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1273e “An Elementary Welsh Grammar” by John
Morris-Jones (1864-1929), professor of Welsh at Coleg y Brifysgol (
The possessive determiners as follows:
|
LITERARY WELSH |
SPOKEN WELSH |
|
FY = my |
YN |
|
EIN = our |
YN |
|
DY = your (singular) |
DY |
|
EICH = your (plural) |
YCH |
|
EI = his |
I |
|
EI = her |
I |
|
EU = their |
U |
The spoken Welsh forms of EI and EU, EIN and EICH are
different, though they are in fact the historical forms. The literary forms are
spelling pronunciaitons. In the sixteenth century, it was supposed
(erroniously) that the Latin form EIUS was the origin of the Welsh possessive
determiners, and so new spellings were introduced to indicate this presumed
Latin origin.
In the first person singular, YN is the spoken form.
In fact, both FY and YN derive from the British form *MIN,
and FY is a mutated form of earlier Welsh MYN with the loss of the
final -N
*MIN > MYN >
whereas YN is the same word with the loss of the initial consonant
*MIN > MYN >
In the first person plural, YN is the original form.
The spelling EIN was devised partly to differentiate the
possessive determiner YN from the preposition YN = in,
and partly to suggest the supposed derivation.
EIN is pronounced as YN except in very formal contexts, where
a spelling pronunciation has taken over
In the second person singular, both the written and the spoken
language have DY
In the second person plural, the original YCH has
become EICH
in the written language, partly to distinguish it from
YCH = you are, and again to suggest the supposed Latin connection
EICH is pronounced as YCH except in very formal contexts,
where a spelling pronunciation has come to be used
In the third person singular, the original form was
I,and EI was introduced partly to distinguish the determiner from the
preposition I = to, and partly to denote its imagined Latin connection. EI is
pronounced as I except in very formal contexts where a spelling pronunciation
has
developed.
In the third person plural, the original form U
was respelt as EU to show the presumed Latin connection.
In
EU is pronounced as U, except in very formal contexts where
the spelling pronunciation has become acceptable.
MUTATIONS AFTER THE POSSESSIVE DETERMINERS
in both the written and the spoken languages the
possessive determiners
cause mutation of the following consonant
···
SOFT MUTATION: c/g p/b t/d g/- b/f d/dd m/f ll/l rh/r
DY = your (singular), and EI = his
···
NASAL MUTATION: c/ngh p/mh t/nh g/ng b/m d/n
FY = my
···
SPIRANT MUTATION: c/ch p/ph t/th
EI = her
···
'H' MUTATION: (an aspirate before a vowel)
a/ha e/he
i/hi o/ho u/hu w/hw y/hy
EI = her, EIN = our, EU = their
It is usual to add a pronoun to the noun
following the determiner
(The precise conditions for including the pronoun and omitting it
will be studied later on)
So we find the paradigm as follows:
|
YN... i |
|
YN... -NI |
|
DY... -TI |
|
YCH... -CHI |
|
I... -E |
|
I... -HI |
|
U... -NW |
possessive determiners: FY this causes the spirant
mutation
EXERCISE: Give the English for:
1 merch
2 mab
3 tad
4 mam
5 brawd
6 chwaer
7 llaw
8 traed
9 pen
10 corff
ANSWERS
1 fy merch
2 fy mab
3 fy nhad
4 fy mam
5 fy mrawd
6 fy chwaer
7 fy llaw
8 fy nhraed
9 fy mhen
10 fy nghorff
EXERCISE 2
look at these words:
bÿs finger
trwÿn nose
clustiau ears
gwallt hair
plant children
Give the Welsh for:
1 my finger
2 my mother
3 my children
4 my hair
5 my nose
6 my ears
7 my son
8 my head
9 my father
10 my daughter
ANSWERS:
1 my finger = fy mÿs
2 my mother = fy mam
3 my children = fy mhlant
4 my hair = fy ngwallt
5 my nose = fy nhrwÿn
6 my ears = fy nghlustiau
7 my son = fy mab
8 my head = fy mhen
9 my father = fy nhad
10 my daughter = fy merch
Before a vowel, FY becomes F'
FY OCHOR > F'OCHR = my side
But remember that i- and w- are also semi-consonants
in some cases, and so there is not elision
FY INC > F'INC = my ink
but
FY IAITH = my language
FY WYRES > F'WYRES = my grandaughter
but
FY WATSH = my watch
EXERCISE 3: Give the English for:
1 f'arian
2 f'enw
3 f'wÿau
4 f'uchelgais
5 f'ysgwÿddau
6 f'esgidiau
7 f'ymennÿdd
8 fy iechÿd
9 f'esgÿrn
10 f'afal
ANSWERS:
1 f'arian = my money
2 f'enw = my name
3 f'wÿau = my eggs
4 f'uchelgais = my ambition
5 f'ysgwÿddau = my shoulders
6 f'esgidiau = my shoes
7 f'ymennÿdd = my brain
8 fy iechÿd = my health
9 f'esgÿrn = my bones
10 f'afal = my apple
EXERCISE 4 Look at these words:
amser = time
hawliau = rights
ewÿthr = uncle
oedran = age
pentref = village
tref = town
Give the Welsh for:
1 my name
2 my time
3 my age
4 my uncle
5 my language
6 my village
7 my town
8 my mother
9 my shoes
10 my rights
ANSWERS
1 my name - f'enw
2 my time - f'amser
3 my age - f'oedran
4 my uncle - f'ewÿthr
5 my language - fy iaith
6 my village - fy mhentref
7 my town - fy nhref
8 my mother - fy mam
9 my shoes -f'esgidiau
10 my rights - fy hawliau
Now let's look at the spoken forms:
YN is used before consonants and vowels
Y is used before the mutated forms of C-, P-, T-
the corresponding pronoun suffix is added
except with members of the family or friends
Compare:
LITERARY SPOKEN
|
afal |
f'afal |
yn afal i |
|
arian |
f'arian |
yn arian i |
|
braich |
fy mraich |
y mraich i |
|
bag |
fy mag |
y mag i |
|
calon |
fy nghalon |
y nghalon i |
|
corff |
fy nghorff |
y nghorff i |
|
dillad |
fy nillad |
y nillad i |
|
dannedd |
fy nannedd |
y nannedd i |
|
esgyrn |
f'esgyrn |
yn esgyrn i |
|
enw |
f'enw |
yn enw i |
|
ffrindiau |
fy ffrindiau |
yn ffrinde (no suffix) |
|
fflat |
fy fflat |
yn fflat i |
|
gwddf |
fy ngwddf |
y ngwddwg i |
|
gwallt |
fy ngwallt |
y ngwallt i |
|
het |
fy het |
yn hat i |
|
heol |
fy heol |
yn hewl i |
|
inc |
f'inc |
yn inc i |
|
iaith |
fy iaith |
yn iaith i |
|
jam |
fy jam |
yn jam i |
|
jar |
fy jar |
yn jar i |
|
lamp |
fy lamp |
yn lamp i |
|
llais |
fy llais |
yn llais i |
|
mam |
fy mam |
y mam (no suffix) |
|
modrwÿ |
fy modrwy |
y modrwy i |
|
neges |
fy neges |
yn neges i |
|
nodÿn |
fy nodÿn |
yn nodÿn i |
|
ochr |
f'ochr |
yn ochr i |
|
oedran |
f'oedran |
yn oedran i |
|
pen blwÿdd |
fy mhen blwÿdd |
y mhen blwÿdd |
|
pentref |
fy mhentref |
y mhentre |
|
rhan |
fy rhan |
yn rhan i |
|
rhif |
fy rhif |
yn rhif i |
|
swper |
fy swper |
yn swper i |
|
safon |
fy safon |
yn safon i |
|
traed |
fy nhraed |
y nhraed i |
|
talcen |
fy nhalcen |
y nhalcen i |
|
uchelgais |
f'uchelgais |
yn uchelgais i |
|
undeb |
f'undeb |
yn undeb i |
|
watsh |
fy watsh |
yn watsh i |
|
wythfed |
f'wythfed |
yn wythfed i |
|
ysgwydd |
f'ysgwydd |
yn ysgwydd i |
|
ymdrechion |
f'ymdrechion |
yn ymdrechion i |
In rapid speech,
YN after a vowel is elided to N
gwella yn safon i > gwella'n safon i
Y before M or N is dropped
the mutation indicates that the missing word could only be
the first person possessive determiner
Gaf i dicyn o fara, Nhad?
da iawn, y machgen i > da iawn, machgen i
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The possessive determiner (penodwr meddiannol)
in Welsh
has the following forms in the literary language:
first person:
FY [vø] = my
EIN [ein] = our
second person:
DY [dø] = your (singular familiar form)
EICH [eikh] = your (singular polite form) and your (plural form)
third person:
EI [ei] = her / his / its
EU [ei] = their
All these precede the noun. Some cause mutation of the following initial.
(1) no mutation: eich
(2) before a vowel, h prefixed: ein, ei = her, eu
(3) soft mutation: dy, ei = his
(4) nasal mutation: fy
(5) aspirate mutation: ei = her
eich tad = your father; dy dad = your father; fy nhad = my father; ei dad = his
father; ei thad = her father; eu tad = their father; ein tad = our father
ein hewÿthr = our uncle; ei hewÿthr = her uncle;
eu hewÿthr = their uncle
···
SOFT MUTATION
affects nine consonants: c/g p/b t/d g/- b/f d/dd m/f ll/l rh/r
DY = your
EI = his
CAR = cotxe,
DY GAR = your car, EI GAR = his car
PAPUR = paper,
DY BAPUR = your paper, EI BAPUR = his paper
TŸ = casa,
DY DŸ = your house, EI DŸ = his house
GARDD = jardí,
DY ARDD, D'ARDD (contraction of DY ARDD) = your garden, EI ARDD = his garden
BRAWD = brother,
DY FRAWD = your brother, EI FRAWD = his brother
DEFAID = sheep,
DY DDEFAID = your sheep, EI DDEFAID = his sheep
MAM = mother,
DY FAM = your mother, EI FAM = his mother
LLAIS = voice,
DY LAIS = your voice, EI LAIS = his voice
RHIENI = parents,
DY RIENI = your parents, EI RIENI = his parents
Other consonants are not affected:
FFRIND = friend,
DY FFRIND = your friend, EI FFRIND = his friend
SIOP = shop,
DY SIOP = your shop, EI SIOP = his shop
Vowels are not affected:
ARIAN = money,
D'ARIAN = your money, EI ARIAN = his money(note the contraction of DY to D'
before a vowel)=
···
SPRIANT MUTATION
affects six consonants:
The six-consonant mutation with the following
changes:
c/ngh p/mh t/nh g/ng b/m d/n
FY = my
CI = dog, FY NGHI = my dogy
PEN = head, FY MHEN = my head
TROED = foot, FY NHROED = my foot
GÊN = jaw, chin, FY NGÊN = my jaw
BRAICH = arm, FY MRAICH = my arm
DANNEDD = teeth, FY NANNEDD = my teeth
Before other consonants there is no change:
CHWAER = sister, FY CHWAER = my sisiter
FFEIL = file, FY FFEIL = my file
RHAFF = rope, FY RHAFF = my rope
Before vowels there is no change,
though FY is contracted to F'
INCWM = income, F'INCWM = my income
ASPIRATE MUTATION affects
three consonants:
c/ch p/ph t/th
EI = her
CATH = cat, EI CHATH = her cat
PAROT = parrot, EI PHAROT = her parrot
TAD = father, EI THAD = her father
Before other consonants there is no change:
MAM = mother, ei mam = her mother
LLWŸ = spoon, EI LLWŸ = her spoon
Prefixed h
An h- is prefixed before a vowel after
EIN = our
EI = her
EU = their
ARIAN = money,
EIN HARIAN = our money
EI HARIAN = her moneyEU HARIAN = their money
other examples:
EI HESGIDIAU = her shoes,
EIN HIAITH = our language,
EU HOFFER = their tools,
EU HUNDEB = their union,
EI HWŸRES = her grand-daughter,
EIN HYSGOL = our school, etc
Each of the possessive determiners has a corresponding pronoun tag. This
is a form of the personal pronoun which, in certain circumstances, is attached
after
the noun. It is unstressed.
first person:
FY ----- I my
EIN ----- NI our
second person:
DY ----- DI your
EICH ----- CHI your
third person:
EI ----- HI her
EI ----- EF his
EU ----- HWŸ their
FY NGHATH FACH or FY NGHATH FACH I = my kitten
EIN IAITH or EIN HIAITH NI = our language
DY GAR or DY GAR DI = your car
EICH ARDAL or EICH ARDAL CHI = your district
EI SWŸDD or EI SWŸDD HI = her job
EI BLANT or EI BLANT EF = his children
EU PENTREF or EU PENTREF HWŸ = their village
When two nouns are used together, the suffix
is placed only after the final noun:
EU CWN [kuun] A'U CATHOD HWŸ = their dogs and cats
Adolygiadau
diweddaraf: 20 01 2000
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