hawdd

Welsh

Etymology

From Middle Welsh hawð, from Proto-Brythonic *họð, from Proto-Celtic *sādos (“easy”); compare Cornish hueth (“quiet”),[1] as well as Old Irish asse (“easy”, from *ad-sādo-syos).[2]

The further origin of the Celtic root is uncertain. It was once thought to be from Proto-Indo-European *swéh₂dus (“sweet”),[3] and so cognate to Latin suavis, Ancient Greek ἡδύς (hēdús), and English sweet, but this analysis has both phonological and semantic difficulties.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /hau̯ð/
  • Audio(file)

Adjective

hawdd (feminine singular hawdd, plural hawdd, equative hawsed or hawdded, comparative haws or hawsach or hawddach, superlative hawsaf or hawddaf, not mutable)

  1. easy
    Synonym: rhwydd
    Antonyms: anodd, caled
    Mi wnaeth y tîm ennill yn hawdd ddoe.
    The team won easily yesterday.

Derived terms

References
  1. R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “hawdd”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies
  2. Matasović, Ranko (2009) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 318
  3. Morris Jones, John (1913) A Welsh Grammar, Historical and Comparative, Oxford: Clarendon Press, § 148 i 6
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