chwerthin

Welsh

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *swaryeti (“to laugh”), from Proto-Indo-European *swer- (“to sound, make a sound”). Cognate with Breton c’hoarzin, Old Cornish hwerthin; outside of Brythonic, compare Sanskrit स्वरति (svarati, “to sing, make a sound”), Old Norse sverja (“swear”), and perhaps Latin susurrus (“whisper”).

Pronunciation

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /ˈχwɛrθɨ̞n/
• (South Wales, standard, colloquial) IPA^(key): /ˈχwɛrθɪn/
  • (South Wales, colloquial) IPA^(key): /ˈhwɛrθɪn/, /ˈwɛrθɪn/
• Rhymes: -ɛrθɪn

Verb

chwerthin (first-person singular present chwarddaf or chwerthaf or chwerthinaf, not mutable)

1. to laugh

Conjugation

Conjugation (literary)

	singular			plural			impersonal
	first	second	third	first	second	third
present indicative/future	chwarddaf	chwerddi	chwardd	chwarddwn	chwerddwch, chwarddwch	chwarddant	chwerddir
imperfect (indicative/subjunctive)/ conditional	chwarddwn	chwarddit	chwarddai	chwarddem	chwarddech	chwarddent	chwerddid
preterite	chwerddais	chwerddaist	chwarddodd	chwarddasom	chwarddasoch	chwarddasant	chwarddwyd
pluperfect	chwarddaswn	chwarddasit	chwarddasai	chwarddasem	chwarddasech	chwarddasent	chwarddasid, chwarddesid
present subjunctive	chwarddwyf	chwerddych	chwarddo	chwarddom	chwarddoch	chwarddont	chwardder
imperative	—	chwardd	chwardded	chwarddwn	chwerddwch, chwarddwch	chwarddent	chwardder
verbal noun	chwerthin
verbal adjectives	chwarddedig chwarddadwy

Conjugation (colloquial)

Inflected colloquial forms	singular			plural
	first	second	third	first	second	third
future	chwertha i, chwerthaf i	chwerthi di	chwerthith o/e/hi, chwerthiff e/hi	chwerthwn ni	chwerthwch chi	chwerthan nhw
conditional	chwerthwn i, chwerthswn i	chwerthet ti, chwerthset ti	chwerthai fo/fe/hi, chwerthsai fo/fe/hi	chwerthen ni, chwerthsen ni	chwerthech chi, chwerthsech chi	chwerthen nhw, chwerthsen nhw
preterite	chwerthais i, chwerthes i	chwerthaist ti, chwerthest ti	chwerthodd o/e/hi	chwerthon ni	chwerthoch chi	chwerthon nhw
imperative	—	chwertha	—	—	chwerthwch	—
Note: All other forms are periphrastic, as usual in colloquial Welsh.

Conjugation (colloquial)

Inflected colloquial forms	singular			plural
	first	second	third	first	second	third
future	chwerthina i, chwerthinaf i	chwerthini di	chwerthinith o/e/hi, chwerthiniff e/hi	chwerthinwn ni	chwerthinwch chi	chwerthinan nhw
conditional	chwerthinwn i, chwerthinswn i	chwerthinet ti, chwerthinset ti	chwerthinai fo/fe/hi, chwerthinsai fo/fe/hi	chwerthinen ni, chwerthinsen ni	chwerthinech chi, chwerthinsech chi	chwerthinen nhw, chwerthinsen nhw
preterite	chwerthinais i, chwerthines i	chwerthinaist ti, chwerthinest ti	chwerthinodd o/e/hi	chwerthinon ni	chwerthinoch chi	chwerthinon nhw
imperative	—	chwerthina	—	—	chwerthinwch	—
Note: All other forms are periphrastic, as usual in colloquial Welsh.

References

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “chwerthin”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies
• Matasović, Ranko (2009) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 361