A WELSH GRAMMAR STEPHEN J. WILLIAMS CARDIFF UNIVERSITY OF WALES PRESS 1980 © University of Wales Press, 1980 Reprinted, 1981, 1986 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Williams, Stephen Joseph A Welsh grammar. 1. Welsh language—Grammar I. Title II. Williams, Stephen Joseph. Elfennau gramadeg Cymraeg. Adaptations 491.6'6'82421 PB2123 ISBN 0-7083-0735-3 ISBN 0-7083-0737-X Pbk All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without clearance from the University of Wales Press. Cover Design by Chris Jackson, Drake Design Printed by: J. W. Arrowsmith Ltd, Bristol FOREWORD The book on Modern Welsh Grammar entitled Elfennau Gramadeg Cymraeg (University of Wales Press, 1959) was intended for readers studying Welsh through the medium of the language itself. It appears that there is a demand for a similar work written in English, and it was at the request of The Board of Celtic Studies and the University Press Board that the present edition was prepared. It is hoped that it will meet the needs of readers desiring to become acquainted with standard literary Welsh whether they have a knowledge of colloquial Welsh or not. The standard of literary Welsh has been greatly influenced in the present century by the researches of scholars in the various fields of Welsh studies. For example, the reform of the orthography was gradually adopted by Welsh writers in general; the re-classification of Accidence was accepted without demur; a fresh study of Syntax has been welcomed, and re-appraisal of the context and history of our literature has been most beneficial. The salient features of the language form the basis of all formal teaching and studying of the subject. The classification of Accidence and Syntax is essential, and that is why this handbook is so much concerned with these matters. The interspersion of frequent syntactical notes in the treatment of Accidence is intended to make it more meaningful. The sections on Syntax, as such, are therefore devoted to the Sentence, in addition to the syntactical significance of the consonantal mutations summarized in APPENDIX A. The many references to colloquial and dialect words and expressions are intended sometimes for comparison of spoken and written forms, and somctimcs to draw attention to dobased colloquial usages. The use of a recent Welsh-English Dictionaiy with this handbook is recommended. The references under ABBREVIATIONS give some indication of my indebtedness to some writers, but there are many more from whose work in books, articles, etc. I have greatly profited. My sincere thanks are due to the University of Wales Press for publishing the book, to the printers for their care and especially to Mr. Alun Treharne and Mr. John Rhys for their interest and help. S.J.W. October, 1979. CONTENTS Page Foreword v Abbreviations ix The Alphabet 1 Diphthongs 4 Accentuation 5 The Article 6 Nouns 9 Adjectives 26 Numerals 40 Pronouns 45 The Verb 72 The Regular Verbs 80 Contracted Forms 88 Irregular Verbs 92 Other Irregular Verbs 105 The Verb-Noun 109 Verbal Adjectives 120 Compounds 122 Prepositions 127 Adverbs 143 Pre- Verbal Particles 146 Conjunctions 151 Interjections 162 The Sentence 163 Appendix A 174 Appendix B 177 Index 181 ABBREVIATIONS A.G. Gwaith Ann Griffiths, gol. O. M. Edwards, Cyfres y Fil, Conwy, 1905. Alun Ceinion Alun (John Blackwell), gol. G. Edwards (Gutyn Padarn), Rhuthun, 1851. AN Yr argraffìad newydd o'r Beibl, Llundain, 1955 (gol. Henry Lewis). BBCS Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies. BBN Bob Bore o Newydd, Llyfr Gweddi y Gwasanaeth Darlledu, LJundain, 1938. B.Cw. Ellis Wynne, Gweledigaetheu y Bardd Cwsc, gol. J. Morris-Jones, Bangor, 1898. BE Blodeuglwm o Englynion, gol. W. J. Gruffydd, Abertawe, 1920. BU Barddoniaethyr Uchelwyr, gol. D. J. Bowen, Caerdydd, 1957. CAN Y Caniedydd, Abertawe, 1960. (Reference to hymns). CFG Melville Richards, Cystraweny Frawddeg Gymraeg, Caer- dydd, 1938. CN Y cyfieithiad newydd o'r Testament Newydd, (Adran Ddiwinyddol Urdd Graddedigion Prifysgol Cymru), Rhydychen, Caerdydd, Wrecsam, 1921 —. D.C. David Charles. 1762—1834. Dewi Medi (David Lewis). 1844—1917. DG Gwaith Dafydd ap Gwilym, gol. Thomas Parry, Caer- dydd, 1952. DGG Dafydd ap Gwilym a'i Gyfoeswyr, gol. Ifor Williams a Thomas Roberts, Caerdydd, arg. 1935. DIG Datblygiad yr Iaith Gymraeg, Henry Lewis, Caerdydd, 1931. D.J. D. Jones, Tre-borth. 1805—68. D.N. The Poetical Works of Dafydd Nanmor, ed. T. Roberts and Ifor Williams, Cardiff, 1923. Ehedydd Iâl (William Jones). 1815—99. Eifîon Wyn (Eliseus Williams) i. Telynegion Maes a Môr, Caerdydd, 1908. ii. Caniadau'r Allt, Llundain, 1927. X ABBREVIATIONS ETM Emynau a Thonauy Methodistiaid, Caernarfon a Bangor, 1929. E.R. Edward Richard. 1714—77. EWG An Elementary Welsh Grammar. J. Morris-Jones, Oxford, 1921. FG YFlodeugerdd Gymraeg, gol. W. J. Gruffydd, Caerdydd, 1931. FN Y Flodeugerdd Newydd, gol. W. J. Gruffydd, Caerdydd, 1909. GC Gramadeg Cymraeg, J. J. Evans, Aberystwyth, 1946. GCC D. Simon Evans, Gramadeg Cymraeg Canol, Caerdydd, 1951. GG Gemau'r Gogynfeirdd, gol. Arthur Hughes ac Ifor Williams, Pwllheli, 1910. G.M.D. Gruffudd ab Maredudd ap Dafydd. XIV ganrif. G.O. Barddoniaeth Goronwy Owen, gol. I. Ffoulkes, 8fed arg., Liverpool, 1924. GTA Gwaith Tudur Aled, gol. T. Gwynn Jones, Caerdydd, 1926. Gwyrosydd (Danieljames). 1847—1920. HB Hen Benillion, casgl. T. H. Parry-Williams, Llandysul, 1940 Hedd Wyn (Ellis Humphrey Evans), Cerddi'r Bugail, gol. J. J. Williams, Caerdydd, 1918. I.D. Gwaith Ieuan Deulwyn, gol. Ifor Williams, Bangor, 1909. I.G. Ieuan Gwynedd (Evan Jones). 1820—52. IGE Iolo Goch ac Eraill, gol. Henry Lewis, Thomas Roberts, Ifor Williams, Caerdydd, 1937 (arg. newydd). I.G.G. Ieuan Glan Geirionydd (Evan Evans), Detholion o waith Ieuan Glan Geirionydd, gol. Saunders Lewis, Caerdydd, 1931. JJW. J. J. Williams, Y Lloer a Cherddi Eraill, Aberystwyth, 1936. JM.-J. John Morris-Jones, Caniadau, Rhydychen, 1907. J.P.R. J. Price Roberts. 1853—1905. J.R. John Roberts. 1804—84. ABBREVIATIONS XI K.R. Kate Roberts, TraedMewn Cyffion, Aberystwyth, 1936. L.G.C. Lewis Glyn Cothi, XV ganrif. i. Llên Cymru, casgl. T. Gwynn Jones, Caernarfon, 1922; ii. FN. LIGG Llyfr Gweddi Gyffredin. LITA 'Llyfr y Tri Aderyn'; dyfynnir o Gweithiau Morgan Llwyd, gol. T. E. Ellis, Bangor, 1899. Morswyn (S. J. Griffiths). 1850—93. Pedr Fardd (Peter Jones). 1775—1845. RBS Ellis Wynne, Rheol BucheddSanctaidd, adarg. Caerdydd, 1928. R.E. Roger Edwards. 1811—86. R.G.D. Robert ap Gwilym Ddu, Detholion o}i Weithiau, gol. Stephen J. Williams, Caerdydd, 1948. R.T.J. R. T. Jenkins, Yr Apèl at Hanes, Wrecsam, 1930. R.W.P. R. Williams Parry, Yr Haf a Cherddi Eraill, Y Bala, 1924. T.A. Gwaith Tudur Aled, gol. T. Gwynn Jones, Caerdydd, 1926. TC T. J. Morgan, Y Treigladau a'u Cystrawen, Caerdydd, 1952. T.GJ. T. Gwynn Jones, i. Manion, Wrecsam, 1932. ii. Caniadau, Caerdydd, 1934. T.H.P.-W. T. H. Parry-Williams. i. Ysgrifau, Llundain, 1928. ii. Cerddi, Aberystwyth, 1931. T.J. Thomas Jones, Dinbych. 1756—1820. T.R. Thomas Rees, Abertawe. 1815—85. T.W. Thomas Williams, Bethesda'r Fro. Gwaith Prydyddol, gol. T. Rees, Abertawe, 1882. W.J.G. W. J. Gruffydd. i. Caneuon a Cherddi, Bangor, 1906. ii. Ynysyr Hud, Wrecsam, 1927. W.LL. Barddoniaeth Wiliam Llýn, gol. J. C. Morrice, Bangor, 1908. PHONOLOGY $ 1. (a) The Alphabet. The Welsh alphabet consists of twenty simple letters and eight digraphs. These are signs denoting sounds or phonemes, and each sign has a traditional name (shown below in Welsh spelling): sign name sign name sign name a a ng eng r er b bî h âets rh rhi, rho c èc i î s ès ch èch 1 èl t tî d dî 11 èll th èth dd èdd m èm u û e ê n èn w ŵ f èf o ô y y ff èff P PÎ g èg ph ffì Vowels: a, e, i, o, u, w, y, but i and w may be consonantal in diphthongs (see § 4). Vowels are either long or short; but a vowel that is long in a final syllable becomes medium in a non-final syllable before a single consonant, e.g., cân, (long á), canu (medium a). (b) Vowel-sounds: LONG a, as in tad, is like a in E. father. e, as in gwên, is like Northern E. a in make. i, as in gwin, i slike E. ee in meet. o, as in bod, is like Northern E. o in so. u, as in pur, resembles Fr. u, but is less rounded. w, as in sŵn, is like oo in E. moon. y has two sounds: (1) clear, as in byd, has the same sound as u in North Wales; in South Wales it is sounded like z. (2) obscure, as in^y (the defmite article), is like e in E. her and u in E. hurdle. It is medium in length in non-final syllable, e.g., byddaf cryfaf. SHORT a, as in mam, is like Northern E. a in cab. e, as in pen, is like E. e in let. i, as in dim, is like E. i in pit. o, as in hon, is like E. o in cod. u, as in ust, is somewhat less rounded than long u in North Wales, and is the same as short i in South Wales. w, as in cwm, is like E. oo in hood. 2 THE ALPHABET y, (1) clear, as in bryn, is like short u in North Wales and like short i in South Wales. (2) obscure, as in some unstressed words (y, yr, yn, fy, dy, myn, ys, syr), is like E.