An Introduction to Early Welsh - Arthur Pendragon of Wales

16.]
CONSONANT MUTATIONS. 15
in different parts of the verb. After certain parts
of the verb
lenation is absent or exceptional. Such are 3 sg. and 3 pi. pres.
ind. act., 3 sg. pres. subj. act. and the passive forms. After the
3 sg. of the pret. ind. act. non-lenation of the subject is the rule ;
in RB. lenation of the object is occasionally found when it directly
follows the verb, e.g. y kavas Uendigeit Uran he found Bendigeit
Vran, frequently when the subject precedes it, e.g. y lladawd
Peredur wyr yr iarll
Peredur slew the earl's men.
(P) After most of the forms of the verb "to be" lenation is found,
most consistently in the predicate from its close connexion with the
verb, but also in the subject whether it follows the verb immediately
or is
separated from it, e.g. ot wyt uorwyn if thou art a maid,
yd ym drist ni we are sad, yssyd urenhin who is king, yssit le
there is a place, nyt oed Uwy // was not greater, oedynt gystal
they were as good, mi a uydaf borthawr / am gatekeeper, ni a
vydwn gyuarwyd we will be guides, ny bydei vyw he was not
alive, y bydynt barawt they should be ready, ny buost gyvartal
thou hast not been just, tra uu vyw while she lived, pan imant
veirw whe?i they were dead,
buassei oreu it would have been best,
byd lawenach be more joyous, bit bont let him be a bridge,
bydwch gedymdeithon be ye comrades, tra vwyf vyw while 1
live, tra vych vyw while thou livest, tra vom vyw while we live,
mal na bont ueichawc so that they may not be pregnant, pei bewn
urathedic if I were wounded, a vei vawr which should be great,
gwedy y beym uedw after we were intoxicated, nyt DCS blant
there is no offspring, budugawl oed Gei Kei was gifted, y hwnnw y
bu uab to him there was a son, cy
t bei lawer o geiryd though there
were many cities,
nyt oes in gyghor we have no counsel, oed well
ytti geisaw *'/ were better for thee to seek, tost vu gantaw welet it
pained him to see. There is, however, no lenation after ys, e.g. ys
gwir it is true (unless the subject be separated, e.g. kanys
gwell genthi gyscu since she prefers to sleep] after ; nyt, nat, neut,
e.g. nyt llei is not less, neut marw he is dead; after OS, e.g. OS
gwr if he is a man ;
after ae e.g. ae gwell is it better 1 after yw,
e.g. pan yw Peredur that it is Peredur (unless the subject be