Anglecymrāeg: Difference between revisions

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Nouns inflect for case, gender and number. Welsh did not have nouns case so the cases come largely from Old English, with some influence from corresponding prepositions. There were two numbers; singular and plural, and three genders; feminine, masculine and neuter.

~~As a general rule~~, the neutral gender was reserved for all inanimate nouns, whereas semi-animate and animate nouns would be either male or female. Semi-animate nouns, such as plants or weather, would have ne inherent gender. For example, trees were considered feminine while fire was masculine. Often the qualities of a given semi-animate noun would determine its gender. Animate nouns have two distinct forms; masculine or feminine, depending on its biological sex.

Stem changes regarding number were heavily reliant on gender and case, and thus it is most productive to outline it only when in conjunction with gender and case.

~~Although there were only two numbers~~, the ~~changes~~ to ~~plural was often unpredictable~~, with ~~many exceptions and anomalies~~.

The gender system experienced some change over the course of the language's lifespan, but nothing of particular weight. Initially, the neutral gender was reserved for all inanimate nouns, whereas semi-animate and animate nouns would be either male or female. Semi-animate nouns, such as plants or weather, would have ne inherent gender. For example, trees were considered feminine while fire was masculine. Often the qualities of a given semi-animate noun would determine its gender. Animate nouns have two distinct forms; masculine or feminine, depending on its biological sex. Later on, the neuter gender would occasionally be used for animate nouns, such as referring to a person in general without implying gender. The neuter gender would also find its way into use regarding semi-animate nouns, again when more general terms, such as a plant, were used.

Most animate feminine nouns would end in a vowel, but a few feminine nouns were considered to have a neuter aspect (fish being among these) and so would end in ''n'' resulting in the need for a new declension. Along with this was a less frequently used animate neuter which would always end in ''r''.

====Noun Declensions====

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There are four main declensions; two declensions for animate nouns, a declension for semi-animate nouns, and a declension for inanimate nouns.

~~The Primary Animate Declension was the most commonly used declension. For most animate nouns, gender was predetermined, which is why it only applies to masculine and feminine.~~

{|class="wikitable" style="width: ~~250px~~; text-align: center;"

{|class="wikitable" style="width: 300px; text-align: center;"

|+ Primary Animate Noun Declension

! rowspan=2|

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| ''-t''

| ''-ty''

| ''-e''

| rowspan=2| ''-e''

| ''-a''

|-

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Line 729:

| ''-n''

| ''-m''

~~| ''-e''~~

| ''-am''

|-

Line 740:

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| ''-wi''

| ''-wyþþ''

|}

The Primary Animate Declension was the most commonly used declension. For most animate nouns, gender was predetermined, which is why it only applies to masculine and feminine.

{|class="wikitable" style="width: 300px; text-align: center;"

|+ Secondary Animate Noun Declension

! rowspan=2|

! colspan=2| Feminine

! colspan=2| Neuter

|-

! {{smallcaps|nom}}

| (n)

| ''-eu''

| (r)

| ''-u''

|-

! {{smallcaps|acc}}

| rowspan=2| ''-e''

| ''-a''

| ''-e''

| ''-a''

|-

! {{smallcaps|dat}}

| ''-em''

| ''-w''

| ''-um''

|-

! {{smallcaps|gen}}

| ''-eas''

| ''-ea''

| ''-es''

| ''-ou''

|-

! {{smallcaps|inst}}

| ''-weþ''

| ''-weu''

| ''-wy''

| ''-wiu''

|-

|}

@@ Line 691: / Line 691: @@
 Nouns inflect for case, gender and number. Welsh did not have nouns case so the cases come largely from Old English, with some influence from corresponding prepositions. There were two numbers; singular and plural, and three genders; feminine, masculine and neuter.
-As a general rule, the neutral gender was reserved for all inanimate nouns, whereas semi-animate and animate nouns would be either male or female. Semi-animate nouns, such as plants or weather, would have ne inherent gender. For example, trees were considered feminine while fire was masculine. Often the qualities of a given semi-animate noun would determine its gender. Animate nouns have two distinct forms; masculine or feminine, depending on its biological sex.
+Stem changes regarding number were heavily reliant on gender and case, and thus it is most productive to outline it only when in conjunction with gender and case.
-Although there were only two numbers, the changes to plural was often unpredictable, with many exceptions and anomalies.
+The gender system experienced some change over the course of the language's lifespan, but nothing of particular weight. Initially, the neutral gender was reserved for all inanimate nouns, whereas semi-animate and animate nouns would be either male or female. Semi-animate nouns, such as plants or weather, would have ne inherent gender. For example, trees were considered feminine while fire was masculine. Often the qualities of a given semi-animate noun would determine its gender. Animate nouns have two distinct forms; masculine or feminine, depending on its biological sex. Later on, the neuter gender would occasionally be used for animate nouns, such as referring to a person in general without implying gender. The neuter gender would also find its way into use regarding semi-animate nouns, again when more general terms, such as a plant, were used.
+Most animate feminine nouns would end in a vowel, but a few feminine nouns were considered to have a neuter aspect (fish being among these) and so would end in ''n'' resulting in the need for a new declension. Along with this was a less frequently used animate neuter which would always end in ''r''.
 ====Noun Declensions====
@@ Line 698: / Line 701: @@
 There are four main declensions; two declensions for animate nouns, a declension for semi-animate nouns, and a declension for inanimate nouns.
-The Primary Animate Declension was the most commonly used declension. For most animate nouns, gender was predetermined, which is why it only applies to masculine and feminine.
-{|class="wikitable" style="width: 250px; text-align: center;"
+{|class="wikitable" style="width: 300px; text-align: center;"
 |+ Primary Animate Noun Declension
 ! rowspan=2|
@@ Line 720: / Line 723: @@
 | ''-t''
 | ''-ty''
-| ''-e''
+| rowspan=2| ''-e''
 | ''-a''
 |-
@@ Line 726: / Line 729: @@
 | ''-n''
 | ''-m''
-| ''-e''
 | ''-am''
 |-
@@ Line 740: / Line 742: @@
 | ''-wi''
 | ''-wyþþ''
+|}
+The Primary Animate Declension was the most commonly used declension. For most animate nouns, gender was predetermined, which is why it only applies to masculine and feminine.
+{|class="wikitable" style="width: 300px; text-align: center;"
+|+ Secondary Animate Noun Declension
+! rowspan=2|
+! colspan=2| Feminine
+! colspan=2| Neuter
+|-
+! {{smallcaps|nom}}
+| (n)
+| ''-eu''
+| (r)
+| ''-u''
+|-
+! {{smallcaps|acc}}
+| rowspan=2| ''-e''
+| ''-a''
+| ''-e''
+| ''-a''
+|-
+! {{smallcaps|dat}}
+| ''-em''
+| ''-w''
+| ''-um''
+|-
+! {{smallcaps|gen}}
+| ''-eas''
+| ''-ea''
+| ''-es''
+| ''-ou''
+|-
+! {{smallcaps|inst}}
+| ''-weþ''
+| ''-weu''
+| ''-wy''
+| ''-wiu''
+|-
 |}