meddai
Welsh
Pronunciation
- (North Wales, standard) IPA(key): /ˈmɛðai̯/
- (North Wales, colloquial) IPA(key): /ˈmɛðɛ/, /ˈmɛða/
- (South Wales, standard) IPA(key): /ˈmeːðai̯/, /ˈmɛðai̯/
- (South Wales, colloquial) IPA(key): /ˈmeːðɛ/, /ˈmɛðɛ/
Verb
meddai (defective)
- says, say, said
- Synonyms: ebe, ebra, dweud
- 2014 July 11, “Gwasanaeth pasport yn 'siomi' pobl meddai AS”, in BBC Cymru Fyw:
- Mae'r gwasanaeth pasport wedi 'siomi pobl' ac mae angen i Lywodraeth Prydain daclo'r broblem meddai Aelod Seneddol Ceidwadol.
- The passport service has 'let people down' and the UK government must tackle the problem, a Conservative Assembly Member says [or has said].
- 2013 May 21, Vaughan Roderick, “Dy iaith ar ein hysgwyddau megis pwn”, in BBC Cymru Fyw:
- "Gormod o ddim nid yw'n dda" meddai nhw, ond ydy hynny'n wir am lyfrau?
- "Too much of anything is not good," they say, but is that true for books?
- 2012 August 9, “'Dyfodol S4C yn gyffrous' meddai Prif Weithredwr y sianel”, in BBC Cymru Fyw:
- "Dim ond gwasanaeth cyflawn fedr adlewyrchu a dathlu bywyd y genedl," meddai.
- "Only a complete service can reflect and celebrate the life of the nation," he said.
Usage notes
- This verb, used to report quoted speech, has no verbnoun. The form meddai acts as the third-person singular and plural present and preterite.
- In the colloquial language, the following forms are found:
- meddwn i (“I say/said”)
- medd e/o/hi (“he/she says/said”)
- medden nhw (“they say/said”)
Mutation
| Welsh mutation | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| radical | soft | nasal | aspirate |
| meddai | feddai | unchanged | unchanged |
| Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs. | |||
Further reading
- King, Gareth (1993) Modern Welsh: A Comprehensive Grammar (Routledge Grammars), London and New York: Routledge, →ISBN, § 392, pages 230–31