rhyw

Welsh

Etymology

Related to rhai. Cognate with Breton reizh.

Pronunciation

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /r̥ɪu̯/, /r̥ɨ̞u̯/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /r̥ɪu̯/
• Rhymes: -ɨ̞u̯

Usage notes

Despite being written with a "y", the vowel here is generally pronounced /ɪ/ in the north as tends to be the case when "y" precedes "w".

Determiner

rhyw (triggers soft mutation)

1. some (a certain, an unspecified or unknown.)

   Mae rhyw ddyn tu allan.

   There's some man outside.

Derived terms

• rhywbeth (“something”)
• rhywbryd (“sometime”)
• rhywfaint (“some amount”)
• rhywfodd (“in some way”)
• rhywle (“somewhere”)
• rhywsut (“somehow”)
• rhywun (“someone”)
• unrhyw (“any”)

 

Related terms

• rhai (“some”)

Noun

rhyw m or f (plural rhywiau)

1. kind, sort

   Synonyms: math, siort

2. (countable) sex
3. (uncountable) sex, sexual intercourse

Derived terms

• croesryw (“cross-breed, hybrid”)
• deuryw
• neillryw
• rhywedd
• rhywiaeth
• rhywiol
• rhywogaeth

 

Mutation

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