gweu
Welsh
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Middle Welsh gwëu, from Proto-Celtic *wegyeti (“to weave”). Equivalent to gwe (“web”) + -u. Cognate with Breton gweañ and Cornish gwia.
Pronunciation
- (North Wales) IPA(key): /ɡweɨ̯/
- (South Wales) IPA(key): /ɡwei̯/
- Rhymes: -eɨ̯
Verb
gweu (first-person singular present gweaf)
Usage notes
The alternative form gwau is only slightly less common than gweu.
Conjugation
Conjugation (literary)
| singular | plural | impersonal | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| first | second | third | first | second | third | |||
| present indicative/future | gweaf | gwei | gwea | gwëwn | gwëwch | gweant | gwëir | |
| imperfect (indicative/subjunctive)/conditional | gwëwn | gweit | gweai | gweem | gweech | gweent | gwëid | |
| preterite | gweais | gweaist | gweodd | gweasom | gweasoch | gweasant | gwëwyd | |
| pluperfect | gweaswn | gweasit | gweasai | gweasem | gweasech | gweasent | gweasid, gweesid | |
| present subjunctive | gwëwyf | gweych | gweo | gweom | gweoch | gweont | gweer | |
| imperative | — | gwea | gweed | gwëwn | gwëwch | gweent | gweer | |
| verbal noun | gweu | |||||||
| verbal adjectives | gweedig gweadwy | |||||||
| inflected colloquial forms |
singular | plural | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| first | second | third | first | second | third | |
| future | gwea i, gweaf i |
gwei di | gweith o/e/hi, gweiff e/hi |
gwewn ni | gwewch chi | gwean nhw |
| conditional | gwewn i, gweswn i |
gweet ti, gweset ti |
gweai fo/fe/hi, gwesai fo/fe/hi |
gween ni, gwesen ni |
gweech chi, gwesech chi |
gween nhw, gwesen nhw |
| preterite | gweais i, gwees i |
gweaist ti, gweest ti |
gweodd o/e/hi | gweon ni | gweoch chi | gweon nhw |
| imperative | — | gwea | — | — | gwewch | — |
Note: All other forms are periphrastic, as usual in colloquial Welsh.
Derived terms
- gwead (“weaving, knitting; conposition”)
- gwëydd (“weaver”)
Related terms
Mutation
| radical | soft | nasal | aspirate |
|---|---|---|---|
| gweu | weu | ngweu | unchanged |
Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.
References
- R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “gweu”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies