gwan

See also: gwa·n

English

Etymology 1

From various English dialects, notably Gullah.

Interjection

gwan

1. (nonstandard) Pronunciation spelling of going on.
2. (nonstandard) Pronunciation spelling of go on.
   • 1952, Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man, Penguin Books (2014), page 199:

     “Aw, gwan, you slave driver,” the boy said, dashing from the room.

3. (nonstandard) Pronunciation spelling of going.

   I need to get to gwan.

Related terms

• wha gwan, wha' gwan, what's gwan

Etymology 2

Blend of goose +‎ swan

Noun

gwan (plural gwans)

1. (neologism, rare) A hybrid between a goose and a swan, especially the offspring of a gander (male goose) and a pen (female swan).

   Synonym: swoose

Anagrams

• AgNW, Ngwa, Wang, gawn, gnaw, wang

Breton

Etymology

From Old Breton *guan, from Proto-Celtic *wannos. Cognate with Old Cornish guan, Welsh gwan, and Old Irish fann (Irish fann).

Adjective

gwan

1. weak

Japanese

Romanization

gwan

1. Rōmaji transcription of ぐわん
2. Rōmaji transcription of ぐゎん
3. Rōmaji transcription of グヮン
4. Rōmaji transcription of グァン

Welsh

Alternative forms

• gwann (obsolete)
• gwàn (Dyfed, colloquial)

Etymology

From Middle Welsh guan, gvan, gwann, gwan, from Proto-Celtic *wannos. Cognate with Breton gwan, Old Cornish guan, and Old Irish fann (Irish fann).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡwan/

Adjective

gwan (feminine singular gwan, plural gweinion, equative gwanned, comparative gwannach, superlative gwannaf)

1. weak

Derived terms

• gwanhau (“to weaken; to attenuate; to dilute”)
• gwanychu (“to weaken; to attenuate; to dilute”)
• gwendid (“weakness”)

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
gwan	wan	ngwan	unchanged
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References

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