hwy
Old English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From a presumed earlier *hwīe, from Proto-West Germanic *hwiu, from Proto-Germanic *hwī (“with what”), to which the more common instrumental ending *-ō had been added. Cognate with Old High German hwiu (instrumental case of hwaz).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /xwyː/, [ʍyː]
Suyá
Etymology
From Proto-Northern Jê *py (“achiote”) < Proto-Cerrado *pyj’ (“achiote”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈhʷɨ]
Tapayuna
Etymology
From Proto-Northern Jê *py (“achiote”) < Proto-Cerrado *pyj’ (“achiote”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈhʷɨ]
Welsh
Pronunciation
- (North Wales) IPA(key): /huːɨ̯/
- (South Wales) IPA(key): /hʊi̯/
- Rhymes: -ʊɨ̯
Etymology 1
From Middle Welsh wy, from Proto-Celtic *eyes, plural of *es, from Proto-Indo-European *éy. Cognate with Breton i(nt) and Irish ia(d).
The initial h- is from the final -nt of verbs having the allophone -nnh- between vowels (e.g. gwelant wy “they see” > /gwelannhwy/ > gwelan(t) hwy); the colloquial form nhw formed by the same process.
Usage notes
Hwy is exclusively Literary Welsh. Colloquial Welsh uses nhw instead.
Alternative forms
Etymology 2
Proto-Celtic *sēyos, comparative of *sīros (for the same alteration compare *māros, comp. *māyos > Welsh mawr, comp. mwy).
Mutation
Welsh mutation | |||
---|---|---|---|
radical | soft | nasal | h-prothesis |
wy | unchanged | unchanged | hwy |
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), “hwy”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies