Bore da
Would anyone care to explain the differences between using 'ta and neu, to mean “or”?
Diolch
In statements it’s only neu, but where it gets a little more confusing is in questions (both direct and indirect).
If the options are mutually exclusive -
e.g. “Do you want tea or coffee?” (i.e. but not both),
then you need 'ta/'te/ynteu ('ta & 'te are shortenings of ynteu).
But if the options are almost synonyms, or where the distinction between the alternatives is unimportant -
e.g. “Would you like one biscuit or two?” or “Was it a crow or a rook?”,
then you need neu.
2 Likes
Hmm, thanks for replying, but I still don’t quite get that distinction. You could have one biscuit or two, and that still sounds like mutual exclusion.
I’m sure Dych chi’n mo’yn te neu goffi? was in the Challenges.
1 Like
If it’s any consolation, I’m pretty sure that I treat them as synonyms and haven’t run into any difficulties (although I would see ynteu immediately as more literary).
Catrin feels that she’d tend to use ‘ta’ when connecting short phrases and ‘neu’ when connecting longer phrases, so pretty much a matter of personal taste really.
1 Like
could I respectfully say, to digress of course, that the Rook and Crow are totally exclusive. their entire ecology or lifestyle is different. Bran dyddyn (Carrion Crow, Corvus corone, neu Ydfran (Rook, Corvus frugilegus). Cigfran Raven. So even the Welsh name acknowledges the difference.
1 Like
You could have a total of one biscuit, or alternatively you could have a total of two biscuits. 
1 Like
You’re right, they are different, and here’s an example of where context is everything.
For instance, If I was asking generally what the big black bird on my lawn was, I would use neu because it’s relatively unimportant which big black bird was on my lawn.
However, if I was with a birdwatcher and ticking off a spotter’s list, and (knowing there is more to it than just “big black bird”) needed to know specifically which it was, then I would use 'te.
1 Like
Totally