ysgyfarnog
Welsh
Alternative forms
- sgwarnog
- sgyfarnog
Etymology
From Middle Welsh yscyfarnawc, ysgyvarnauc, from Proto-Brythonic *skuβarnọg. Equivalent to ysgyfarn (“ear”) + -og. Cognate with Cornish skovarnek.
Noun
ysgyfarnog f (plural ysgyfarnogod)
- hare
- (idiomatic) red herring
- 2001 February 1, “Dadl Frys: Corus [Urgent Debate: Corus]”, in Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru (Y Cofnod Swyddogol) [The National Assembly for Wales (The Official Record)][1] (PDF), archived from the original on 16 Sept 2025:
- Yn fy marn i, dechreuodd, heb rithyn o amheuaeth, fis ar ôl i’r cwmni gyhoeddi’r uno. Sgwarnogod yw’r holl faterion ynghylch cyfraddau ewro, taliadau ynni ac ardrethi busnes.)
- In my opinion, it started, without a shred of doubt, a month after the company announced the merger. All matters of euro rates, energy charges and business duties are red herrings.
Derived terms
- codi ysgyfarnog (“to deflect”, literally “to raise a hare”)
- mynd ar ôl ysgyfarnog (“go off at a tangent, go on a wild goose chase”, literally “go after a hare”)
- os wyt ti'n cyrchu dwy sgwarnog wnei di ddim dal yr un (“chase two hares and you won't catch either”)
- ysgyfarnog Patagonia, (Patagonia) ysgyfarnog y paith (“Patagonian mara”)
Mutation
| radical | soft | nasal | h-prothesis |
|---|---|---|---|
| ysgyfarnog | unchanged | unchanged | hysgyfarnog |
Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.
Further reading
- Griffiths, Bruce; Glyn Jones, Dafydd (1995), “hare”, in Geiriadur yr Academi: The Welsh Academy English–Welsh Dictionary[2], Cardiff: University of Wales Press, →ISBN
- D. G. Lewis, N. Lewis, editors (2005–present), “ysgyfarnog”, in Gweiadur: the Welsh–English Dictionary, Gwerin
- R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “ysgyfarnog”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies