mabinogion

M3A1B3I1N1O1G2I1O1N1
UK/ˌmæbəˈnoʊɡi.ən//mabiˈnɔɡ.jɔn/

proper noun

The earliest prose literature of Britain, compiled in the 12th–13th centuries from earlier oral traditions by medieval Welsh authors.

OriginWelsh Mabinogi →
RareScrabble 15
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Meanings

mabinogion1

noun
  1. pluralplural of mabinogi

Mabinogion2

proper nounthe Mabinogion
  1. The earliest prose literature of Britain, compiled in the 12th–13th centuries from earlier oral traditions by medieval Welsh authors.

Origin

  1. Welshmabinogi
  2. WelshMabinogi“instruction for young bards”
  3. EnglishMabinogion

From Welsh Mabinogi (“instruction for young bards”), coined by the Welsh grammarian William Owen Pughe in 1795. The name originated from mabynnogyon, which occurs at the end of one of the four branches, and is now considered to have been a scribal error, mistaken as the plural for Welsh mabinogi, which is already plural, derived in an unclear manner from mab (“son, boy”).

More words from Welsh

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

mabinogion. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mabinogion

MLA

“mabinogion.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mabinogion. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mabinogion,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mabinogion.

Source: mabinogion on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.