2060367 Dawn Dweud a Study of Colloquial and Idiomatic Welsh
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University of South Wales 2060367 Dawn Dweud A Study of Colloquial and Idiomatic Welsh Ceri M P Jones A submission presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Glamorgan Prifysgol Morgannwg for the degree of Master of Philosophy ABSTRACT This work is an extensive, but not exhaustive, study of the vagaries of colloquial and idiomatic Welsh. It includes proverbs, idioms, slang, set-phrases, dialect forms, varieties of pronunciation and, with many common words, colloquial varieties of meaning. In addition, the grammatical variations of colloquial and idiomatic Welsh are also addressed, together with a number of subjects that inform the spoken language, such as the use of personal and place names and the use of English in Welsh. The study is intended as part of a broad guide for those learning Welsh and is a broad-brush portrait of the colloquial language. The work contains many forms and phrases that are not included in many standard dictionaries or whose spoken form is often not adequately illustrated. Some of the forms included in the study cannot be found in the most authoritative study of the Welsh language to date, namely the University of Wales's, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru (1950-, Cardiff: University of Wales Press). Each form has, where appropriate, been referenced to the relevant register of the language, such as the literary language, the official language and/or the spoken language. Within the spoken language, reference is made to the dialects of North and South Wales, and in particular the dialects of Arfon, Powys, Dyfed, Pembrokeshire and Glamorgan. The relationship between the different registers of the language is fully explained. The work is extensively illustrated with examples to demonstrate contemporary usage. These quotations are fully translated and provide real examples of the spoken language from an extensive variety of sources. The earliest literary reference work dates from 1961, but the majority of examples are from the last decade or so. The writers quoted come from the length and breadth of Wales, and particular reference has been made to literature associated with popular culture. There is a extensive bibliography at the rear of the study, together with a comprehensive English-Welsh reference index. DAWN DWEUD A STUDY OF COLLOQUIAL AND IDIOMATIC WELSH CERI MICHAEL PICTON JONES A submission presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Glamorgan Prifysgol Morgannwg for the degree of Master of Philosophy August 1998 DAWN DWEUD A STUDY OF COLLOQUIAL AND IDIOMATIC WELSH Volume One Un yw Cymru ac un yw'r Gymraeg o dan y man wahaniaethe Islwyn Ffowc Elis Contents Introduction Areas of Study Different Registers of Welsh Explanatory Acknowledgements DAWN DWEUD: A STUDY OF COLLOQUIAL AND IDIOMATIC WELSH Appendices Introduction 1 The Present Tense 2 The Future-Present Tense 3 The Future Tense 4 The Simple Past Tense 5 The Imperfect Tense 6 The Imperfect Habitual Tense 7 The Perfect Tense 8 The Pluperfect Tense 9 The Conditional Tense 10 The Imperative 11 The Subjunctive Mood 12 The Impersonal 13 Defective Verbal Forms 14 Nouns and Adjectives 15 Pronouns 16 Prepositions 17 Mutations 18 Place Names 19 Personal Names 20 Dialects 21 The Use of English in Welsh 22 Broydd Cymru Bibliography English - Welsh Reference Index INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study is to illustrate the variations and complexities of colloquial and idiomatic Welsh and was produced in conjunction with a book for Welsh learners of the same title. However, it is not intended to provide a comprehensive coverage of the vagaries and idiosyncrasies of the language nor a complete overview of all the possible registers of Welsh. Such a book would extend to several volumes and would be difficult to digest for the vast majority of readers. Rather, this study covers the most salient points of the colloquial and idiomatic language that will be encountered by the enthusiastic student in the course of most everyday situations. Colloquial and idiomatic language reflects the culture of the communities that use the language as its medium for everyday discourse. For example, in spoke Welsh there are numerous idioms for gossip, drunkenness and illegitimate children, but there is an almost complete absence of xenophobic and racist vocabulary. Areas of Study 1. Pronunciation It is assumed that the reader will be familiar with the pronunciation of Welsh. However, there is guidance in the corpus of the study about how the pronunciation of various letters can vary, most commonly in the dialects. Welsh is generally a more fluid medium than English, as is exemplified by the system of mutations, and native Welsh speakers are more prone to change an original word and to use local and everyday varieties than their English-speaking counterparts. 2. Shades of meaning In addition to its common meaning, a word can also have a variety of meanings that can be misleading to those with an unsure grasp of the language. For example, the common meaning of cael is 'to get', 'to receive', but it can also mean 'to be allowed to', 'to be permitted', together with 'to find', although the latter can only be used figuratively. Words can also have a different meaning in the dialects to that of the standard language. For example, sefyll means 'to stand', but in South Wales (but generally not in North Wales or in the standard language) it can also mean 'to stay', 'to wait'. Many words also have a distinct meaning in domestic circles that they do not have in a more formal context. For example, the standard meaning of cyw is 'chick', but in a domestic situation it can also be used as a term of endearment that equates approximately with 'dear1 or love' when addressed to a small child or animal. However, cyw in this domestic sense is strictly confined to the colloquial language, and would be inappropriate in a formal context, such as in a school or hospital report. Nevertheless, the the greater part of the vocabulary in the guide is for the advanced student and it is assumed that it will supplement existing word power: the ace of spades is no good if the rest of the pack is missing. 3. Idioms An idiom is a group of words whose meaning cannot be predicted from the constituent parts. Unlike proverbs (see below), they are often dependent on the wider context to give them meaning. They cannot usually be translated verbatim, but rather the meaning has to be conveyed using an idiom similar in meaning and tone. The most authoritative and comprehensive books available on idioms in Welsh are the two volumes by R. E. Jones Llyfr o Idiomau Cymraeg (Abertawe, Gwasg John Penry, 1975) and Ail Lyfr o Idiomau Cymraeg (Abertawe, Gwasg John Penry, 1987), but both are aimed at fluent Welsh speakers. The idioms included in this guide are a distinctly Welsh way of saying something, whilst those that translate directly into English, or are so close in sentiment that the meaning is immediately clear, have been omitted. For example, llenwi'r bwlch means to fill the gap' and is used in exactly the same context as the English equivalent and translates directly. Therefore, provided the reader has a competent dictionary this idiom should not cause a problem and is excluded from the guide. Welsh has a very rich variety of idioms, but this guide only includes those in common everyday circulation. For example, taro deuddeg (literally to hit twelve1) means to hit the mark' and is immediately recognisable to all educated Welsh speakers. However, the more esoteric cywion Alls or plant Alls (literally 'Alice's children') means 'English people' but is not in common circulation and is thus not included. If someone were to say yr oedd llawer o blant Alls yn y dre ddoe there were a lot of English people in town yesterday', the response from the majority of Welsh speakers would be pwy ydiAlis? 'who's Alice?' Idioms derived from religion and agriculture are very common in Welsh, as in other languages. However, idioms deleted from the 1988 edition of the Bible have been excluded unless they are still used in everyday speech (see, for example, cronglwyd). Similarly, agricultural idioms that refer to redundant agricultural practices, or practices remote from the experience of the majority of the Welsh-speaking population, have also been excluded. However, agricultural idioms will be more familiar to Welsh speakers in some parts of Wales than others. For example, the idiom (methu) gwneud rhych na gwellt o rywbeth, literally '(to fail) to make out a furrow or grass of something' but meaning '(to fail) to make head nor tail of something' , is used by the North Wales writer Robin Llywelyn and is in keeping with the context of his novels, but its use by a street-wise teenager from urban South Wales in a novel by John Owen would be incongruous. The use of idioms in speech adds colour and interest to the language. However, Welsh learners are advised not to overuse them. For example, y mis du, literally the black month', means 'November1 and all educated Welsh speakers will be familiar with it and it is respectable enough to be used on the television news. Nevertheless, it should not be used to the exclusion of the more standard (mis) Tachwedd. 4. Proverbs and Sayings A proverb or saying is a succinct way of expressing, often metaphorically, a common experience or piece of wisdom. Proverbs differ from idioms in that they are self-contained phrases and do not depend on additional information to give them meaning. The most authoritative and comprehensive guide to Welsh proverbs is Diarhebion Cymraeg/Welsh Proverbs by J.J.