Medieval Welsh

A Self-Instruction Course created by Heather Rose Jones

Unit: 5b

"This" and "That"

It is probably long past time to introduce these fairly simply constructions. Demonstratives in Medieval Welsh behave as if they were adjectives. They fall after the noun and they have different masculine, feminine, and plural forms following the familiar vowel change pattern. When used in this fashion, they always appear in combination with the definite article.

y gwr hwnn "this man"
yr wreig honn "this woman"
y plant hynn "these children"

The full paradigm is as follows:

x	"this"	"that"
masculine	hwnn	hwnnw
feminine	honn	honno
neuter and plural	hynn	hynny

(This is the same set of vowel alternations you've seen in some adjectives, such as: m. crwnn, f. cronn, pl. crynnyon "round".)

In addition, these words may be used without a noun (either with or without the definite article) as a pronoun. In contrast with the usual pronouns, there is also a neuter version (which is identical with the plural) which can be used to refer to events, ideas, and the like in the singular. But if you are substituting for a specific noun, the appropriately gendered form is usually used.

Rolant yw hwnn. "This [masculine] is Roland."
A'r honn a vynnei vyned "And this one [fem.] wishes to go"
Beth yw hynn? "What is this?"

Hynny can be used in this way to refer back to previous clauses.

Ti yssydd iachwyawdyr pawb, a hynny yn oes oessoedd. "Thou art savior of all, and that for ever."
Note for Modern Welsh learners: In Modern Welsh, these functions have been taken over by "yma" (here, this) and "yna" (there, that). The beginnings of this can be seen occasionally in Medieval Welsh where both systems are used for emphasis.
y vorwyn honn yma "this here maiden"

Exercise

Translate the following into Welsh.

Do you see this dog?
... these dogs?
I avenged myself on that man.
... those men.
Say this to that girl.
... to those girls.
Will you (pl.) agree on that?
Do you see this woman? This one, I loved.
Ask him this: did he finish that work?
This ring is round.
These rings are ...
We were hunting that stag.
... those stags.
... those ones.

Key to the Exercise

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