case gwaeth is formed from the superlative; see llydan (11) below. These are, then, the compared forms of gwael ‘base, vile’, the positive often having a suffix lost in comparison, cf. mawr, hir, uchel; and gwael represents *upo-ped-lo-s; its derivative gwaelawt ‘bottom’, O. W. guoilaut, preserves the literal meaning (‘under foot’). Of course in Ml. and Mn. W. gwael is compared regularly, its relation to gwaethaf having been forgotten.
(6) hawdd 'easy'; eqtv. hawsset Ỻ.A. 81, Mn. hawsed; cpv. haws; spv. hawssaf Ỻ.A. 81, s.g. 13, Mn. hawsaf.
hawdd, originally ‘pleasant’, as in hawddfyd ‘pleasure’, hawdit (≡ hawẟ-ẟyẟ) b.b. 90 ‘fine day’, hawdd-gar ‘handsome’ § 153 (8) for *hw̯awdd § 94 iv < Ar. *su̯ādu-s: Gk. ἡδύς, Skr. svādú-ḥ, O. E. swēte, Lat. suāvis (< *su̯ādu̯i‑s), etc.;—cpv. haws < *su̯ād’son < *su̯ādisōn = Gk. ἡδῐ́ων < *su̯ādisōn;—spv. hawsaf < *su̯ād’sₑmos; the ‑aw- instead of ‑o- in the penult is due to the lost w̯ before it; cf. gw̯awd ‘song’ < *u̯āt‑, Ml. pl. gwawdeu r.p. 1216. In Gaul. we find Suadu-rix, ‑genus (prob. ‑ā‑). For the development of the meaning cf. E. ease ‘comfort; facility’.
In Recent W. we sometimes see hawddach and hawddaf which come from the most debased dialect; good speakers still use the standard forms haws, hawsaf.
Similarly an-háwdd, ánawẟ r.p. 1227, etc. § 48 iv, Mn. ánodd ‘difficult', O.W. hanaud cp.; eqtv. anháwsed; cpv. ánaws, ános; spv. anháwsaf.
Owing to its obvious formation the word is generally written anhawdd in the late period; but the regular Mn. form is ánodd, because h is lost after the accent § 48 iv, and unaccented aw > o § 71 ii (1). The spoken form is ánoẟ, in some parts hánoẟ by early metathesis of h, as perhaps in the O.W. form above.
- Maddau ún ym oedd ánodd
- Na bai yn fyw neb un fodd.—I.D., g. 135; cf. c.c. 193.
‘It was difficult for me to part with one whose like did not live.’
- Eithr 'ános yw d’aros di.—T.A., c. i 340.
‘But it is more difficult to confront thee.’
But the prefix may be separately accented § 45 iv (2), in which case the word is necessarily án-háwdd; this form is attested in—
- O deuaf ŵyl i’w dai fo,
- An-háwdd fydd fy nyhúddo.—Gnt.O., a 14967/60.
‘If I come on a holiday to his houses, it will be difficult to comfort me.’
(7) hên ‘old’; eqtv. hỿned; cpv. hɥn b.t. 26 ≡ Mn. hɥ̂n; hỿnach c.c. 342; spv. hỿnaf, O.W. hinham.
