hwyl

English

Etymology

From Welsh hwyl.

Noun

hwyl (uncountable)

  1. A melodic chanting style of Welsh preaching.

Welsh

Etymology

From Middle Welsh hwyl, from Old Welsh huil, from Old English seġl or Old Norse segl, both from Proto-Germanic *seglą (“sail”). Other meanings apparently derive from this, via the sense of successful progress, perhaps influenced by gŵyl (“holiday, feast”).[1] Cognate with Breton gouel (“sail; feast”).

Pronunciation

Noun

hwyl f (plural hwyliau, not mutable)

  1. sail
    Lledwch yr hwyliau!
    Unfurl the sails!
  2. mood
    Dyw hi ddim mewn hwyliau da heddiw.
    She's not in a good mood today.
  3. journey, route, progress, success
    Sut hwyl gest ti?
    How did you get on? (lit. What kind of success did you have?)
    Pob hwyl i chi!
    All the best! (lit. Every success to you!)
  4. fun
    Mae'n un sy'n llawn hwyl.
    He's a guy / She's a girl that's full of fun.
  5. fervour, ecstatic inspiration, especially as exhibited by Nonconformist preachers
    Mae'r pregethwr yn yr hwyl.
    The preacher is at the high point of his sermon.

Derived terms

  • anhwyl (“disorder, illness”)
  • hwylbren (“mast”)
  • hwylus (“expedient”)

Interjection

hwyl

  1. goodbye, bye, bye-bye
    Hwyl, bawb!
    Bye, everyone!

Derived terms

  • hwyl fawr (“goodbye”)

References

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