0918e Welsh
grammar - the adjective before the noun. Although this is not the usual
position for the adjective, there are circumstances where this occurs. Annw˙l
Gyfaill = dear friend (in addressing a letter); hen wr = an old man; y wir fam
= the real mother, the true mother; y brif bibell = the water mains
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1273e An Elementary Welsh Grammar by John
Morris-Jones (1864-1929), professor of Welsh at Coleg y Brifysgol (
Adjective
before a noun
Although this is not the usual position for the
adjective, there are circumstances where this occurs.
1) a handful of adjectives in Welsh which usually go before the noun
2) poetical language - where any adjective may go before a noun
3) Place names
1) The ones which usually go before the noun are
hen [heen] = old
prif [priiv] = main
gwir [gwiir] = true, real, authentic
unig [I-nig] = only
annw˙l [A-nuil] = dear (preceding the
name of the recipient of a message - a letter, a speech)
yr holl [holh] = all the..., the
whole...
hoff [hoof] = preferred, favourite /
favorite
Less-frequently used words are:
cam [kam] false, wrong
gau [gai] false
Some of these can be used after a noun, but the
meaning is different
cam - crooked
unig - lonely
hen - very old
The initial consonant of the noun is soft-mutated
c-g, p-b, t-d, g-*, b-f, d-dd, m-f, ll-l, rh-r
hen wr - an old man
Annw˙l Gyfaill - dear friend
but proper names have no soft mutation
Annw˙l Gruffudd - Dear Gruffudd (not
Annw˙l *Ruffudd)
fy machgen annw˙l - my dear boy
(grandmother to grandson, for example)
yr holl deulu = all the family
ei hoff geff˙l = his favourite horse
ei unig fab = his only son
If the noun is a feminine noun, as we have seen the
inital consonant soft-it mutates after the definite article
mam = mother
y fam = the mother
An adjective preceding a feminine noun will also soft-mutate
gwir fam = a real mother
y wir fam = the real mother
If the adjective is qualified (go = fairly, -ish; lled
= fairly, -ish; iawn = very) it must come after the noun
gwr = a man
hen = old
hen wr = an old man
hen iawn = very old
gwr hen iawn = a very old man
gwr go hen = an oldish man
cam (wrong) is usually a prefix
arfer = use, practice
camarfer = malpractice
cychw˙n = start
camgychw˙n = false start
cyhuddiad = accusation
camgyhuddiad = false accusation
gau (false, non-authentic) is
used only in a couple of expressions
proffw˙d = prophet
gau broffw˙d = false prophet
cref˙dd = religion
gau gref˙dd = false religion
It is sometimes used after a noun
gau gyfaill / cyfaill gau - literary
expressions meaning false friend
prif is often a prefix
ysgol = school
prifysgol = university
y brif bibell = the water mains ('the
main pipe')
y brif beipen = the gas mains ('the
main pipe')
y brif wifren = the electricity mains
('the main wire')
2) poetical language
ei gwrol ryfelw˙r - her valiant
fighters (from a line in the national anthem)
= ei rhyfelw˙r gwrol with normal word
order
3) The adjective + noun structure was used in Common
Celtic, and is found in place names in Wales (and in the other Celtic
countries) which were probably formed when this was a usual structure.
Sometimes modern names (usually house names) are formed on this pattern as it
is felt to be a 'toponymic' construction - it 'belongs' to place names.
Besides Br˙nawel
(br˙n yr awel) 'hill (of) the wind' we find (Yr) Awelfr˙n.
Br˙n Glas (green hill) > (Y) Glasfr˙n
Yn˙s Las (green island) > glasyn˙s
> (Y) Lasyn˙s
Adolygiad diweddaraf -
latest update 30 05 1999
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