cigfa: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Obsolete / HistoricalHistorical / Academic / Legal (Welsh History)
Quick answer
What does “cigfa” mean?
A Welsh term for a type of dowry payment or marriage settlement, specifically a payment made by a husband to his wife as a provision for widowhood.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A Welsh term for a type of dowry payment or marriage settlement, specifically a payment made by a husband to his wife as a provision for widowhood.
Historically, a legal and financial arrangement within Welsh medieval law relating to women's property rights and marital economics.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No modern British or American usage. It is a term specific to Welsh historical studies. Knowledge of the term would be limited to specialists.
Connotations
Conveys historical, legal, and cultural specificity related to medieval Wales.
Frequency
Not found in contemporary English corpora.
Grammar
How to Use “cigfa” in a Sentence
The [husband] paid the cigfa to his [wife].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “cigfa” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- cigfa payment
American English
- cigfa payment
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
N/A
Academic
Used in historical, legal, and Celtic studies to describe specific medieval Welsh customs.
Everyday
N/A
Technical
Technical term within the study of medieval Welsh law.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “cigfa”
Strong
Neutral
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “cigfa”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cigfa”
- Using it in a modern context.
- Confusing it with 'dowry' (which is from the bride's family).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a Welsh word adopted into English only as a historical/technical term for discussing medieval Welsh law.
A dowry is typically property or money brought by a bride to her husband. A cigfa is a payment from the husband to the wife, secured for her future as a widow.
Only in a specialist historical or academic context. It is obsolete in modern legal and everyday language.
It is pronounced approximately as /ˈkɪɡvə/, with a hard 'g' sound.
A Welsh term for a type of dowry payment or marriage settlement, specifically a payment made by a husband to his wife as a provision for widowhood.
Cigfa is usually historical / academic / legal (welsh history) in register.
Cigfa: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkɪɡvə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkɪɡvə/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'Kick-va' - a husband 'kicks in' a payment (va) for his wife's future.
Conceptual Metaphor
MARRIAGE IS A FINANCIAL CONTRACT.
Practice
Quiz
What does the term 'cigfa' specifically refer to?