cymru

IPA/ˈkʌmri/
IPA/ˈkʌmri/

cymru — noun

1. what Welsh speakers call the country known in English as Wales

1.nounC2
Definition

what Welsh speakers call the country known in English as Wales

Example

The road sign said Cymru on one side and Wales on the other.

bilingual road sign: Cymru / Wales

Nia switched to Welsh and called her country Cymru with pride.

Common collocations
  • the Welsh name for Wales
  • sign saying Cymru
  • map of Cymru
  • across Cymru
  • welcome to Cymru
Synonyms
  • Wales

    the usual English name for the same country

Usage Note

Usually written with a capital C. In English, it most often appears in bilingual signs, Welsh institutions, or names such as Plaid Cymru; if you mean the country in ordinary English, Wales is far more common.

Common Mistakes

I am learning Cymru.
I am learning Welsh.
Cymru is the country name, not the language.
We drove across Welsh yesterday.
We drove across Wales yesterday.
ordinary English normally uses Wales, not Cymru, for the country name.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Cymru and Wales name the same country, but they belong to different language systems. In ordinary English, Wales is the normal form. Cymru is the Welsh name and often appears on bilingual signs, in official Welsh institutions, and in titles such as Plaid Cymru. Welsh is usually the adjective for things from Wales or the noun for a person from there. Cymraeg is the Welsh word for the Welsh language itself. A learner can say 'We travelled across Wales in spring,' but a sign in Cardiff may say 'Croeso i Gymru.' If you are talking about language study, say 'I am learning Welsh' or 'I am learning Cymraeg,' not 'I am learning Cymru.'

Cymru ↗Wales ↗Welsh ↗Cymraeg

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • the Welsh name for Wales
  • welcome to Cymru
  • Cymru and Wales

Prepositions

Etymology

BrittonicOld WelshWelsh

Cymru comes from an early Brittonic form meaning 'fellow countrymen' or 'compatriots'. Over time it became the Welsh name for the country called Wales in English. The English word Wales comes from a different historical source, so the two names sound and look completely different even though they refer to the same place.