ugain

From Old Welsh uceint, from Proto-Brythonic *ʉgėnt, from Proto-Celtic *wikantī, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁wih₁ḱm̥t, from *dwi(h₁)dḱm̥ti (“two-ten”).

Compare Latin vīgintī; also Cornish ugens, Breton ugent, Old Irish fiche.

• (North Wales, standard, colloquial) IPA^(key): /ˈɪɡai̯n/
  • (North Wales, colloquial) IPA^(key): /ˈɪɡjan/
• (South Wales, standard) IPA^(key): /ˈiːɡai̯n/, /ˈɪɡai̯n/
  • (South Wales, colloquial) IPA^(key): /ˈiːɡɛn/, /ˈɪɡɛn/

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• Despite being written as u, the initial vowel here is /ɪ/ in north Wales.

ugain

1. (cardinal number, vigesimal) twenty

   Synonym: dau ddeg

Numerals which employ ugain as their final element, i.e. 21 to 39, use ar (“on”) to connect it to the preceding element, which causes an aspirate mutation, e.g. un ar hugain (“twenty-one”), pedwar ar bymtheg ar hugain (“thirty-nine”). Elsewhere in the language, ar causes a soft rather than aspirate mutation.

ugain m (plural ugeiniau)

1. twenty
2. (numeral) score

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