bywyd

Welsh

Etymology

From Proto-Brythonic *bɨwöd, from Proto-Celtic *biwotūts (compare Old Irish bethu, bethad, Irish beatha), probably from a derivative of Proto-Indo-European *gʷih₃wo-teh₂ (compare Latin vīta, Ancient Greek βίοτος (bíotos), Old Church Slavonic, животъ (životŭ, “life”), Lithuanian gyvatà (“life”), Sanskrit जीवित (jīvitá), Avestan gayo (accusative ǰyātum) "life")), ultimately from *gʷeih₃w- (“to live”), compare *gʷih₃wós (“alive”).

Pronunciation

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /ˈbəu̯ɨ̞d/
• (South Wales, standard, colloquial) IPA^(key): /ˈbəu̯ɪd/
  • (South Wales, colloquial) IPA^(key): /ˈbou̯ɪd/
• Rhymes: -əu̯ɨ̞d

Noun

bywyd m (plural bywydau or bywydoedd)

1. life, existence; liveliness, zest
2. lifetime, course of life

   Gwnewch y pethau bychain mewn bywyd.

   Do the little things in life.

3. living, livelihood, sustenance
4. wealth, income
5. reward, gift

Derived terms

• bywyd llonydd m (“still life”)

Related terms

• byw

Mutation

Mutated forms of bywyd

radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
bywyd	fywyd	mywyd	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), “bywyd”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies
• Definition from the BBC.