biswail

Welsh

Alternative forms

biswel, piswail, piswel

Etymology

Inherited from Middle Welsh bisweil. Alternative forms piswail and piswel suggest influence by piso (“to piss”).

This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.
Particularly: “GPC suggests cognacy with Cornish buzl, may therefore be a compound involving bu (“cow”), cf. buladd (“cowbane”), bulwg (“corncockle”). Alternatively may be cognate with French bouse (“cowpat”) which may be of Gaulish origin”

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈbɪswai̯l/

Noun

biswail f (collective, singulative bisweilen)

dung, cowpats
Synonyms: gleuad, tom, tail

Derived terms

cleddyf biswail (“milt, spleen”)
maer biswail (“a kind of steward”)
(derogatory) plant Alis y biswail (“English people”, literally “children of Alice [daughter of Hengist] of the cowpats”)
rhaw fiswail (“dung-shovel; menial servant”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of *biswail*
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
biswail	fiswail	miswail	unchanged

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), “biswail”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies