hedfan

Welsh

Alternative forms

  • etfan (Ceredigion)

Etymology

Inherited from Middle Welsh ehetfan. Combines the stem hed- of hedeg (to fly) with the suffix -fan (from Proto-Celtic *-man) forming a verbnoun.[1] Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pet-.[1] Cognate with Latin petō (to beg; to aim at), Ancient Greek πέτομαι (pétomai, to fly) and Welsh adar (bird).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈhɛdvan/

Verb

hedfan (first-person singular present hedfanaf, not mutable)

  1. (intransitive) to fly (travel through the air), to soar
  2. (transitive) to fly (to cause to fly)
  3. (intransitive) to fly (travel very fast)

Conjugation

Conjugation (literary)
singular plural impersonal
first second third first second third
present indicative/future hedfanaf hedfani hedfan, hedfana hedfanwn hedfanwch hedfanant hedfanir
imperfect (indicative/subjunctive)/
conditional
hedfanwn hedfanit hedfanai hedfanem hedfanech hedfanent hedfanid
preterite hedfanais hedfanaist hedfanodd hedfanasom hedfanasoch hedfanasant hedfanwyd
pluperfect hedfanaswn hedfanasit hedfanasai hedfanasem hedfanasech hedfanasent hedfanasid, hedfanesid
present subjunctive hedfanwyf hedfanych hedfano hedfanom hedfanoch hedfanont hedfaner
imperative hedfan, hedfana hedfaned hedfanwn hedfanwch hedfanent hedfaner
verbal noun hedfan
verbal adjectives hedfanedig
hedfanadwy
Conjugation (colloquial)
inflected
colloquial forms
singular plural
first second third first second third
future hedfana i,
hedfanaf i
hedfani di hedfanith o/e/hi,
hedfaniff e/hi
hedfanwn ni hedfanwch chi hedfanan nhw
conditional hedfanwn i,
hedfanswn i
hedfanet ti,
hedfanset ti
hedfanai fo/fe/hi,
hedfansai fo/fe/hi
hedfanen ni,
hedfansen ni
hedfanech chi,
hedfansech chi
hedfanen nhw,
hedfansen nhw
preterite hedfanais i,
hedfanes i
hedfanaist ti,
hedfanest ti
hedfanodd o/e/hi hedfanon ni hedfanoch chi hedfanon nhw
imperative hedfana hedfanwch

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

Synonyms

  • (North Wales) ffleio
  • (North Wales) hedeg

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “hedfan”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies

Further reading

  • D. G. Lewis, N. Lewis, editors (2005–present), “hedfan”, in Gweiadur: the Welsh–English Dictionary, Gwerin