gweu

Welsh

Alternative forms

• gwau

Etymology

From Middle Welsh gwëu, from Proto-Celtic *wegyeti (“to weave”). Equivalent to gwe (“web”) +‎ -u. Cognate with Breton gweañ and Cornish gwia.

Pronunciation

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /ɡweɨ̯/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /ɡwei̯/
• Rhymes: -eɨ̯

Verb

gweu (first-person singular present gweaf)

1. to weave

   Synonym: gwehyddu

2. to weave a web
3. to knit

Usage notes

The alternative form gwau is only slightly less common than gweu.

Conjugation

Conjugation (literary)

	singular			plural			impersonal
	first	second	third	first	second	third
present indicative/future	gweaf	gwei	gwea	gwëwn	gwëwch	gweant	gwëir
imperfect (indicative/subjunctive)/conditional	gwëwn	gweit	gweai	gweem	gweech	gweent	gwëid
preterite	gweais	gweaist	gweodd	gweasom	gweasoch	gweasant	gwëwyd
pluperfect	gweaswn	gweasit	gweasai	gweasem	gweasech	gweasent	gweasid, gweesid
present subjunctive	gwëwyf	gweych	gweo	gweom	gweoch	gweont	gweer
imperative	—	gwea	gweed	gwëwn	gwëwch	gweent	gweer
verbal noun	gweu
verbal adjectives	gweedig gweadwy

Conjugation (colloquial)

Inflected colloquial forms	singular			plural
	first	second	third	first	second	third
future	gwea i, gweaf i	gwei di	gweith o/e/hi, gweiff e/hi	gwewn ni	gwewch chi	gwean nhw
conditional	gwewn i, gweswn i	gweet ti, gweset ti	gweai fo/fe/hi, gwesai fo/fe/hi	gween ni, gwesen ni	gweech chi, gwesech chi	gween nhw, gwesen nhw
preterite	gweais i, gwees i	gweaist ti, gweest ti	gweodd o/e/hi	gweon ni	gweoch chi	gweon nhw
imperative	—	gwea	—	—	gwewch	—
Note: All other forms are periphrastic, as usual in colloquial Welsh.

Derived terms

• gwead (“weaving, knitting; conposition”)
• gwëydd (“weaver”)

Related terms

• gwäell (“knitting needle”)
• gwŷdd (“loom”)

Mutation

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

References

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