gŵyl

See also: gwyl and gwŷl

Welsh

Alternative forms

• gwyl (both etymologies)

Pronunciation

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /ɡuːɨ̯l/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /ɡʊi̯l/
• Rhymes: -uːɨ̯l

Etymology 1

From Latin vigilia (“wakefulness, watch”), from vigil (“awake”), from Proto-Indo-European *weǵ- (“to be strong”).

Noun

gŵyl m or f (plural gwyliau)

1. (archaic) vigil
2. festival, feast, holiday
3. (usually in the plural) holiday, vacation

Usage notes

In the singular, this refers to a "festival" of some kind. In the plural, it can mean "festivals" or "vacation", i.e. to both the American and British senses of the word "holidays". Some speakers distinguish these meanings in pronunciation, for example in a south Wales accent, IPA^(key): /ɡʊi̯ljai̯/ for "festivals", American "holidays" and IPA^(key): /ɡwɪljai̯/ for "vacation", British "holiday(s)". For other speakers, both are pronounced the same.

Derived terms

• canolfan gwyliau (“holiday centre, resort”)
• cartref gwyliau (“holiday home”)
• dydd gŵyl (“(religious) festival, feast day”)
• Dydd Gŵyl Dewi (“St David's Day”)
• dygwyl (“religious festival, feast day”)
• egwyl (“break, interval”)
• gwersyll gwyliau (“holiday camp”)
• Gŵyl Andreas (“St Andrew's Day”)
• gŵyl ansymudol (“immovable feast”)
• Gŵyl Awst (“Lammas day”)
• Gŵyl Badrig (“St Patrick's Day”)
• Gŵyl Dewi (“St David's Day”)
• gŵyl ddiolchgarwch (“harvest festival”)
• gŵyl ddrama (“drama festival”)
• Gŵyl Fair y Canhwyllau (“Candlemass”)
• gŵyl Gerdd Dant (“Cerdd Dant festival”)
• gŵyl gerddoriaeth (“music festival”)
• gŵyl grefyddol (“religious holiday”)
• gŵyl lenyddol (“literary festival”)
• gŵyl mabsant (“saint's day”)
• gŵyl symudol (“movable feast”)
• gŵyl werin (“folk festival”)
• gŵyl y banc (“bank holiday”)
• gŵyl y Glaniad (“anniversary of the landing of Welsh settlers in Patagonia”)
• gwyliau haf (“summer holidays, summer vacation”)
• gwyliau hollgynhwysol (“all-inclusive holidays”)
• gwyliau pecyn (“package holidays”)
• gwyliau ysgol (“school holidays”)
• gwyliau'r Nadolig (“Christmas holidays”)
• gwyliau'r Pasg (“Easter holidays, spring break”)
• gwylio (“to watch”)
• gwylnos (“vigil”)
• llety gwyliau (“holiday accommodation”)
• llyfryn gwyliau (“holiday brochure”)
• noswyl (“vigil, eve (of religious feast)”)
• pentref gwyliau (“holiday village”)
• prifwyl (“principal festival, high day”)
• Prifwyl (“National Eisteddfod”)
• Sul, gŵyl a gwaith (“every day of the week”)
• tair gŵyl arbennig (“three principal festivals; three solemn feasts”)
• theatr gŵyl (“festival theatre”)
• uchelwyl (“high day”)
• yswiriant gwyliau (“holiday insurance”)

Etymology 2

From Middle Welsh gŵyl, from Proto-Celtic *weilos.

Adjective

gŵyl (feminine singular gŵyl, plural gwylion, equative gwyled, comparative gwylach, superlative gwylaf)

1. bashful, modest

Mutation

Mutated forms of gŵyl

radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
gŵyl	ŵyl	ngŵyl	unchanged

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “gŵyl”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies