gwneud

Welsh

Alternative forms

  • gwneuthur (literary)
  • neud (colloquial)

Etymology

Back-formation from gwneuthud, gwneuthur, from Middle Welsh gwneithur, altered from *gwreithur with -n- from gwnïo (to sew), from Proto-Brythonic *gwrėɣɨd, from Proto-Celtic *wregeti, from Proto-Indo-European *werǵ-.

See also Cornish gwra (he does, makes), Breton gra (he does, makes), Old Irish fairged (they made); also English work.

Pronunciation

  • (North Wales, standard) IPA(key): /ɡwneɨ̯d/
    • (North Wales, colloquial) IPA(key): /ɡneɨ̯d/, /neɨ̯d/
  • (South Wales, standard, colloquial) IPA(key): /ɡwnei̯d/
    • (South Wales, colloquial) IPA(key): /ɡnei̯d/, /nei̯d/
  • Rhymes: -eɨ̯d

Verb

gwneud (first-person singular present gwnaf)

  1. to do; to make
    Dw i'n ei wneud e heddiw.I am doing it today.
    Wyt ti'n gwneud y brecwast y bore 'ma?Are you making breakfast this morning?
  2. auxiliary verb used to form the past or future tenses.
    Wnes i anghofio.I forgot. (literally, “I did forget.”)
    Wnest ti gofio'r ateb.You remembered the answer. (literally, “You did remember the answer.”)
    Wnaethoch chi ei gweld hi?Did you see her?
    Wnaeth o fwyta'r frechdan?Did he eat the sandwich?
    Wnaeth hi dy weld di.She saw you. (literally, “She did see you.”)
    Wnaeth y ci ddim bwyta'r cig.The dog didn't eat the meat.
    Wnaethon ni ddod adref.We came home. (literally, “We did come home.”)
    Wnaethon nhw ddim mynd i Fangor.They didn't go to Bangor.

Conjugation

Conjugation of gwneud (literary)
singular plural impersonal
first second third first second third
present indicative/future gwnaf, gwnelaf gwnei, gwneli gwna, gwnelir gwnawn, gwnelwn gwnewch, gwnelwch gwnânt, gwnelant gwneir, gwnelir
imperfect indicative/conditional gwnawn gwnait gwnâi gwnaem gwnaech gwnaent gwneid
preterite gwneuthum gwnaethost gwnaeth gwnaethom gwnaethoch gwnaethant gwnaethpwyd, gwnaed, gwnawd
pluperfect gwnaethwn gwnaethit gwnaethai gwnaethem gwnaethech gwnaethent gwnaethid, gwnelsid
present subjunctive gwnelwyf gwnelych gwnêl, gwnelo gwnelom gwneloch gwnelont gwneler, gwnaer
imperfect subjunctive gwnelwn gwnelit gwnelai gwnelem gwnelech gwnelent gwnelid
imperative gwna gwnaed gwnawn gwnewch gwnaent gwnaer, gwneler
verbal noun gwneud, gwneuthur
verbal adjectives gwneuthuredig, gwneuthuriedig
gwneuthuradwy
Conjugation of gwneud (colloquial)
inflected colloquial forms singular plural
first second third first second third
preterite gwnes i
gnes i
nes i
gwnest ti
gnest ti
nest ti
gwnaeth o/e/hi
gnaeth o/e/hi
naeth o/e/hi
gwnaethon ni
gnaethon ni
naethon ni
nethon ni
gwnaethoch chi
gnaethoch chi
naethoch chi
nethoch chi
gwnaethon nhw
gnaethon nhw
naethon nhw
nethon nhw
future gwnaf i
gnaf i
naf i
gwna i
gna i
na i
gwnei di
gnei di
nei di
gwneith o/e/hi
gneith o/e/hi
neith o/e/hi
gwnaiff o/e/hi
gnaiff o/e/hi
naiff o/e/hi
gwnawn ni
gnawn ni
nawn ni
gwnewn ni
gnewn ni
newn ni
gwnewch chi
gnewch chi
newch chi
gwnân nhw
gnân nhw
nân nhw
gwnewn nhw
gnewn nhw
newn nhw
conditional gwnawn i
gnawn i
nawn i
gwnelwn i
gnelwn i
nelwn i
gwnelen i
gnelen i
nelen i
gwnaet ti
gnaet ti
naet ti
gwnelet ti
gnelet ti
nelet ti
gwnâi o/e/hi
gnâi o/e/hi
nâi o/e/hi
gwnelai fe/hi
gnelai fe/hi
nelai fe/hi
gwnaen ni
gnaen ni
naen ni
gwnelen ni
gnelen ni
nelen ni
gwnaech chi
gnaech chi
naech chi
gwnelech chi
gnelech chi
nelech chi
gwnaen nhw
gnaen nhw
naen nhw
gwnelen nhw
gnelen nhw
nelen nhw
imperative gwna gwnewch
verbal noun gwneud, gneud, neud

All other forms are periphrastic, as usual in colloquial Welsh.

Derived terms

Mutation

Mutated forms of gwneud
radical soft nasal aspirate
gwneud wneud ngwneud unchanged

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

Further reading

  • D. G. Lewis, N. Lewis, editors (2005–present), “gwneud”, in Gweiadur: the Welsh–English Dictionary, Gwerin
  • R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “gwneud”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies