Dafydd Ap Gwilym
/ˈdavɪð ap ˈɡwɨlɪm/noun
A 14th-century Welsh poet widely regarded as one of the greatest poets in the Welsh language.
Did you know?In Welsh, ap means “son of,” and it survives in surnames like Pritchard and Bowen, where ancient patronymics were fused into modern family names.
Etymological Timeline
Old Welsh
Welsh
Dafydd
“A Welsh form of David, originally a personal name”
Old Welsh
Welsh
ap
““son of,” used before a father’s name in patronymics”
Old Welsh
Welsh
Gwilym
“A Welsh form of William, used as a personal name”
14th Century
Welsh
Dafydd ap Gwilym
““Dafydd, son of Gwilym,” the poet’s full name and byname”
Modern English
English
Dafydd Ap Gwilym
“The standard modern rendering of the medieval Welsh poet’s name”