Drwg

Drwg is a native Welsh noun and adjective meaning “badness,” “evil,” or “fault.” As a noun it denotes something morally wrong or harmful, while as an adjective it describes something of poor quality or undesirable behavior. In everyday Welsh, drwg is a common evaluative term used across informal speech and formal writing, often appearing in idiomatic expressions and in compounds that convey negative judgment or harm.

Historically, drwg is a well-established element of the Welsh lexicon. It appears in medieval Welsh texts and is generally analyzed as a native Celtic word. Linguists describe it as a stable core term that continues to function in modern Welsh, where it can be intensified or modified by surrounding grammar and context. Its usage spans moral assessment, health or condition, and general misfortune, reflecting a broad semantic field associated with negativity.

Phonologically, drwg is spelled with the letters d-r-w-g. In Welsh phonology, the w serves as a vowel, giving the approximate pronunciation “droog” to many speakers, with a final hard g. The form remains relatively constant across standard Welsh prose and poetry, though inflection and agreement are governed by grammatical context.

In contemporary Welsh, drwg remains a versatile word for communicating negative evaluation. It appears in discussions of ethics, quality, health, and risk, and it participates in idioms and compound terms that convey emphasis or nuance. The term helps speakers express disapproval, warning, or misfortune without naming a specific noun.

See also: Welsh language; negative evaluation in Welsh; Celtic linguistics; Welsh spelling and pronunciation.