Last Week in Welsh: Week 2
One of the sounds that occurs in Welsh but does not occur in English is represented by "LL". This sound is a laterally released voiceless fricative. That makes it seem complicated, I know. But, in isolation it is really not that hard to make. You just make like you want to say "L", and then blow out like you were going to say "F". It becomes a little more complicated when it is in a string of sounds, but I argue that this is just because you have to think about it. I'm hoping that the more I practice, the closer to second nature that it will become.
In some Indo-European languages, there is no verb "to have". Hindi, for example. Well, that's not entirely true. In some Indo-European languages there is no verb "to have" that indicates possession. I know what you are thinking, "Welsh is considered to be part of that family." And, you'd be right. Its not. But, like these other languages it has no verb that is "to have" that indicates possession. One of our teachers, a man named Cen (said: Ken. There is no "K" in Welsh) explained that when the Cymraeg landed on the fair shores of the island they met the islanders who spoke some ancient Indo-European tongue. So, when they went to trade with the natives, who didn't have a word for "have", they didn't use their word for "have" because they didn't get it. Instead they had to say, "I have with me this thing." Over the years, that became the standard and whatever was used before fell out of use and out of the language.
As this is language history, it is all speculation, but its not a bad theory.
We learned how to say "to have" last week. As in "I have a car." or, "I don't have a car." We also learned a new way to say "yes" and "no", because there are many ways to say "yes" and "no" in Welsh. So, are you ready for this?
To say that you have something you say:
Mae (insert thing) gyda fi. (said: My (whatever thing) guhduh vee.)
So, Mae car gyda fi is I have a car. Mae paned o goffi gyda fi is I have a cup of coffee.
Now, to say you don't have something is a little more complicated (but not too complicated.)
To say you don't have something, you say:
does dim (insert thing) gyda fi. (said: dois dim (whatever thing) guhduh vee.)
So, does dim car gyda fi. Does dim paned o goffi gyda fi.
Yes to the question, "do you have a cup of coffee." is "Oes" (said: ois). And, no is "Nac oes" (said: nahk ois.)
Wasn't that fun? Get ready for next week because the past tense (the one we don't have in English) is coming!
