adnabod

Welsh

Etymology

From Middle Welsh adnabot, from an adjective form related to Proto-Celtic *ati-gninati (“to know”) (compare Old Irish ad·gnin) compounded with bod (“to be”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵn̥néh₃ti, a nasal-infix present of *ǵneh₃- (“to know”).

The form adwaen is from Proto-Celtic *ati-uɸo-gninati.

Pronunciation

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /adˈnabɔd/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /adˈna(ː)bɔd/
• Rhymes: -abɔd

Verb

adnabod (first-person singular present adwaen)

1. to recognize (to match in memory; to know from a previous encounter)
2. to know (be acquainted or familiar with)

Usage notes

In the literary language, this verb means ‘recognize’/‘know’ (in the sense of French connaître and German kennen); in the colloquial language it means only ‘recognize’, while ‘know’ is nabod.

Conjugation

Conjugation

Literary forms	singular			plural			impersonal
	first	second	third	first	second	third
present indicative	adwaen, adwen	adweini, adwaenost	adwaen, adwen, edwyn	adwaenom, adwaenwn	adwaenoch, adwaenwch	adwaenant	adwaenir, adweinir
future/present habitual	adweinaf, adnabyddaf	adweini, adnabyddi	adwaen, adnebydd	adwaenwn, adnabyddwn	adwaenwch, adnabyddwch	adwaenant, adnabyddant	adnabyddir
imperfect indicative/conditional	adwaenwn	adwaenit	adwaenai	adwaenem	adwaenech	adwaenent, adwaenynt	adwaenid, adweinid
preterite	adnabûm, adnabyddais	adnabuost, adnabyddaist	adnabu, adnabyddodd	adnabuom, adnabyddom	adnabuoch, adnabyddoch	adnabuont, adnabuant, adnabyddont	adnabuwyd
pluperfect	adnabuaswn, adwaenaswn	adnabuasit, adwaenasit	adnabuasai, adwaenasai	adnabuasem, adwaenasem	adnabuasech, adwaenasech	adnabuasent, adwaenasent	adnabuasid, adnabuesid
present subjunctive	adnapwyf, adnabyddwyf	adnepych, adnabyddych	adnapo, adnabyddo	adnapom, adnabyddom	adnapoch, adnabyddoch	adnapont, adnabyddont	adnaper, adnabydder
imperfect subjunctive	adnapwn, adwaenwn, adnabyddwn	adnapit, adwaenit, adnabyddit	adnapai, adwaenai, adnabyddai	adnapem, adwaenem, adnabyddem	adnapech, adwaenech, adnabyddech	adnapent, adwaenent, adnabyddent	adnapid, adnabyddid
imperative	—	adnebydd	adnabydded	adnabyddwn	adnabyddwch	adnabyddent	adnaper, adnabydder, adwaener
verbal noun	adnabod
verbal adjectives	adnabodedig, adnabyddedig, adwaenedig adnabodadwy, adnabyddadwy

Inflected colloquial forms	singular			plural
	first	second	third	first	second	third
future	adnabydda i, adnabyddaf i	adnabyddi di	adnabyddith o/e/hi, adnabyddiff e/hi	adnabyddwn ni	adnabyddwch chi	adnabyddan nhw
conditional	adnabyddwn i, adwaenwn i	adnabyddet ti, adwaenet ti	adnabyddai fo/fe/hi, adwaenai fo/fe/hi	adnabydden ni, adwaenen ni	adnabyddech chi, adwaenech chi	adnabydden nhw, adwaenen nhw
preterite	adnabyddais i, adnabyddes i	adnabyddaist ti, adnabyddest ti	adnabyddodd o/e/hi	adnabyddon ni	adnabyddoch chi	adnabyddon nhw
imperative	—	adnabydda	—	—	adnabyddwch}	—
Note: All other forms are periphrastic, as usual in colloquial Welsh.

Synonyms

• (to know (be acquainted or familiar with)): nabod (colloquial)

Derived terms

• adnabyddiaeth (“knowledge, acquaintance”)
• adnabyddus (“well-known”)
• cerdyn adnabod (“identity card, ID”)
• nabod (“to know (be acquainted or familiar with)”) (colloquial)

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	h-prothesis
adnabod	unchanged	unchanged	hadnabod
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), “adwaen”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies