Lesson 4. The Soft Mutation =========================== Revision 1.12 of this page, last updated on 2003/02/17. (C)opyright 1994-2003 Mark H. Nodine An HTML version of this lesson can be found at [http://www.cs.brown.edu/fun/welsh/Lesson04.html] This lesson and all previous ones are available for anonymous ftp from ftp.cs.brown.edu in the directory /u/man/welsh. See README.etx for a list of the contents. Note: This lesson refers to the soft mutation and limited soft mutation that are presented in Appendix A. For those who do not have Appendix A in front of them, I review the changes of the limited soft mutation here: ------------ ------------- -------------------------------- **Original** **Mutated** **Example** ------------ ------------- -------------------------------- c g "cath" (cat) becomes "gath" p b "porth" (port) becomes "borth" t d "teg" (fair) becomes "deg" g (disappears) "gardd" (garden) becomes "ardd" b f "bore" (morning) becomes "fore" d dd "do+l" (meadow) becomes "ddo+l" m f "merch" (girl) becomes "ferch" ============ ============= ================================ In addition to these changes, the (full) soft mutation adds: ------------ ------------- -------------------------------- ll l "llyn" (lake) becomes "lyn" rh r "rhestr" (list) becomes "restr" ============ ============= ================================ Contents: 4.1. Gender of Nouns 4.2. Plurals 4.3. Agreement of Pronouns 4.4. Mutation of Feminine Nouns after "y" 4.5. The Number "One" 4.6. Adjectives with Feminine Nouns 4.7. How to Say "I want" Ymarfer 4 Sgwrs 4 Geirfa 4 Exercises 4 Footnotes 4 (for the terminally curious) 4.1. Gender of Nouns -------------------- Welsh falls within the majority of the Indo-European languages (of which English is an exception in this regard) in assigning an often arbitrary gender to every noun. Welsh has only two genders: masculine and feminine. You can always tell feminine nouns, because they're the ones that wear fingernail polish. More seriously, those nouns for which the gender is obviously intrinsic to the noun (e.g., girl, son) have the obvious gender (unlike in German, which considers girls, for example, to be neuter), but there remain many nouns for which assignment of gender is simply a linguistic convention. The long and short of is that you need to learn the gender for nouns at the time you learn the noun itself. Consider it part of knowing the word itself. 4.2. Plurals ------------ Welsh nouns can be either singular or plural. (This is a marked simplification over Homeric Greek, which has a dual number to indicate two of something [1], or even over Russian, which puts two, three, and four into a special class when counting.) There are a number of different ways that nouns in Welsh form plurals: (1) Addition of -(i)au to the stem. For example: "mamau" (mothers), "tadau" (fathers), "pethau" (things), "hetiau" (hats). (2) Addition of -oedd to the stem. For example: "lleoedd" (places), "niferoedd" (numbers). (3) Addition of -i to the stem. For example: "bisgedi" (biscuits), "basgedi" (baskets). (4) Dropping a final -yn or -en. That's right: these nouns actually get shorter when you make the plural. These nouns seem to be generally the names of plants (or plant parts) and animals that are normally encountered collectively rather than individually. For example, "rhosyn" (rose) becomes "rhos" (roses); "malwoden" (snail) becomes "malwod" (snails). _Note:_ Nouns in this category that end in "-yn" are masculine and those that end in "-en" are feminine. There are many other "regular" ways that Welsh nouns form the plurals (though none quite so regular as the "add -s or -es" in English); in fact there are too many to list them all here. Occasionally, the formation of the plural causes a modification of the vowels. For example: "mab" (son) becomes "meibion" (sons); "aderyn" (bird) becomes "adar" (birds). And, of course, there are nouns with irregular plurals like "brawd" (brother) becoming "brodyr" (brothers). Since there have been nouns presented in previous lessons, all of those nouns are repeated in this lesson, along with their genders and how to form their plurals (where applicable). Note on pronunciation: When a plural is formed by adding -(i)au, the "au" part is pronounced as a short "e" in S. Wales and as "a" in N. Wales. (It is sometimes even spelled that way informally: there is a shop in Aberystwyth with the word "pethe" in its name.) It can, of course, be pronounced the normal way. 4.3. Agreement of Pronouns -------------------------- When a pronoun refers back to a noun, it must agree in gender and number with that noun. Thus, we have: -------------------- ------------------------------------- Ble mae'r gwely? Mae _e_ yn y stafell. Ble mae'r stafell? Mae _hi_ yn y ty+. Ble mae'r tai? Maen _nhw_ yn y dre. ==================== ===================================== "Nhw" is used for any plural noun, regardless of gender. 4.4. Mutation of Feminine Nouns after "y" ----------------------------------------- The definite article "y" causes a limited soft mutation in feminine nouns. Thus, we have the following: -------------------- ------------------------------------- basged (basket) y fasged (the basket) mam (mother) y fam (the mother) gardd (garden) yr ardd (the garden) llen (sheet) y llen (the sheet) ==================== ===================================== Masculine nouns do not suffer mutation after "y": -------------------- ------------------------------------- mab (son) y mab (the son) ==================== ===================================== Plural nouns are also not mutated (even if they are feminine): -------------------- ------------------------------------- basgedi (baskets) y basgedi (the baskets) tadau (fathers) y tadau (the fathers) ==================== ===================================== Note: The word "pobl" (people) is a feminine singular noun with a collective meaning, so it does mutate: "y bobl". Exception: The plural of "pobl" also mutates after "y": "y bobloedd". 4.5. The Number "One" --------------------- The Welsh word for the number "one" is "_un_" (if you'll pardon my French [2]), pronounced (roughly) "een". It precedes the noun it modifies, and causes a limited soft mutation in exactly the same places that "y" does, i.e., for feminine, singular nouns: ------------------- ------------------------------------- un fasged one basket un mab one son =================== ===================================== Of course, it is not used with plural nouns! 4.6. Adjectives with Feminine Nouns ----------------------------------- Feminine nouns are not only mutated by "y" and "un", but they also spell trouble for adjectives that modify them. Specifically, they cause a full (not limited!) soft mutation of any following adjectives: ------------------- ------------------------------------- y ferch fach the little girl y llen resog the striped sheet =================== ===================================== Exception: The adjective "_braf_" (fine) is never mutated: ------------------- ------------------------------------- y mab braf the fine son y ferch braf the fine daughter =================== ===================================== 4.7. How to Say "I want" ------------------------ One of the major uses for any language is to get what you want, so you need to know how to say it. (Of course, being polite also helps.) The word used to express wanting in Welsh is "_eisiau_". However, it is not treated like a normal verb in that it is not preceded by "yn" when combined with "bod" [3]: ----------------------------- ------------------------------------- Mae Tom yn dysgu. Tom is learning. Mae Tom eisiau coffi. Tom wants coffee. ============================= ===================================== You can put a verb right after the "eisiau": ----------------------------- ------------------------------------- Mae Tom eisiau mynd i'r dre. Tom wants to go to the town. ============================= ===================================== Note on pronunciation: The "ei" is pronounced like Welsh "i", the "si" like English "sh" and the "au" like Welsh "o" (in the North) or "e" (in the South). It is common to see the word spelled "isio" by authors from N. Wales. Ymarfer 4 --------- 1. Masculine nouns. "The big x and the little y." ----------- ---------- ------- ------ y llew mawr a'r ty+ bach . y plentyn ci y llyfr drws yr achos gwely =========== ========== ======= ====== 2. Feminine nouns. "The big x and the little y." ----------- ---------- -------- ------ yr anrheg fawr a'r fam fach . y ferch sgwrs y stafell dre y ddawns ardd =========== ========== ======== ====== 3. Make sentences by choosing one item from each column. ------------------- ----------- --------- -- Rydw i'n mynd i'r ty+ . Ydy Sia+n yn osgoi'r dre ? Dydyn nhw ddim yn dod i'r ddawns Rydyn ni'n aros yn y stafell Mae e'n gwely =================== =========== ========= == 4. Make sentences by choosing one item from each column. ------------- -------- ---------------- -- Mae Tom eisiau mynd i'r gwely . Rydych chi dod gyda fi ? Dydw i ddim darllen llyfr Ydyn ni aros gartre ============= ======== ================ == Sgwrs 4 ------- [A translation of this conversation can be found in a different file.] Elwyn: Bore da, Alun. Alun: Bore da, Elwyn. Rydw i'n meddwl mynd i'r dre heddiw. Ydych chi eisiau mynd gyda fi? Elwyn: Pam rwyt ti'n mynd? Alun: Rydw i eisiau prynu un peth bach. Elwyn: Ydy Nerys yn mynd, hefyd? Alun: Dydw i ddim yn gwybod. (i Mrs. Hughes) Mam, ble mae Nerys? Mrs. Hughes: Mae hi yn y gwely o hyd ar o+l y ddawns fawr neithiwr. Alun (i Elwyn): Dydw i ddim eisiau aros. Ydych chi'n dod gyda fi? Elwyn: Ydw. Rydw i eisiau prynu anrheg fach i Nerys. Geirfa 4 -------- achos [-ion, m.] - cause allan - (adv.) outside anrheg [-ion, f.] - present, gift ar o+l - (prep.) after aros - (v.) wait, stay basged [-i, f.] - basket bore [-au, m.] - morning braf - (adj.) fine ci [cw+n, m.] - dog dawns [-iau, f.] - dance dod - (v.) come [4] drws [drysau, m.] - door dysgu - (v.) learn eisiau - (n.) want gardd [gerddi, f.] - garden gwely [-au, m.] - bed gwybod - (v.) know gyda - (prep.) with haf [-au, m.] - summer heddiw - (adv.) today hefyd - (adv.) also, too i - (prep.) to, in order to, for llew [-od, m.] - lion llyfr [-au, m.] - book mam [-au, f.] - mother merch [-ed, f.] - girl, daughter, woman neithiwr - (adv.) last night o hyd - (adv.) still peth [-au, m.] - thing plentyn [plant, m.] - child pobl [-oedd, f.] - people prynu - (v.) buy rhesog - (adj.) striped sgwrs [sgyrsiau, f.] - talk, chat, conversation stafell [-oedd, f.] - room tre [-fi, f.] - town [5] ty+ [tai, m.] - house un - one Note on pronunciation: The word "gwybod" goes against the normal rule for "y" sounds in that the "y" is clear rather than obscure. Exercises 4 ----------- [The answers can be found in a separate file.] 1. Make the singular of each of the following plurals. -- -------------------------------------------------------- a. Tai mawr b. Stafelloedd bach c. Gerddi braf d. Llewod rhesog e. Boreau da f. Anrhegion bach == ======================================================== 2. Answer the following questions as indicated. -- -------------------------------------------------------- a. Ble mae'r llew? (in Africa) Mae e ______________. b. Ble mae'r ardd? (outside) Mae ______________. c. Ble mae'r stafell? (in the house) Mae ______________. d. Ble mae'r llyfr? (in the room) Mae ______________. e. Ble mae'r ty+? (in the town) Mae ______________. == ======================================================== 3. Say "one ___" for each of the following. -- -------------------------------------------------------- a. Basged b. Haf c. Llyfr d. Tre e. Gwely f. Dawns == ======================================================== 4. Fill in the phrase below in the pattern "______ eisiau mynd heddiw." -- -------------------------------------------------------- a. They b. Tom and Mari don't c. Do you (informal) d. We do e. I don't == ======================================================== 5. Translate the following sentences into Welsh. -- --------------------------------------------------------------------- a. The girl buys a book for the mother. Where is it? b. I am going to town today. Are you (formal) coming with me? c. To where are we going this fine morning? Outside. d. Is the lion still in the garden? Yes! It is going after the dog. e. Those people want good things. I want good things, too. f. They are waiting in the little room. g. One good basket is in this house. h. She wants to see the very large garden. i. The dog stays at home in the morning. j. Why are you still in bed? Because I don't want to leave. == ===================================================================== Footnotes 4 (for the terminally curious) ---------------------------------------- [1] Early Welsh _did_ in fact have a dual number. However, you will probably never need to worry about it. I know I never did. [2] The French word for "one" is also spelled "un", but is pronounced completely differently. [3] The reason "eisiau" is not treated as a normal verb is that it is not a verb; it's actually a noun. The form given is a colloquialism. [4] The N. Wales version of this word is "dw+ad". The literary version is "dyfod". [5] The actual singular of this word is "tref", so that it has the rather normal pattern of forming the plural by adding "-i". However, as mentioned in Section 1.6, a final "f" is often dropped in spoken Welsh.