The Film Noir Experience

Wow, its been awhile since I've done one of these things. And, that is a shame because Welsh really is a fun language. I could go into all the different things that we've learned recently: the future, how the say things in the passive, commands, or even the conditional. But, I'm not going to. Instead, I'm going to harken back something I found while flipping through my notes while preparing a list for some new flash cards.

Rhestri Defnyddiol.

That means "Useful Lists" and it was a hand out that I received on September 20th. Its full of things that I should have learned way back then but somehow haven't. Important things, like the months of the year and slightly less important things like the names of the colors.

Dyddiau'r Wythnos
Days of the Week.

Now, the days in Welsh are, surprisingly enough named after planets. This is pretty typical. But, atypically, the Welsh divide the word "day" from the planet name which allows them to replace it with the word "night" should that be the time period they wish to describe. This is rather handy because there really is no need to say "Sunday night" except that the words "sun" and "day" have become fused in the lexicon and both required to refer to Sunday at all. (I'll save the long digression on formulaicity for another post.)

Without further ado, the Days (and Nights) of the Week:

Dydd Sul said: "Deeth Seal": Sunday
Nos Sul said: "Nohs Seal": Sunday Night
Dydd Llun said: "Deeth Llean": Monday
Nos Lun said: "Nohs Lean": Monday Night
Dydd Mawrth said: "Deeth Maorth": Tuesday
Nos Fawrth: said "Nohs Faorth": Tuesday Night
Dydd Mercher: said: "Deeth Mehrchehr": Wednesday
Nos Fercher: said: "Nohs Fehrchehr": Wednesday Night
Dydd Iau: said: "Deeth Eey-eye": Thursday
Nos Iau: said: "Nohs Iau": Thursday Night
Dydd Gwener: said "Deeth Gwen-air": Friday
Nos Wener: said "Nohs When-air": Friday Night.

It should be noted that the second and/or unstressed syllables are not reduced, even though your English-speaking mouth will want to.

They are used, just like we'd use them in English. They are days of the week, after all. So, Monday Night Football would be Pel-droed Nos Lun, although, it would mean something completely different to most Welsh speakers.

On to our next Rhestri Defnyddiol, Misoedd or "Months of the Year":

Like the days of the week, it is common to say Mis (said: "Mees", which rhymes with the English word "Piece".) This may be because some of the months are also named after planets and it helps make a distinction. But, it might not.

Mis Ionawr: January
Mis Chwefror: February
Mis Mawrth: March
Mis Ebrill: April
Mis Mai: May
Mis Mehefin: June
Mis Gorffennaf: July (Gorffennaf literally means "End of Summer", in case you were curious)
Mis Awst: August
Mis Medi: September
Mis Hydref: October (Hydref is also used to mean "The Autumn", as we will see.)
Mis Tachwedd: November
Mis Rhagfyr: December

Which leads up to the next list (one of which we've already seen), Y Tymhorau or "The Seasons":

Y Gwanwyn: The Spring
Yr Haf: The Summer
Yr Hydref: The Autumn
Y Gaeaf: The Winter

So, now that you've seen Yr Haf and Gorffennaf, I'm sure you've rightly deduced that the verb "to finish, or to end" is "Gorffen". You really are quite clever, you know.

Our last list is my favorite, for no reason other than I think colors are fun. So, I give you Lliwiau:

Coch: said :"Kohch": Red
Glas: said: "glass": Blue
Gwyrdd: said "gerrth": Green
Oren: said like you'd think its said: Orange
du:said: "Dee": Black
gwyn: White
pinc: Pink
proffor: Purple
brown: Brown
llwyd: Grey

And there you have it, Rhestri Defnyddiol.