Yes, very informative thanks.
I think that I’ve possibly misunderstood the GPC’s “Pa un a/ai” as a slightly different context of whether, or perhaps it might not be current useage -
*• pa un a,p’®un a,pa’r un a : whether (before a vb., or exceptionally before a vn.) 1712 T. Williams: CDdG 630, Pry’n a wnaethom a chyflawni ein Defosionau boreuol. 1740 T. Evans: DPO 297, ammheu pa un a ellid yn gyfreithlawn fedyddio Plant bychain cyn yr wythfed dydd. 1753 G. Owen: L 78, nis gwn pa’r un a gaf ai ei weled byth ai peidio. 1759 T. Thomas: WWDd 35, ammeu … pa un a bod gennym un rhan o’r ’sgrythur.
*pa un ai,p’®un ai,pa’r un ai : whether (it be) (one thing or another) . * 1653 MLl i. 182, dywaid i mi pa’r vn ai dy gydwybod, ai dy ewyllys a beru hwyaf? 1723 WM: PGG 188, ni waeth ganddo pa ûn ai Ofn ai Cariad an dinistria. 1730 (1755) E. Wynne: PAC 54, y cwestiwn ydy hwn, prun ai os derbŷn dŷn Râs Duw drwy ei weddieu ei hun yn unig, ai ni fydd fŷdd efe yn siccrach? 1759 T. Thomas: WWDd 35, ammeu … pa un a bod gennym un rhan o’r ’sgrythur, a ph’un ai ’Sgrythur.
Next question -
Regarding the short form future tense: ai, nai etc.
Can these be long term or do they imply something that you are going to do in the immediate future? Or is it best to give a timescale with them, eg next year, when I grow up etc?
Im wondering if they compare with “going” in English
Oops, yeah absolutely, likewise! A great response to the question for me, and similarly the bonus tybed a, which makes these discussions so cool. So thank you to all. I ended up giving everyone a <3 because I’m nervous that I could probably clog up about half of every thread with grateful thanks, you are all so helpful. And then I forgot to reply at all once the dust had settled, sorry! Not brilliant form from the asker of the question! So again, thank you everyone! --Antony
P.S. I did think it was a tiny question with a quick answer at the time …
I’ve just signed up for the daily emails. I’m following the South version on my phone but I think I might have got the Northern dialect in the email as it’s different. Do you know if there’re separate South & North emails and, if so, how I might be able to switch to the Southern version?
It sounds to me as if you signed up for “1 sentence in Welsh”, a short taster course to see if the method works for you. If that is the case, then you are doing nothing wrong, as that material is only available as Northern. Once you get to the lessons proper, you should be able to access those as southern versions as well.
Pob lwc a chroeso i’r fforwm! (Good luck and welcome to the forum!)
Hi Robyn - Hendrik is on the money here - the standard emails are the same for both dialects, but you’re on the initial intro stuff, which is aimed at being neutralish (with occasional lapses into northern)…
I find it hilarious that any non-native speaker who uses words like “hilariously undermined” could possibly think their English could be undermined, hilariously or otherwise, by anything! I work with Brits who are considerably less eloquent than you!
However I guess this shows the big difference between learning the traditional way and learning with SSiW:
most of my English teachers were Italian. Only from age 14 to 19 we had 2 hours a week (out of 5) with native teachers from England. Not enough to compensate the - often really strong!!! - Italian accent of all my previous/other teachers.
I did read a lot, listened to music and watched movies in English - actually more than in any other languages because 90% my favourite authors were English natives. And I also enjoyed writing.
That’s where I got my eloquence from, I guess.
I ended up also speaking a lot, and still do. So I’m fluent, but until fairly recently, for a series of coincidences, it has been mostly with Americans and people from all over the world with all sort of accents, rather than British.
Now, trying to speaking Welsh is pushing me even further from BBC English, and makes my accent even more of a mess - so I can’t blame the lady for saying that!
Anyone with Swansea/Dyfed dialect knowledge? Regarding the topic that I posted on nagyw (don’t), my friend seems to be using nagyw for all persons. Nagyw i, for I don’t, nagyw ti for you dont, nagyw nhw - they. Os nagyw nued ti for if you dont make… etc. So, nagyw instead of na. Have I got that right please?
Admittedly he said its only for spoken use, and he wasnt to use it in written work.
I know “pa” means which but just wondering if you could ever use pwy in a similar way. I wasn’t sure if I heard “pwy” on the radio or just misheard “pa” or the person speaking just had a slip.
