porffor
/ˈpɔrfɔr/
The Welsh word for purple is porffor. Wiktionary also lists piws and glasgoch.
Meaning: colour (noun)
Ways to say it
| Welsh | IPA |
|---|---|
| porffor | /ˈpɔrfɔr/ |
| piws | /pɪu̯s/ |
| glasgoch | /ˈɡlasɡɔχ/ |
The words porffor, piws and glasgoch are used to refer to the colour purple as both a noun and an adjective.
Which one should you use?
While porffor and piws refer to the colour purple, glasgoch is a compound word used to describe purplish-blue or violet hues. Literally, glasgoch means 'blue-red', combining the words for blue/green and red.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈpɔrfɔr/
Did you know?
- The Welsh word piws is actually a loanword from the English 'puce', which in turn comes from the French word for 'flea'.
- The word glas in glasgoch can refer to blue or green, reflecting an ancient linguistic trait where these two colors were seen as shades of the same hue.
- If you see the word porffor in an old Welsh text, it is likely referring to the expensive dye once made from sea snails, much like the Latin 'purpura'.
Examples in context
- Mae hi'n fioled bendigedig!It's a gorgeous violet/purple!
Example conversation
Rhiannon and Rhys are looking at a painting.
- RhiannonWyt ti'n hoff lliw porffor?Do you like the colour purple?
- RhysYdw, mae'n edrych yn hyfrydol.Yes, it looks lovely.
- RhiannonMae'r porffor yn ownol iawn.The purple is very striking.
- RhysMae, mae'n drawb lliw.It is, it's a bold colour.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “purple” translations and entries porffor, piws, glasgoch, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries glasgoch, piws, porffor, CC BY-SA 4.0.
