meddu
Welsh
Etymology
From Proto-Brythonic *mėðɨd, from Proto-Celtic *medyetor, from Proto-Indo-European *med- (“to measure; give advice”). Cognate with Old Irish midithir (“to judge”).[1]
Pronunciation
- (North Wales) IPA(key): /ˈmɛðɨ/
- (South Wales) IPA(key): /ˈmeːði/, /ˈmɛði/
Verb
meddu (first-person singular present meddaf)
- to possess
- Synonym: meddiannu
Usage notes
This verb requires the preposition ar to precede the item possessed.
Conjugation
Conjugation (literary)
| singular | plural | impersonal | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| first | second | third | first | second | third | |||
| present indicative/future | meddaf | meddi | medd | meddwn | meddwch | meddant | meddir | |
| imperfect (indicative/subjunctive)/ conditional | meddwn | meddit | meddai | meddem | meddech | meddent | meddid | |
| preterite | meddais | meddaist | meddodd | meddasom | meddasoch | meddasant | meddwyd | |
| pluperfect | meddaswn | meddasit | meddasai | meddasem | meddasech | meddasent | meddasid, meddesid | |
| present subjunctive | meddwyf | meddych | meddo | meddom | meddoch | meddont | medder | |
| imperative | — | medd, medda | medded | meddwn | meddwch | meddent | medder | |
| verbal noun | meddu | |||||||
| verbal adjectives | meddedig meddadwy | |||||||
Conjugation (colloquial)
| Inflected colloquial forms | singular | plural | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| first | second | third | first | second | third | |
| future | medda i, meddaf i | meddi di | meddith o/e/hi, meddiff e/hi | meddwn ni | meddwch chi | meddan nhw |
| conditional | meddwn i, meddswn i | meddet ti, meddset ti | meddai fo/fe/hi, meddsai fo/fe/hi | medden ni, meddsen ni | meddech chi, meddsech chi | medden nhw, meddsen nhw |
| preterite | meddais i, meddes i | meddaist ti, meddest ti | meddodd o/e/hi | meddon ni | meddoch chi | meddon nhw |
| imperative | — | medda | — | — | meddwch | — |
| Note: All other forms are periphrastic, as usual in colloquial Welsh. | ||||||
Derived terms
- meddiant (“possession”)
Mutation
| Welsh mutation | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| radical | soft | nasal | aspirate |
| meddu | feddu | unchanged | unchanged |
| Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs. | |||
References
- R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “meddu”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies