llaw

Welsh

Etymology

From Old Welsh lau, from Proto-Brythonic *llọβ̃, from Proto-Celtic *ɸlāmā (whence Irish lámh (“hand”)), from Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₂meh₂. Cognate with English palm, Ancient Greek παλάμη (palámē, “palm; hand”), Latin palma (“palm; hand”).

Plural is literally dwy law (“two hands”), but is also used to refer to three or more hands.

Pronunciation

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /ɬaːu̯/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /ɬau̯/
• Rhymes: -au̯

Noun

llaw f (plural dwylo or deulo)

1. hand

Derived terms

• â llaw (“manual, by hand”)
• bag llaw (“handbag”)
• bys llaw (“finger”)
• curo dwylo (“to clap”)
• cymryd mewn llaw (“to take in hand”)
• deheulaw (“right hand”)
• dwylo i fyny, dwylo lan (“hands up”)
• gerllaw (“nearby”)
• gwaith llaw (“handicraft”)
• gwŷdd llaw (“hand loom”)
• hen law (“old hand”)
• islaw (“beneath”)
• llaw chwith (“left hand; left-handed”)
• llaw dde (“right hand; right-handed”)
• llaw-drin (“to operate”)
• llaw-fer (“shorthand”)
• llawdriniaeth (“surgery, operation”)
• llawfeddyg (“surgeon”)
• llawlyfr (“handbook”)
• llawredyn (“polypody”)
• llawysgrif (“handwriting, manuscript”)
• offer llaw (“hand tools”)
• rhoi llaw ar yr aradr (“to put one's hand to the plough”)
• siglo llaw, ysgwyd llaw (“to shake hands”)
• uwchlaw (“above, beyond”)

 

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
llaw	law	unchanged	unchanged
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.