bychan
Welsh
Etymology
From Middle Welsh bych, from Proto-Brythonic *bɨx, from Proto-Celtic *biggos (“small”). Cognate with Breton bihan, Irish beag.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈbəχan/
- Rhymes: -əχan
Adjective
bychan (feminine singular bechan, plural bychain, equative lleied or bychaned, comparative llai, superlative lleiaf)
Derived terms
- bychanu (“to belittle”)
- cegid fechan (“cuckoo”)
- clustlys bychan (“least earwort”)
- clustlys garw bychan (“lesser rough earwort”)
- rhafnwydd bychain (“dwarf buckthorn”)
Mutation
| radical | soft | nasal | aspirate |
|---|---|---|---|
| bychan | fychan | mychan | 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), “bychan”, in Gweiadur: the Welsh–English Dictionary, Gwerin
- R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke, et al., editors (1950–present), “bychan”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies