gwiwer
/ˈɡwɪu̯.ɛr/feminine
The Welsh word for squirrel is gwiwer.
The word gwiwer is a noun used to refer to the rodent known as a squirrel.
Meaning: rodent (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun gwiwer is feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈɡwɪu̯.ɛr/. It has 2 syllables, and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- Unlike the English 'squirrel', which comes from a Greek word meaning 'shadow-tail', gwiwer descends from a much older Celtic root.
- In ancient Celtic languages, the same root used for gwiwer was often used to describe stoats, as humans historically blurred these small furry animals together.
- The word gwiwer is a direct relative of the Breton gwiñver, demonstrating that these languages shared a common ancestor across the Celtic region.
Examples in context
- Wyt ti wedi gweld y crwbanod 'ma cyn? Maen nhw'n neidio o bren i bren!Have you seen these squirrels before? They are jumping from tree to tree!
- Gwelais i gwiwer yn y gardd.I saw a squirrel in the garden.
Example conversation
Catrin and Gareth are walking in the park.
- CatrinEdrychwch, mae gwiwer yno!Look, there is a squirrel there!
- GarethBle yw?Where is it?
- CatrinMae'r gwiwer ar y cofnod.The squirrel is on the branch.
- GarethMae hi'n rhyneud yn gyflym!It is running quickly!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “squirrel” translations and entries gwiwer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gwiwer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
