ti
chwerthodd o/e/hi chwerthon ni chwerthoch chi chwerthon nhw
imperative chwertha chwerthwch

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

Conjugation (colloquial)
inflected
colloquial forms
singular plural
first second third first second third
future chwerthina i,
chwerthinaf i
chwerthini di chwerthinith o/e/hi,
chwerthiniff e/hi
chwerthinwn ni chwerthinwch chi chwerthinan nhw
conditional chwerthinwn i,
chwerthinswn i
chwerthinet ti,
chwerthinset ti
chwerthinai fo/fe/hi,
chwerthinsai fo/fe/hi
chwerthinen ni,
chwerthinsen ni
chwerthinech chi,
chwerthinsech chi
chwerthinen nhw,
chwerthinsen nhw
preterite chwerthinais i,
chwerthines i
chwerthinaist ti,
chwerthinest ti
chwerthinodd o/e/hi chwerthinon ni chwerthinoch chi chwerthinon nhw
imperative chwerthina chwerthinwch

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

Derived terms

References

  • R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “chwerthin”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies
  • Matasović, Ranko (2009) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 361