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in reply to a message by Claire
Tegwen is feminine. The (g)wen element in Modern and Medieval Welsh names is always feminine, and (g)wyn is always masculine. So, not only is Bronwen (for example) feminine, but Heddwyn is definitely masculine. Gwenllian is feminine, Gwynfor is masculine.
Bronwyn is occasionally used erroneously for girls, as a mispelling of Bronwen; it could theoretically be used as a male name, but most Welsh speakers would laugh, because bron means breast (it also means hill on occasion, so you see we are not talking about a flat manly breast either).
However, older names don't stick to this rule, rarely for the second syllable (Bradwen 'fair treachery', Adguen, for the first syllable. Gwenwynwyn is a male name, possibly meaning 'thrice blessed'(?). Gwenabwy is definitely male, as are Gwenddoleu (the name that so confused Geoffrey of Monmouth he turned it into Gwendolen, and thus invented Gwendoline), Gwenfedon, Gwengad, Gwengal, Gwengarth, Gwennog (etc). However, all of these names are rare in Modern Welsh (or rather non-existent :) ), and you'll probably never run into them.
Gwen is occasionally male in medieval Breton names, and more often masculine than feminine in Old Cornish, but again, you'll never come across these names.
There is also another element to confuse the picture. The youngest son of Llywarch Hen is Gwên (in case that symbol hasn't worked, that's an e with a hat), from a word meaning 'smile'. It's pronounced gwehhhhhhn (not quite gwain).
I hope you've been paying attention - there'll be a pop quiz shortly...
;)
Bronwyn is occasionally used erroneously for girls, as a mispelling of Bronwen; it could theoretically be used as a male name, but most Welsh speakers would laugh, because bron means breast (it also means hill on occasion, so you see we are not talking about a flat manly breast either).
However, older names don't stick to this rule, rarely for the second syllable (Bradwen 'fair treachery', Adguen, for the first syllable. Gwenwynwyn is a male name, possibly meaning 'thrice blessed'(?). Gwenabwy is definitely male, as are Gwenddoleu (the name that so confused Geoffrey of Monmouth he turned it into Gwendolen, and thus invented Gwendoline), Gwenfedon, Gwengad, Gwengal, Gwengarth, Gwennog (etc). However, all of these names are rare in Modern Welsh (or rather non-existent :) ), and you'll probably never run into them.
Gwen is occasionally male in medieval Breton names, and more often masculine than feminine in Old Cornish, but again, you'll never come across these names.
There is also another element to confuse the picture. The youngest son of Llywarch Hen is Gwên (in case that symbol hasn't worked, that's an e with a hat), from a word meaning 'smile'. It's pronounced gwehhhhhhn (not quite gwain).
I hope you've been paying attention - there'll be a pop quiz shortly...
;)
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