[Spellyans] Cucumber

[Eddie Climo]

On 16 Est 2010, at 11:03, Ceri Young wrote:
> While you're at it, could you please settle the word 'cucumber' for  
> the Welsh language too please! ;o)
> ...With added brownie points if you could establish a formal Welsh  
> translation for summer squash (including a specific term for marrow  
> & courgette (i.e. a premature marrow)) & winter squash (including a  
> specific term for 'gourde')! ;o)

Here's a few gleaning from some Welsh and Cornish dictionaries which  
be helpful:

The 'Geiriadur Mawr' (1981) offers us nothing for 'squash', but has:
	cucumber. cucumer, ciwcymber
	gourd. cicaion
	vegetable marrow, pumpkin. pwmpen

Spurrell-Anwyl (1932) has:
	cucumber. y chwerwddwfr, chwerwdhyfrlys, cucumer
	gourd. cicaion, pompiwn
	pumpkin. pwmpa, pompiwn
	vegetable marrow. pwmpen, pompiwn

Neither of them offer anything for 'gherkin' other than a description  
(math o gucumer i'w biclo)

However, the concise Geiriadur Prifysgol (free download as searchable  
PDFs from http://www.aber.ac.uk/~gpcwww/gpc_pdfs.htm) also offers the  
following:
	gourd: goldyn, gordyn, gowrd
	gourd, pumpkin. gwrd
	vegertable marrows. llysfer (plural only, seemingly)
	pumpkin. pomcin, pymcin, pwmcin
	squash (but not the vegetable meaning). sgwash, sgwosh
The GPC also has:
	cicaion. Biblical plant or tree, probably Palma Christi or gourd (1588)
	
	

As for Cornish, Nance gives us:
	pompyon. vegetable marrow, pumpkin, gourd (marked as an adapted word.  
W., M.E.)

…while Williams (2006) has:
	cucumber. cucumys. cucumber
	gherkin. cucumysyk
	gourd, squash, vegetable marrow, pumpkin. pompyon

I'd suggest Cornish *pompyonyk for 'courgette', and *gord, *gurd (with  
long -u-) or even *gourd for E. 'gourd'.

Is there any reason Welsh should not do as Cornish has and have newly  
coined diminutive of some of the existing words to denote the smaller  
members   of the cucumber family: the gherkin and courgette?

Just so us Brythons don't start feeling linguistically inferior, it  
appears a similar confusion exists in the English nomenclature of some  
of these brutes as well. Note that, as usual, the article allows you  
to see what some other European languages have done with their naming  
as well:
	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squash_(plant)

Eddie Foirbeis Climo
- -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- -
Dres ethom akennow byner re bo lyeshes
Accenti non multiplicandi praeter necessitatem

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