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)

hay
grass
Synonyms: glaswellt, gwelltglas

Derived terms

ceiliog y gwair (“grasshopper”)
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”)
twinc gwair (“grassquit”)

Etymology 2

Noun

gwair m (uncountable)

bend, curve, ring

Usage notes

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

Derived terms

diwair (“chaste, faithful”)
genwair (“fishing rod”)
mynwair (“torque, collar”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of *gwair*
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
gwair	wair	ngwair	unchanged

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

References

^ 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