gwell

From Middle Cornish guel, from Proto-Celtic *wellos. Cognate with Welsh gwell.

gwell

1. comparative degree of da (“good”) – better, superior

Inherited from Middle Welsh gwell, from Proto-Celtic *wellos, from Proto-Indo-European *welh₁- (“choose, want”).

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /ɡwɛɬ/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /ɡweːɬ/, /ɡwɛɬ/
• Rhymes: -ɛɬ

gwell

1. comparative degree of da: better

gwell

1. Prefer

   Mae well 'da fi ddawnsio na chanu (South)

   I prefer to dance than sing

   (literally, “It is better with me to dance than to sing”)

   Mae well gen i de na choffi (North)

   I prefer tea to coffee

   (literally, “Tea is better with me than coffee”)

2. Had better

   Well i chi beidio

   you had better not

   (literally, “[It is] better to you not to”)

• When used to mean 'prefer', gwell is combined with the possessive construction (literally "it is better with me"). When used to mean 'had better', it is linked to its subject by i (literally "it is better for me"). In both cases it is almost always followed by the soft mutation.

• gwella

• da
• gorau

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “gwell”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies