Welsh challenge (2)

This post is the 2^nd instalment of the Welsh leg of my current Celtic challenge. It covers chapters 1a and 1b of Colloquial Welsh. The 1^st instalment covered Welsh spelling and pronunciation, and mentioned the important process of consonant mutation. Learning Welsh and Irish – Language Miscellany

In some places, I mention differences between northern and southern Welsh.

Grammar

Gender

Welsh has 2 genders: masculine and feminine.

Definite article

The definite article (‘the’) is:

• y before consonants
  y llong (‘the ship’)
• yr before vowels
  yr afal (‘the apple’)
• ’r after a vowel
  i’r llong (‘to the ship’)

The form of the definite article is the same for masculine and feminine nouns, singular and plural.

Welsh has no indefinite article (English a / an).

Demonstratives

This table covers only the demonstratives introduced so far.

The y in y rhain / y rheiny is the definite article, so it changes to ’r after a vowel.

Dyma X (‘this is’ X, ‘here is X’), dyna (‘that is X’, ‘there is X’)

Questions with ‘what’ and ‘who’

Beth ydy (North) / yw (South) (‘what is…?’).

Pwy ydy / yw (‘who is…?’).

Be(th) ydy’ch enw chi (North)
Beth yw’ch enw chi (South)
‘What’s your name?’

Beth yd’ch gwaith chi?
what is work your?
‘What is your job?’

2^nd person pronouns

Like several other European languages, Welsh has different 2^nd person pronouns for informal singular (ti) and formal singular/plural or informal plural(chi).

Some phrases and words

Introductions

Phrases for introductions:

• X dw i (eg Dafydd Jones dw i)
  X am i
  ‘I am X’
• Dyma XX
  ‘This is X’
• Ga i gyflwyno X?
  ‘may I introduce X?
• Mae’n dda gen i gwyrdd â chi
  ‘pleased to meet you’

Greetings

Common greetings include bore da (‘good morning’), prynhawn da (‘good afternoon’) and noswaith dda (‘good evening’).

Word order: adjectives
As these greetings show, adjectives follow the noun.

The form dda in noswaith dda exhibits consonant mutation, as mentioned in Learning Welsh and Irish – Language Miscellany

To ask how someone is, use sut….? (‘how’), often pronounced s’ in the North and shw(d) in the South. S’mae? / Shwmae? (‘how are things?’), S’dach chi?/ Shwd ych chi? (how are you?’)

Responses to these questions include iawn (‘fine’), da iawn (‘very good’), go lew / yn o lew (‘fine’), gweddol (‘fair / ok’), dim yn ddrwg (‘not bad’). These can be supplemented with wyddoch chi (North) / chimod (South, ‘you know’). To ask about the questioner’s health: beth amdanoch chi (‘what about you), a chithau? (‘and you’).

To comment on the weather: ‘Mae hi’n braf (‘it’s fine’). Also: ddiflas (‘miserable’), boeth / dwym (‘hot’), oer (‘cold’)

Common phrases for taking one’s leave include hwyl (‘goodbye), hwyl nawr, hwyl fawr, wela i chi (‘I’ll be seeing you’), da boch chi [more formal] and nos da (‘good night’).

Family members

weddill y teulu (‘rest of the family)

Occupations

Some job names resembe their English counterparts: nyrs (nurse’), meddyg (‘doctor’), ffermwr (‘farmer’), garddwer (‘gardener’), mecanydd (‘mechanic’)

Some other occupations: adeiladwr (‘builder’), diffoddwr tân ((‘fireman’), athro /athraewes (m/f teacher), gyrrwr lori (‘lorry driver’), myfyriwr / myfyrwraig (‘m/f student’), heddwas (‘policeman’), cyfreithiwr (‘lawyer’), cyfiethydd (translator).