Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru/A Dictionary of the Welsh Language goes online

Silva Nurmio writes:

26 June 2014 saw the long-awaited launch of Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru/A Dictionary of the Welsh Language (GPC) online. The GPC is the standard historical dictionary of the Welsh language. Entries include a definition in Welsh and English; if known, an etymology and cognates from other languages are also given. These are followed by a list of attestations from texts from all periods of the language, and common collocations and phrases are listed for most words. The first edition of the dictionary was published in four volumes between 1967 and 2002 (you can read more about the history of GPC here). In 2002 work was begun on a second edition which has so far progressed to the word brig and has been published in twelve booklets. In the online version, clicking ‘first edition’ at the top takes you to a PDF view of the entry in the first edition, allowing comparison of the first and second edition entries.

The greatest advantage of the online version is that it is free; the print version of the first edition at £350 is a serious investment. GPC online opens up the dictionary to a wider audience, including students and people with a general interest in Welsh who have not had access to a print copy or who may have found it a bit challenging to use. The online version allows you to search by English definition as well as the Welsh headword and you can search for full phrases in both languages, making the dictionary more searchable than before.

The GPC is an invaluable source for students of Welsh, and the Celtic languages in general, and the new online version means it is now accessible from anywhere.

Links: see here for the main website; follow GPC on Facebook and Twitter. Both feature Gair y Dydd/Word of the Day (in Welsh only, so good for practice if you’re a learner).