Where does “Gwenhwyfar” come from?
Gwenhwyfar (Middle Welsh) comes from Old Welsh Guinhuimar, from Proto-Brythonic Gwɨnnohuɨβar, from Proto-Brythonic gwɨnn, from Proto-Celtic windos, from Proto-Indo-European windo-, from Proto-Indo-European weyd- — to see.
Ancestry of “Gwenhwyfar”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Welsh | Guinhuimar | — |
| 2 | Proto-Brythonic | Gwɨnnohuɨβar | — |
| 3 | Proto-Brythonic | gwɨnn | white |
| 4 | Proto-Celtic | windos | white |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | windo- | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | weyd- | to see |