释义 |
Cymraeg, n. Brit. |ˈkʌmrʌɪg|, |ˈkʊmrʌɪg|, U.S. |ˈkəmˌraɪg|, |ˈkɪmˌraɪg| Forms: 17 Kymraeg, 17– Cymraeg, 18 Cymraig [‹ Welsh Cymraeg (noun) the Welsh language (13th cent. or earlier), (adjective) Welsh (designating the language) (14th cent.) > adj.) + the Brittonic base of Welsh -eg, suffix forming language names.] The Welsh language. In early use also: = Brittonic n.
[1663J. Price Descr. Wales 2 That the Country was called Wales and the People Welsh by the Saxons (a strange Nation) is evident, in that the Welsh know not what those words meane, their mother tongue teaching them only to call themselves Cymru and their Language Cymraec.] 1743J. Owen Compl. & Impartial Hist. Anc. Britons I. Introd. 20 The Celtic or Gaulish Tongue, which we call Kymraeg. 1789N. Webster Diss. on Eng. Lang. 50 The Irish language might be somewhat changed by Cantabrian words, imported by the Scots from Spain; and the Cymraeg or British might suffer considerable changes during 400 years subjection to the Romans. 1866Anthropol. Rev. 4 213 With regard to the language of North Britain..there are good grounds for inferring that it was a dialect of Gaelic, having more in common with Cymraeg and other British dialects. 1879Jrnl. Statist. Soc. 42 580 The Cymraig branch, since the extinction of Cornish, is now represented only by the Welsh. 1896M. Williams David in J. Aaron View across Valley (1999) ii. 14 ‘Good evening to thee, Uncle Bili,’ sang out David in his sonorous Cymraeg. 1957D. Jones Epoch & Artist (1959) 59 In fact, already, long before 1600, the higher in the firmament of power the fewer the voices speaking the clear-vowelled Cymraeg, the language that had been the language of princes. 1982N.Y. Times (Nexis) 5 Dec. vi. 46/1 Cymraeg is spoken most generally in the north and west, but even in parts of Wales where the use of Welsh as a vernacular died long ago, its influence is pervasive still. 2004Independent 6 Oct. 12/5 Above all, the English tried to stifle that essential inspiration of Welshness, Cymraeg. |