blwyddyn

Welsh

Etymology

From Middle Welsh blwyðyn, from Old Welsh bloidin, from Proto-Brythonic *bluɨðėn (compare Cornish bledhen, Breton blizen), from Proto-Celtic *blēdanī (compare Old Irish blíadain), from *blēdū (compare Welsh blwydd (“age; year(s) old”)).

Pronunciation

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /ˈblʊɨ̯ðɨ̞n/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /ˈblʊi̯ðɪn/
• Rhymes: -ʊɨ̯ðɨ̞n

Noun

blwyddyn f (plural blynyddoedd or blynyddau)

1. year

Usage notes

In Welsh, blwydd refers to age and is the word used for a single year and is also found after numbers. The plural blwyddi is little utilised. When referring to any other kind of year, the word is blwyddyn in the singular, blynyddoedd in the plural and the special form blynedd is used after numbers.

Derived terms

• blwyddyn naid (“leap year”)
• Blwyddyn Newydd Dda (“Happy New Year”)
• undydd a blwyddyn (“a year and a day”)

See also

• eleni (“this year”)
• llynedd (“last year”)

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
blwyddyn	flwyddyn	mlwyddyn	unchanged
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), “blwyddyn”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies