bachgennes
/baχˈɡɛnɛs/feminine
The Welsh word for girl is bachgennes. Wiktionary also lists geneth.
Meaning: young female person (noun)
Ways to say it
| Welsh | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| bachgennes | /baχˈɡɛnɛs/ | feminine |
| geneth | /ˈɡɛnɛθ/ (North Wales) /ˈɡɛnɛθ/ (South Wales) |
feminine |
The terms refer to a young female person. Note that the word merch is also used as a general term for a woman.
How do you pronounce it?
/baχˈɡɛnɛs/
Did you know?
- The root of geneth comes from the Proto-Indo-European root for 'birth', making it a linguistic relative of the word 'gene'.
- Welsh possesses multiple words for 'girl' that vary based on whether the speaker is emphasizing youth, family relation or gender.
Examples in context
- Croeso, merch!Welcome, girl!
- Dyma'r merch dda!Here is the good girl!
Example conversation
Dylan and Elowen are talking about a neighbor's child.
- ElowenPwy yw'r bachgennes yna?Who is that girl?
- DylanMae hi'n byw next door.She lives next door.
- ElowenMae hi'n edrych yn gwen.She looks kind.
- DylanYdy, mae hi'n dawel iawn.Yes, she is very quiet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “girl” translations and entries bachgennes, geneth, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bachgennes, geneth, CC BY-SA 4.0.
