nofio

Welsh

Etymology

From nawf (“swimming”) +‎ -io, from Middle Welsh nawf, from Proto-Brythonic *nọβ̃, from Proto-Celtic *snāmus, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)n̥h₂-mós, from *(s)neh₂- (“to swim”).

Compare Middle Welsh nawf. Cognate with Cornish neuvya, Breton neuial (compare Middle Breton neuff).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈnɔvjɔ/
• Rhymes: -ɔvjɔ

Verb

nofio (first-person singular present nofiaf, not mutable)

1. to swim

   Synonyms: myneifad, oifad

2. (nontechnical) to float

   Synonym: arnofio

Conjugation

Conjugation of nofio (literary)

	singular			plural			impersonal
	first	second	third	first	second	third
present indicative/future	nofiaf	nofi	nawf, nofia	nofiwn	nofiwch	nofiant	nofir
imperfect (indicative/subjunctive)/conditional	nofiwn	nofit	nofiai	nofiem	nofiech	nofient	nofid
preterite	nofiais	nofiaist	nofiodd	nofiasom	nofiasoch	nofiasant	nofiwyd
pluperfect	nofiaswn	nofiasit	nofiasai	nofiasem	nofiasech	nofiasent	nofiasid, nofiesid
present subjunctive	nofiwyf	nofiech	nofio	nofiom	nofioch	nofiont	nofier
imperative	—	nawf, nofia	nofied	nofiwn	nofiwch	nofient	nofier
verbal noun	nofio
verbal adjectives	nofiedig nofiadwy

Conjugation of nofio (colloquial)

inflected colloquial forms	singular			plural
	first	second	third	first	second	third
future	nofia i, nofiaf i	nofi di	nofith o/e/hi, nofiff e/hi	nofiwn ni	nofiwch chi	nofian nhw
conditional	nofiwn i, nofswn i	nofiet ti, nofset ti	nofiai fo/fe/hi, nofsai fo/fe/hi	nofien ni, nofsen ni	nofiech chi, nofsech chi	nofien nhw, nofsen nhw
preterite	nofiais i, nofies i	nofiaist ti, nofiest ti	nofiodd o/e/hi	nofion ni	nofioch chi	nofion nhw
imperative	—	nofia	—	—	nofiwch	—

Note: All other forms are periphrastic, as usual in colloquial Welsh.

Noun

nofio m (uncountable, not mutable)

1. swimming
2. (swimming) stroke

Derived terms

• arnofio (“to float”)
• nofio cefn (“back-stroke”)
• nofio broga (“breast-stroke”)
• nofiwr (“swimmer”)
• pwll nofio (“swimming pool”)

Further reading

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