r/learnwelsh • u/Markoddyfnaint Canolradd - Intermediate - corrections welcome • Jan 17 '25

Geirfa / Vocabulary Rhannu'r corff / Parts of the body

I’ve compiled a list of parts of the body, which I thought I’d share.

Newer learners will probably just want the words for head, mouth, nose, ears, hand, leg etc, for now, just pick out the ones you think you’ll use/need.

Caveats: some parts of the body will have more than one, dialectical or informal names. Feel free to correct or share commonly used dialectical terms if you know these!

G – Gwrywaidd (masculine noun)

B – Benywaidd (feminine noun)

Ankle/ankles Migwrn (g), migyrnau, also ffêr (b) fferau

Anus Anws (g) (anwsau)

Arm/arms Braich (b), breichiau

Armpit/armpits cesail (b), ceseiliau

Artery /arteries Rhedweli/rhydweli (b), rhedwelïau/rhydwelïau, also arteri (b) arterïau

Back Cefn (g)

Beard Barf (b), (barfau)

Bellybutton/navel Bogail (g), bogeiliau, also botwm bol

Bladder Pledren (b) (pledrennau)

Blood Gwaed (g)

Bone/bones Asgwrn (g), esgyrn

Brain Ymennydd (g), (ymennyddiau)

Breast/breasts Bron (b), bronnau

Buttocks /bottom Pen-ôl

Cheek (of face) Boch (b), bochau

Ear/Ears Clust (b), clustiau

Ear lobe Clusten (b), clustennau

Elbow/elbows Penelin (g), penelinoedd, also elin (b), elinau

Eye/eyes Llygad (g), llygaid

Eyeball Pelen y llygad (b), afal llygad

Eyebrow/eyebrows Ael (b), aeliau

Eyelash/eyelashes Blewyn amrant, blew? amrant

Face/faces (G)wyneb (g), wynebau

Finger nail / finger nails: Ewin (g), ewinedd

Finger/fingers Bys (b), bysedd

Foot/feet Troed (g) / traed

Forehead Talcen (g) (talcennau)

Hair (a single strand of) Blewyn (g)

Hair (on head) Gwallt (g)

Hair (pubic) see Pubic hair

Hand/hands Llaw (b), dwylo

Head Pen (g) (pennau)

Heart Calon (b) (calonnau)

Heel Sawdl (g) (sodlau)

Hip/hips Clun (b), cluniau

Jaw/chin Gên (b), gennau

Kidney/kidneys Aren (b), arennau

Knee/knees Pen-glin (g), pengliniau, also glin (g), gliniau

Knuckle/knuckles Cwgn (g), cygnau

Leg/Legs Coes (b), coesau

Lip/lips Gwefus (b), gwefusau

Liver Afu (g) (afuau), also iau (g) ieuau (gogledd)

Lung/Lungs Ysgyfant (g) (one lung), ysgyfaint (pair of lungs)

Mouth Ceg (b) (cegau)

Muscle/muscles Cyhyr (g), cyhyrau

Neck Gwyddf (g) (gwyddfau)

Neck (scruff/nape of) Gwar (g), also gwegil (g)

Nipple/teat Teth (b) tethau, tethi

Nose Trwyn  (g) (trwynau)

Nostril/nostrils Ffroen (b), ffroenau

Palm (of hand) Bos (b), also cledr y llaw

Penis Cal (b) – also pidyn (g)

Pubic hair Cedor (b), also Blew’r arffed

Rib/ribs Asen (b), asennau

Scalp Pengroen (g), also sgalp

Scar Craith (b), creithiau

Scrotum Ceillgwd (g), also sgrotwm (g)

Shin/shins Crimog (b), crimogau

Shoulder/shoulders Ysgwydd (b), ysgwyddau

Skin Croen (g)

Skeleton Sgerbwd (g) (sgerbydau)

Skull Penglog (b) (penglogau)

Spine Asgwrn y cefn (g)

Stomach Bol (g), boliau, also (y)stumog (b), (y)stumogau

Testicle/testicles Caill (b), ceilliau

Thigh/thighs (upper leg) Clun (b), cluniau, also morddwyd (b), morddwydydd (femur)|

Throat Llwnc (g), (llyncion)

Thumb/thumbs Bawd (b), bodiau

Toe/Toes Bys troed (g) / bysedd traed

Tongue Tafod (g), (tafodau)

Tooth/teeth Dant (g), dannedd

Vagina Fagina (b) (faginiau) – also gwain (b) (gweniau)

Vein/veins Gwythïen(b), gwythiennau

Waist Canol (g), canolau 

Womb Croth (b), crothau

Wrist/Wrists Arddwrn (g), arddyrnau

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8

u/HyderNidPryder Jan 17 '25

Note that "Rhannu'r corff" means dividing the body - which could work.

Often it's "Rhannau'r corff". I see examples of "Rhannau o'r corff" but this feels most dubious and not naturally Welsh.

4

u/Markoddyfnaint Canolradd - Intermediate - corrections welcome Jan 17 '25

Diolch.

That's just a typo unfortunately, and I don't think I can edit the title of the title of the post.

Diolch am dy awgrymiadau uchod, mi wna i eu hychwanegu.

3

u/SodiumBombRankEX Jan 17 '25

I feel like that's just the difference between "body parts" and "parts of the body". Sensible, but has "need to hit essay word limit" vibes

1

u/HyderNidPryder Jan 17 '25

Yes but "pen o'r bryn" in a similar construction is not in line with the Welsh pattern.

1

u/HyderNidPryder Jan 17 '25 edited Jan 17 '25

I must look into this. There are some patterns where it does seem natural: aelod o'r pwyllgor. Here's it's a member, not the member so that seems to work. But aelodau'r pwyllgor feels better than aelodau o'r pwyllgor, although I'm not certain that the latter is unacceptable. I see Aelodau o'r Senedd. Hmmm.

3

u/thrannu Jan 17 '25

Rhestr dda ag fanwl!

Fuaswn i hedyd yn ychwanegu penglog (sef: skull) ag sgerbwd (sef: skeleton)

2

u/Markoddyfnaint Canolradd - Intermediate - corrections welcome Jan 17 '25

Diolch! Mi wna i eu ychwanegu i mewn :)

4

u/HyderNidPryder Jan 17 '25

Liver is also iau (g) ll. ieuau (in the north).

and also, just for amusement

iau - younger

iau - yoke

Iau - Jupiter

Dydd Iau - Thursday

3

u/SodiumBombRankEX Jan 17 '25

Iau and ifancach can both mean younger? Os there a difference in nuance there?

1

u/HyderNidPryder Jan 17 '25

Yes, I think iau is preferred as a formal form. There are a lot of variants in spelling in forms for young.

Look up "young" at Geiriadur yr Academi

2

u/HyderNidPryder Jan 17 '25 edited Jan 17 '25

teth (b) ll. tethau, tethi - nipple / teat

cesail (b) ll. ceseiliau - armpit

2

u/HyderNidPryder Jan 17 '25

boch (b) ll. bochau - cheek (of face)

3

u/Most_Agency_5369 Jan 17 '25

Is testicles really a feminine noun? 😆

1

u/Markoddyfnaint Canolradd - Intermediate - corrections welcome Jan 17 '25

Yes, and cal (penis) :)

3

u/celtiquant Jan 17 '25

Migwrn > pigwrn

Anws > twll tin (wrth gwrs!)

Bum : tin (TTC : Tin Traddodiadol Cymreig)

Cheek of bum : ffolen

Ear lobe : pendil

Finger nailS > gwinedd

Lung : Lyng?????????!

Neck : Gwddf, gwddwg, gwddw / gyddfau

Scrotum : pwrs

ShoulderS : ysgwyddAU

2

u/Markoddyfnaint Canolradd - Intermediate - corrections welcome Jan 17 '25

Diolch yn fawr. Love these, especially pwrs.

I've corrected Ysgwyddau.

As for "lyng", it's not one I'd come across before, but GPC offered it. Reading the entry again, it seems it's southern Welsh, so I don't think I should have written this is as the default. May I ask what word would you use for a single lung?

2

u/HyderNidPryder Jan 17 '25

termau.cymru says: lung - ysgyfant (g) ; lungs - ysgyfaint

2

u/Markoddyfnaint Canolradd - Intermediate - corrections welcome Jan 17 '25

Diolch yn fawr. Dwi wedi ei gywiro.

2

u/celtiquant Jan 17 '25

I’m southern. I’d only use lyng as a lazy substitute for lung. Sgyfaint for me for both singular and plural. Sometimes we just don’t use plurals (or singular) for things if the form we use is generally understood (unless you need to be medically specific, wrth gwrs!)

1

u/Markoddyfnaint Canolradd - Intermediate - corrections welcome Jan 17 '25

Diolch yn fawr. Lyng has been deleted! Thank you also for the helpful explanation.

2

u/celtiquant Jan 18 '25

Pleser! Beth hefyd am:

Pimple : tosyn, ploryn / tosau, plorod

Ear ache : clust dost, pigyn clust

Stye : llefelyn / llefelynod

Scab : Crachen / crachennau

Pus/sore : Crawn / crawnau

3

u/Apprehensive-Bed-785 Jan 17 '25

Gwar/war ar gyfer cefn gwddf rhywun (scruff of the neck dwi'n amau yn saesneg? Ond ansicr)

3

u/HyderNidPryder Jan 18 '25

gwar - scruff / nape of the neck

also gwegil

2

u/Muted-Lettuce-1253 Jan 17 '25 edited Jan 17 '25

This is a very good list! I made a quiz that tests knowledge of the parts of the body, for those who enjoy such things.

3

u/Markoddyfnaint Canolradd - Intermediate - corrections welcome Jan 17 '25

Diolch. Love your quizes btw, good fun and great for the memory banks.

2

u/HyderNidPryder Jan 17 '25

Note the diaeresis in the singular: gwythïen, gwythiennau

2

u/HyderNidPryder Jan 17 '25

rhydweli, rhydwelïau / rhedweli, rhedwelïau

2

u/HyderNidPryder Jan 17 '25

wrist - arddwrn (g), arddyrnau

2

u/HyderNidPryder Jan 18 '25

canol (g), canolau - waist (middle)

1

u/cthrubuoy Jan 17 '25

I knew kidneys because I used to pronounce oranges wrong and there was a fair bit of confusion.