cynghanedd
English
Etymology
Borrowed from Welsh cynghanedd (“harmony”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /kəŋˈhænɛð/
Noun
cynghanedd (usually uncountable, plural cynganeddion)
- (prosody) The complex system of internal assonance, alliteration and rhyme in Welsh strict-meter poetry.
- 1948 (revised 1952), Robert Graves, The White Goddess, Faber & Faber 1999, p. 14:
- Only certain epithets and metaphors were authorized; themes were similarly restricted, metres fixed, and Cynghanedd, the repetitive use of consonantal sequences with variation of vowels, became a burdensome obsession.
- 1998, editors (names unknown), "cynghanedd" in Britannica Online Encyclopedia
- There are four fundamental types of cynghanedd, but within these there are a number of refinements and variations. When skillfully used, cynghanedd is capable of conveying an almost unlimited variety of subtle effects.
- 1948 (revised 1952), Robert Graves, The White Goddess, Faber & Faber 1999, p. 14:
Welsh
Pronunciation
- (North Wales) IPA(key): /kəŋˈhanɛð/
- (South Wales) IPA(key): /kəŋˈhaːnɛð/, /kəŋˈhanɛð/
Noun
cynghanedd f (plural cynganeddion)
Derived terms
- cynganeddol (“in cynghanedd”)
- cynganeddu (“to compose cynghanedd”)
- cynganeddwr (“composer of cynghanedd”)
Mutation
| radical | soft | nasal | aspirate |
|---|---|---|---|
| cynghanedd | gynghanedd | nghynghanedd | chynghanedd |
Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.
Further reading
- R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “cynghanedd”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies