Valentine’s day is approaching and Eirwen is gearing up to ask Daniel Craig for a hot date. Not to be outdone I am practicing Challenge 18 of Level 2 and am also readying myself to ask someone to be my Valentine. Does anyone have Monica Belluci’s telephone number handy?!
I’ve checked the calendar and Valentine’s day falls on a Sunday this year - so fast forward to Challenge 19 of Level 2 for “Would you like to go out with me on Sunday” and I have my “ddydd Sul” at the ready.
Overhearing Eirwen rehearsing asking Daniel Craig out, I heard her say “dydd Sul” and immediately corrected her lack of mutation… As she would not yield I have had to issue her a yellow card.
This has escalated to the point where Eirwen has convened a meeting of Llanfairtalhaian parishioners, to be held at Capel Llanfairtalhaian, to discuss:
the use of “dydd Sul” for on Sunday
the use of “a’r ddydd Sul” for on Sundays
The Heddlu have been alerted in the event that fisti-cuffs break out. And I believe they may be arranging for reinforcements from surrounding counties should it be needed.
I think Eirwen is arranging for a coach-load of relatives from Llansannan to attend chapel to bolster her case.
Should I issue Eirwen a red card at this point? Or do I grudgingly admit to some regional variation in when to mutate. Or, as is more than possible, I have got hold of the wrong end of the stick, completely.
I am also a little worried that Monica Belluci might flee the continent at the thought that I may ask her to go out on Sundays. Asking her to go out every Sunday is probably a bit pushy on a first date.
You’re keeping her in some kind of swimming pool prison? That’s a little harsh.
Justin - was this not one of the instances when we warn you not to correct first language speakers?.. Generally speaking, as soon as you start talking to first language speakers, you’ll need to begin the process of adaption from ‘correct mutations’ to ‘ordinary mutations’ - if you listen to Catrin on the Growth Club recordings, you’ll see that first language speakers talking naturally take a very, very flexible approach to mutations.
The dydd/ddydd thing in particular is the kind of extremely fine technical point that I wouldn’t expect many first language speakers to be particularly aware of - (although if they actually say ‘ar’ they’d probably almost always mutate naturally) - in fact, Iestyn had to spend quite a lot of time banging his head against the wall to get me to accept/internalise/understand it (and I haven’t had the heart to tell him he failed!).
Your safest bet (by a long, long shot) would be along the lines of ‘Eirwen, those buggers told me to say it this way, so blame them, not me, and I promise not to take the wildly dangerous step of correcting your Welsh ever again’…
Yes, Aran - but Eirwen loves to watch me twist myself into knots trying to choose which way to respond in Welsh to her questions requiring yes/no answers. The odds are always against me and despite your great advice on how to answer yes/no questions I inevitably choose the wrong one. So the dydd/ddydd thing was like a red rag to a bull and I unthinkingly pounced.
Like Michael Palin in “A Fish called Wanda” I mounted my steamroller, targeted it and shouted REVENGE!
That and the really wonderful dialogues in Level 2 make life worth living,
Generally speaking, as soon as you start talking to first language speakers, you’ll need to begin the process of adaption from ‘correct mutations’ to ‘ordinary mutations’ - if you listen to Catrin on the Growth Club recordings, you’ll see that first language speakers talking naturally take a very, very flexible approach to mutations.
Reminds me of Pete ‘n’ Dud’s lady friends…