Etymology
Gwyn means "fair, bright, white", cognate with the Irish fionn. As such, he has some connection to the Irish hero Fionn mac Cumhail, whose grandfather was Nuada. The name of his father Nudd appears to derive from the Celtic deity Nodens.
Gwyn is in everyday use as a common noun and adjective: it also remains a popular personal name. The Brythonic form of this name would have been *Windos, the name of a Celtic deity in ancient Gaul. Especially in Old and Middle Welsh, "gwyn" also has the connotations of "pure, sacred, holy". The feminine form, Gwen, is the root of Gwenhwyfar, the original Welsh form of Guinevere.
Read more about this topic: Gwyn Ap Nudd
Famous quotes containing the word etymology:
“The universal principle of etymology in all languages: words are carried over from bodies and from the properties of bodies to express the things of the mind and spirit. The order of ideas must follow the order of things.”
—Giambattista Vico (1688–1744)
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