methu

See also: μέθυ

Welsh

Etymology

meth (failure) +‎ -u. Cf. Old Irish methaid. Ultimately from *mettom, a geminate form of Proto-Celtic *metom.

Pronunciation

Verb

methu (first-person singular present methaf)

  1. to fail
    Synonym: ffaelu
    Antonyms: llwyddo, pasio
    Fe fethais i'r prawf.
    I failed the test.
  2. to be unable, cannot
    Synonym: ffaelu
    Antonyms: gallu, medru
    Dw i'n methu canu.
    I cannot sing.
    (literally, “I fail to sing.”)

Conjugation

Conjugation (literary)
singular plural impersonal
first second third first second third
present indicative/future methaf methi metha methwn methwch methant methir
imperfect (indicative/subjunctive)/
conditional
methwn methit methai methem methech methent methid
preterite methais methaist methodd methasom methasoch methasant methwyd
pluperfect methaswn methasit methasai methasem methasech methasent methasid, methesid
present subjunctive methwyf methych metho methom methoch methont mether
imperative metha methed methwn methwch methent mether
verbal noun methu
verbal adjectives methedig
methadwy
Conjugation (colloquial)
inflected
colloquial forms
singular plural
first second third first second third
future metha i,
methaf i
methi di methith o/e/hi,
methiff e/hi
methwn ni methwch chi methan nhw
conditional methwn i,
methswn i
methet ti,
methset ti
methai fo/fe/hi,
methsai fo/fe/hi
methen ni,
methsen ni
methech chi,
methsech chi
methen nhw,
methsen nhw
preterite methais i,
methes i
methaist ti,
methest ti
methodd o/e/hi methon ni methoch chi methon nhw
imperative metha methwch

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

Antonyms

Derived terms

Mutation

Mutated forms of methu
radical soft nasal aspirate
methu fethu unchanged unchanged

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

Further reading

  • D. G. Lewis, N. Lewis, editors (2005–present), “methu”, in Gweiadur: the Welsh–English Dictionary, Gwerin
  • R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “methu”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies
  • Matasović, Ranko (2009) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN