yn

See also: Appendix:Variations of "yn"

English

Noun

yn (plural yns)

1. Alternative letter-case form of YN.

Cornish

Alternative forms

• en (Revived Late Cornish)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɪn/

Etymology 1

From Proto-Brythonic *ɨn, from Proto-Celtic *eni.

Preposition

yn

1. in

Inflection

Inflection of yn

		singular	plural
1st person		ynnov	ynnon
2nd person		ynnos	ynnowgh
3rd person	m	ynno	ynna
	f	ynni

Derived terms

with possessive pronouns

• y'ga (“in their”)
• y'gan (“in our”)
• y'gas (“in your (pl)”)
• y'm (“in my”)
• y'th (“in your”)

Etymology 2

Compare Welsh yn and Old Irish in.

Particle

yn (triggers mixed mutation)

1. Adverbial particle; -ly

   yn es ― easily

   yn fyw ― live

Manx

Alternative forms

• y

Etymology

From Old Irish in (compare Scottish Gaelic and Irish an).

Article

yn

1. the

Related terms

• ny

References

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 in”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English inn.

Noun

yn

1. alternative form of in (“inn”)

Etymology 2

From Old English in.

Preposition

yn

1. alternative form of in (“in”)

Etymology 3

From Old English inne.

Adverb

yn

1. alternative form of in (“in”)

Middle Welsh

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ən/

Etymology 1

Certainly cognate with Old Irish in (“-ly”); possibly from a preposition Proto-Celtic *endo, governing the dative, a compound of *en (“in”) and *do (“to”)

Alternatively from *sindū(i), the masculine/neuter dative/instrumental singular of the definite article.

Alternative forms

• y

Particle

yn (triggers soft mutation)

1. grammatical particle used in conjunction with bot (“to be”) to mark adjectival, nominal, or verbal complements
   • 14th century, anonymous author, translated by Charlotte Guest, edited by R. L. Thomson, Pwyll Pendeuic Dyuet (Mediaeval and Modern Welsh Series; vol. I), Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, published 1980, page 3, lines 75–77:

     Pwyll Pendeuic Dyuet a oed yn arglwyd ar seith cantref Dyuet.

     Pwyll Prince of Dyved, was lord of the seven Cantrevs of Dyved

2. grammatical particle used to change an adjective into an adverb

Descendants

• Welsh: yn

Etymology 2

From Proto-Brythonic *ɨn, from Proto-Celtic *eni.

Alternative forms

• ym (before a labial consonant)
• yg, yng (before a velar consonant)

Preposition

yn (triggers nasal mutation)

1. in

Descendants

• Welsh: yn

Etymology 3

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Alternative forms

• an

Determiner

yn

1. our

Descendants

• Welsh: ein

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *ūniju, *unnjā (“onion”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /yːn/

Noun

ȳn f

1. onion

Declension

Strong ō-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	ȳn	ȳna, ȳne
accusative	ȳne	ȳna, ȳne
genitive	ȳne	ȳna
dative	ȳne	ȳnum

Synonyms

• ċiepe
• hramsa
• lēac

Related terms

• ynnelēac

Welsh

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ən/

Etymology 1

From Middle Welsh yn.

Alternative forms

• ’n (used after a vowel)

Particle

yn

1. grammatical particle used in conjunction with bod (“to be”) to mark adjectival, nominal, or verbal predicate complements

   Mae Tom yn darllen.

   Tom is reading.

   Mae Tom yn gysglyd.

   Tom is sleepy.

   Mae Tom yn fachgen.

   Tom is a boy.

2. grammatical particle used to change an adjective into an adverb

   yn dda ― well

   yn fawr ― greatly

   yn wir ― truly

3. in (indicating a language)

   Mae'r llyfr yn Gymraeg.

   The book is in Welsh.

Usage notes

• This particle triggers soft mutation, except for on words beginning with ⟨rh⟩ and ⟨ll⟩, of anything substantival, namely nouns, adjectives, numerals and verbal nouns used substantivally.
• It triggers no mutation on anything verbal, which in practice means verbal nouns used verbally.

Etymology 2

From Middle Welsh yn, from Old Welsh in, from Proto-Brythonic *ɨn, from Proto-Celtic *eni, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁én.

Alternative forms

• ym, yng

Preposition

yn

1. in, at (definite nouns)

   Mae hi'n byw yng Nghaerdydd.

   She lives in Cardiff.

   Ydyn ni'n astudio yn y Brifysgol ym Mangor.

   We're studying at the University in Bangor.

   Roedd hi'n bwrw eira ym mis Mawrth.

   It was snowing in March.

Usage notes

• This particle triggers nasal mutation. Before ⟨p⟩, ⟨b⟩ and sometimes ⟨m⟩, it becomes ym and before ⟨c⟩ and ⟨g⟩, it becomes yng. In certain informal contexts or dialects, it may trigger soft or no mutation at all.
• Yn is used with definite nouns and noun phrases, its indefinite equivalent being mewn.

Inflection

Personal forms (literary)

	singular	plural
first person	ynof	ynom
second person	ynot	ynoch
third person	ynddo m ynddi f	ynddynt

Personal forms (colloquial)

	singular	plural
first person	ynddo i/fi, yno i/fi yndda i	ynddon ni, ynon ni
second person	ynddot ti, ynddat ti, ynot ti, ynat ti	ynddoch chi, ynoch chi
third person	ynddo fe/fo, yno fe/fo m ynddi hi, yni hi f	ynddyn nhw

Further reading

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke, et al., editors (1950–present), “yn”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies

West Frisian

Etymology

From Old Frisian in, from Proto-Germanic *in, from Proto-Indo-European *en.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /iːn/

Preposition

yn

1. in
2. into

Derived terms

• ynkringe
• ynwenje

Further reading

• “yn”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011

Yola

Preposition

yn

1. alternative form of ing (“in”)
   • 1867, CONGRATULATORY ADDRESS IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 114, lines 9-11:

     Yn ercha an aul o' while yt beeth wi gleezom o' core th' oure eyen dwytheth apan ye Vigere o'dicke Zouvereine, Wilyame ee Vourthe,

     In each and every condition it is with joy of heart that our eyes rest upon the representative of that Sovereign, William IV.,

References

• Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828), William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 114