gwiw
Cornish
Alternative forms
- gwew (Revived Late Cornish)
Etymology
From Proto-Brythonic *gwiw, from Proto-Celtic *wesus (“noble”). Cognate with Irish fiú, Manx feeu, Scottish Gaelic fiù, and Welsh gwiw.
Adjective
gwiw (comparative gwiwa, superlative an gwiwa)
- appropriate, fit, suitable, worthy
- Synonyms: fytti, 'vas, wordhi
Derived terms
- gwiwder (“fitness, worthiness”)
Adverb
yn hwiw
Mutation
| radical | soft | aspirate | hard | mixed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| gwiw | wiw | unchanged | kwiw | hwiw, wiw* |
* after 'th
Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Cornish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.
Welsh
Etymology
Inherited from Middle Welsh gwiw, from Proto-Brythonic *gwiw, from Proto-Celtic *wesus, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁wésus (“excellent”). Cognate to Old Irish fíu, Sanskrit वसु (vásu, “excellent, good, beneficent”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɡwɪu̯/
- Rhymes: -ɪu̯
Adjective
gwiw (feminine singular gwiw, plural gwiwion, equative gwiwed, comparative gwiwach, superlative gwiwaf)
Derived terms
- ni wiw (“in vain, to no purpose; [one] dares not”)
- pa wiw (“what does it avail?”)
Mutation
| radical | soft | nasal | aspirate |
|---|---|---|---|
| gwiw | wiw | ngwiw | 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), “gwiw”, in Gweiadur: the Welsh–English Dictionary, Gwerin
- R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke, et al., editors (1950–present), “gwiw”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies