purlan

Welsh

Etymology

From pur (“pure”) +‎ glân (“clean”). Long vowels do not ordinarily occur in unstressed syllables in Welsh, so the long vowel in glân (marked by a circumflex) is shortened.

Pronunciation

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /ˈˈpɨ̞rlan/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /ˈpirlan/

Adjective

purlan (feminine singular purlan, plural purlan, equative purlaned, comparative purlanach, superlative purlanaf)

1. pure, holy
2. undefiled, uncorrupted, faultless
   • John Roberts (Ieuan Gwyllt), transl., Lewis Hartsough (music) (19ᵗʰ C.), “Gwahoddiad”, (in Welsh): “Golch fi'n burlan yn y gwaed a gaed ar Galfari. ― “Wash me clean in the blood that flowed on Calvary.””
3. sincere

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
purlan	burlan	mhurlan	phurlan
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

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