morfil
/ˈmɔrvɪl/
The Welsh word for whale is morfil. Wiktionary also lists morfilod.
Meaning: large sea mammal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Welsh | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| morfil | /ˈmɔrvɪl/ | |
| morfilod | /mɔrˈvɪlɔd/ | plural |
Morfil is a noun used to refer to a large sea mammal.
What does it mean word for word?
This word is a compound of mor (sea) and fil (whale).
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of morfil is morfilod.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmɔrvɪl/
Did you know?
- Welsh classifies animals using a system called mutations, which can change the first letter of morfil depending on the adjective used to describe it.
- The word morfil is built from mor meaning 'sea' and mil meaning 'animal' or 'beast'.
- The word mil meaning 'beast' is an archaic root that is rarely used on its own in modern spoken Welsh outside of compound words like morfil.
Examples in context
- Wyt ti erioed wedi bwyta cig morfil?Have you ever eaten whale meat?This sentence is useful for asking if someone has ever eaten morfil meat.Tatoeba #1963952 by Sisial, translation #953297 by CK
- Rwy'n hoffi astudio morfilod.I like studying whales.
- Gwelais i'r morfil yn y môr.I saw the whale in the sea.
Example conversation
Catrin and Owain are visiting a marine center.
- CatrinEdrychwch ar y morfil hwn!Look at this whale!
- OwainMae hi'n edwedig iawn.It is very impressive.
- CatrinYdy'r morfil yn bwyta plancton?Does the whale eat plankton?
- OwainDo, mae hynny'n gywir.Yes, that is correct.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “whale” translations and entries morfil, morfilod, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries morfil, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
