ysbïo

Welsh

Etymology

From Middle English espien (“to espy”) or Old French espier (“to spy”), from Frankish *spehōn (“to spy”), from Proto-Germanic *spehōną (“to see, look”), from Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- (“to look”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əsˈbiː.ɔ/, [əsˈpiːɔ]
• Rhymes: -iːɔ

Verb

ysbïo (first-person singular present ysbïaf)

1. to spy

   Mae'n credu bod rhywun yn ysbïo arno fe.

   He thinks someone is spying on him.

Conjugation

Conjugation (literary)

	singular			plural			impersonal
	first	second	third	first	second	third
present indicative/future	ysbïaf	ysbii	ysbïa	ysbïwn	ysbïwch	ysbïant	ysbiir
imperfect (indicative/subjunctive)/conditional	ysbïwn	ysbiit	ysbïai	ysbïem	ysbïech	ysbïent	ysbiid
preterite	ysbïais	ysbïaist	ysbïodd	ysbïasom	ysbïasoch	ysbïasant	ysbïwyd
pluperfect	ysbïaswn	ysbïasit	ysbïasai	ysbïasem	ysbïasech	ysbïasent	ysbïasid, ysbïesid
present subjunctive	ysbïwyf	ysbïech	ysbïo	ysbïom	ysbïoch	ysbïont	ysbïer
imperative	—	ysbïa	ysbïed	ysbïwn	ysbïwch	ysbïent	ysbïer
verbal noun	ysbïo
verbal adjectives	ysbiedig ysbiadwy

Conjugation (colloquial)

Inflected colloquial forms	singular			plural
	first	second	third	first	second	third
future	ysbïa i, ysbïaf i	ysbii di	ysbiith o/e/hi, ysbiiff o/e/hi	ysbïwn ni	ysbïwch chi	ysbïan nhw
conditional	ysbïwn i, ysbiswn i	ysbïet ti, ysbiset ti	ysbïai fo/fe/hi, ysbisai fo/fe/hi	ysbïen ni, ysbisen ni	ysbïech chi, ysbisech chi	ysbïen nhw, ysbisen nhw
preterite	ysbïais i, ysbïes i	ysbïaist ti, ysbïest ti	ysbïodd o/e/hi	ysbïon ni	ysbïoch chi	ysbïon nhw
imperative	—	ysbïa	—	—	ysbïwch	—
Note: All other forms are periphrastic, as usual in colloquial Welsh.

Derived terms

• ysbïwedd (“spyware”)
• ysbïwr (“spy”)
• ysbïwraig (“spy”)

Related terms

• sbio (“to spy; to look”)

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	h-prothesis
ysbïo	unchanged	unchanged	hysbïo
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

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