Hydref has two meanings in Welsh: the season of Autumn and the month of October. To differentiate between the two, a lowercase ‘h’ is used for the season, and an uppercase ‘H’ is used for the month.
Hydref, referring to Autumn, is viewed as the season between summer and winter, spanning through September, October, and November. For many, autumn is a season of beauty, harvest, and letting go of the old. Trees gracefully shed their leaves in vibrant hues of gold and red, symbolising a preparation for renewal and new beginnings.
Tymor yr hydref, meaning the autumn term, is a busy period for farmers. Crops, sown in spring and nurtured through summer, are now ready for harvest in the autumn. It’s a season marked by the fruition of the agricultural cycle.
The onset of the autumnal equinox, known as cyhydnos yr hydref in Welsh, is also referred to as Alban Elfed in Druidry. Coined by the Welsh poet Iolo Morganwg in the late 18th century, it denotes the ‘light of autumn,’ symbolising one quarter of the year. Interestingly, ‘Alban’ is the Welsh term for ‘Scotland,’ one of the four nations comprising the United Kingdom. According to the Gweiadur dictionary, Alban Elfed signifies the period in autumn when the Sun crosses the equator, resulting in roughly equal day and night lengths around the 23rd of September.
In Welsh, the month of October is referred to as Mis Hydref. It’s essential to include Mis before Hydref when mentioning the month, as using Hydref alone, as in English, is not appropriate. Here are a couple of examples for clarification:
Mae mis Hydref yn fis hynod o hardd.
October is an extremely beautiful month.
Hoffet ti fynd ar dy wyliau ym mis Hydref eleni?
Would you like to go on holiday in October this year?
Mae fy arholiad piano ym mis Hydref.
My piano exam is in October.
*Don’t forget that it’s ‘ym mis Hydref’, not ‘yn Hydref’ for ‘in October’.
Here are a few examples of the word being used in autumnal contexts:
- dail yr hydref – autumn leaves
- noson o hydref – an autumn evening
- hydrefwynt – an autumn gale (poetic version)
- tymor yr hydref – autumn term
- cnwd yr hydref – autumn sown crop
- hydrefol – autumnal
