menywod

Menywod is the Welsh word for women. It is the feminine plural form of menyw, a noun used to refer to an adult female person. In modern Welsh, menywod can denote women as a group, or be used to describe specific groups of women when combined with adjectives or other nouns, for example menywod ifanc (young women) or menywod Cymru (women of Wales). The term is widely used in everyday speech, literature, media, education, and public discourse.

Etymology and form: The word derives from the medieval Welsh lexeme menyw with the standard plural suffix -od, forming menywod in contemporary Welsh.

Grammar: As a feminine plural noun, menywod participates in standard Welsh subject-verb agreement and allows feminine adjectives to modify it. When used in noun phrases, it can be accompanied by possessives and determiners, and may appear with prepositions that trigger regular Welsh mutation in the following words.

Sociocultural context: The term is used in discussions of gender and equality in Wales. It appears in phrases about women's rights, history, and representation in Welsh institutions. The Welsh language marks gender linguistically, with menywod functioning as the referent for adult female people.

See also: Welsh language; Welsh grammar; Women in Wales; Gender in language.