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What's the most difficult language to learn?
What's the most difficult language to learn?
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As an addendum to SFBTW's exposition of Cymru, I draw people's attention to the Indo-European suffix which usually emerges in English as
-(e)ry. It means 'the plural of whatever element precedes it'. Thus we find examples in English like 'Jewry', 'Nunnery' ,'Infantry' 'Constabulary' etc. I have the feeling that this may be the suffix at work in 'Cymru'. The phonetic similarity suggests it may be related to the old English plural form -er but I can only speculate about that. Perceptive readers will have noted that the suffix -ry is likely to refer only to human antecedents although I think 'Jewellery' might be an exception. My knowledge of Irish Gaelic showsme the same cognate suffix at work. The Gaelic word for 'population' is 'daonra' where 'daon' means something like 'person'. Also there is a farming organisation for young people called Macra na Feirme' where 'Macra' is composed of 'mac'= son + -ra = 'plural'. It is almost certainly the case that this pluralising element is at work in other Indo-European languages. Perhaps SFBTW can add further to this discussion. |
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He would if he were knowledgeable enough.
I'd never thought of -ry collectives as plurals, but of course you're right. Cwmru is a Vale-ry. Infantry is/are l'infanterie in French, with the same meaning, a collection of infants/enfants, i.e. soldiers not grand enough to own a horse. |
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And cavalry/la cavalerie - a collection of horse/cheval.
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Fel atodiad i'r esboniad SFBTW o Cymru, yr wyf yn tynnu sylw pobl at y ddodiad Indo-Ewropeaidd sydd fel arfer yn ymddangos yn Saesneg fel
I just put vubiant's post into google translate to help the native Cymraeg speakers amongst us...  - (D) ry. Mae'n golygu 'y lluosog o ba bynnag elfen ragflaenu'. Felly rydym yn dod o hyd i enghreifftiau yn Saesneg fel 'Jewry', 'Lleiandy', 'Traed' 'Heddlu' etc. Rwy'n cael y teimlad y gallai hyn fod yr ôl-ddodiad yn y gwaith yn 'Cymru'. Mae'r tebygrwydd seinegol yn awgrymu y gall fod yn gysylltiedig â'r hen ffurflen -er luosog Saesneg ond ni allaf ond dyfalu ynghylch hynny. Bydd darllenwyr treiddgar wedi nodi bod y -ry-ddodiad yn debygol o gyfeirio at hanes blaenorol dynol yn unig er fy mod yn credu y gallai 'Gemwaith' fod yn eithriad. Fy ngwybodaeth am Gaeleg Wyddeleg showsme yr un ôl-ddodiad cytras yn y gwaith. Mae'r gair Gaeleg ar gyfer 'poblogaeth' yw 'daonra' ble 'daon' yn golygu rhywbeth fel 'person'. Hefyd yn sefydliad ffermio ar gyfer pobl ifanc o'r enw Macra na Feirme 'ble' Macra 'yn cynnwys 'Mac' = mab + -ra = 'lluosog'. Mae bron yn sicr yn wir bod yr elfen hon pluralising yn y gwaith mewn ieithoedd Indo-Ewropeaidd eraill. Efallai y gall SFBTW ychwanegu ymhellach at y drafodaeth hon. |
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Lloniannau.
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