uwd

Welsh

Alternative forms

iwd (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle Welsh iwt, from Old Welsh iot, from Proto-Celtic *yutos. The Celtic is traditionally derived from Proto-Indo-European *yéwHs (“soup, broth”), from *yewH- (“to blend, mix (food), knead”).

However, Matasović is skeptical of links to Proto-Indo-European, due to the laryngeal in the reconstructed form showing no traces in Celtic, and considers the word a substrate borrowing. Compare however "Dybo's law" of pretonic shortening, which may or may not be valid for Celtic.

Cognate with Breton yod, Cornish yos, Old Irish íth, as well as Gallo-Latin iotta, iutta (borrowed from Celtic).

Pronunciation

(North Wales) IPA^(key): /ɨ̞u̯d/
(South Wales) IPA^(key): /ɪu̯d/

Noun

uwd m (usually uncountable, plural iydoedd)

porridge, oatmeal
pottage
pap, pulp
Synonyms: llwtrws, meddal, pwlp, seiten

Derived terms

bwyta uwd â mynawyd (“to attempt the impossible”, literally “to eat porridge with an awl”)
uwd papur (“paper pulp”)
uwd rhynion (“gruel”)
uwd sucan (“sowens”)
uwdfys, bys yr uwd (“index finger”)
uwtffon (“spatula, spurtle”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of *uwd*
radical	soft	nasal	h-prothesis
uwd	unchanged	unchanged	huwd

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

References

R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke, et al., editors (1950–present), “uwd”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies
Matasović, Ranko (2009), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, pages 438-9