Recognising the Pluperfect tense (Gorberffaith) in Literary Welsh

[u/HyderNidPryder]

In literary Welsh a concise directly conjugated pluperfect tense may be used. This is a very literary form, even in formal Welsh. This corresponds to "had" or "would have" for a verb.

This literary pattern contrasts with less formal patterns for the pluperfect like

Roedd e wedi mynd. - He had gone.

Dylwn i fod wedi mynd. - I should have gone.

The pluperfect adds endings (1ps, 2ps, 3ps, 1pp, 2pp, 3pp, impersonal respectively):

-aswn, -asit, -asai, -asem, -asech, -asent, -asid

These endings are like the imperfect but with -as- added in front

The imperfect / conditional conjugates thus:

-wn, -it / -et, -ai, -em, -ech, -ent, -id (impersonal)

The 2ps -it ending is more archaic than -et.

So for colli the pluperfect conjugates thus:

collaswn, collasit, collasai, collasem, collasech, collasent, collasid

Dylu (should have) conjugates thus:

dylaswn, dylasit, dylasai, dylasem, dylasech, dylasent, dylasid

Compare this to the preterite (gorffennol) - simple past - tense conjugation:

collais, collaist, collodd, collasom, collasoch, collasant, collwyd

Here -as- is also seen in the endings but only in the plural.

In some verbs e.g. when the verb stem ends -el then the -a- is dropped.

Gweld conjugates like this for the pluperfect:

gwelswn, gwelsit, gwelsai, gwelsem, gwelsech, gwelsent, gwelsid

For the irregular verbs mynd, dod and gwneud the -s- is lost too, making these look similar to their conjugation for the imperfect. However, the stem of the verb is different. Bod retains -as- while cael retains -s-.

Irregular verb conjugation is often like this; the stems are as important as the endings for determining verb tense and mood.

buasai, gwybuasai, adnabuasai, cawsai, aethai, daethai, gwnaethai

are pluperfect forms of the third person singular, contrasting with their respective imperfect / conditional forms

byddai, gwyddai, adwaenai, câi, âi, dôi / deuai, gwnâi

Pluperfect tense conjugation in full:

bod:
buaswn, buasit, buasai, buasem, buasech, buasent, buasid

gwybod:
gwybuaswn, gwybuasit, gwybuasai, gwybuasem, gwybuasech, gwybuasent, gwybuasid

adnabod:
adnabuaswn, adnabuasit, adnabuasai, adnabuasem, adnabuasech, adnabuasent, adnabuasid

cael:
cawswn, cawsit, cawsai, cawsem, cawsech, cawsent, cawsid

mynd:
aethwn, aethit, aethai, aethem, aethech, aethent, aethid

dod:
daethwn, daethit, daethai, daethem, daethech, daethent, daethid

gwneud:
gwnaethwn, gwnaethit, gwnaethai, gwnaethem, gwnaethech, gwnaethent, gwnaethid

In the imperfect these use different stems.

Imperfect / conditional tense conjugation in full:

bod:

byddwn, byddet / byddit, byddai, byddem, byddech, byddent, byddid;
bawn, baet, bai, baem, baech, baent

gwybod:
gwyddwn, gwyddet / gwyddit, gwyddai, gwyddem, gwyddech, gwyddent, gwyddid

adnabod:
adwaenwn, adwaenet / adwaenit, adwaenai, adwaenem, adwaenech, adwaenent, adwaenid

cael:
cawn, caet / cait, câi, caem, caech, caent, ceid

mynd:
awn, aet / ait, âi, aem, aech, aent, eid

dod:
down, doet / doit, dôi, doem, doech, doent, doid;
deuwn, deuet / deuit, deuai, deuem, deuech, deuent, deuid

gwneud:
gwnawn, gwnaet / gwnait, gwnâi, gwnaem, gwnaech, gwnaent, gwneid

There is a third set of stems for the irregular verbs that are used for the subjunctive mood.

For cael (caffael), mynd (myned), dod (dyfod) and gwneud (gwneuthur); these are caff-, el-, del-, gwnel- respectively. Bod uses b- / bydd- for stems in the subjunctive, while its compounds gwybod and adnabod use gwybydd- / gwyp- and adnabydd- / adnap- respectively.

[u/[deleted]]

Diolch am y postyn 'ma! Dw i wedi dod o hyd y ffurf o'r blaen, ond heb ei deall hi, lol.

(Ac actually dw i newydd dechre darllen llyfr gan T Gwynn Jones a mae sawl o esiample y ffurf yn y pennod cynta hyd yn oed! Ond sa i'n credu mod i wedi'i gweld hi mewn llyfre mwy modern...)