meddai

Welsh

Pronunciation

• (North Wales, standard) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛðai̯/
  • (North Wales, colloquial) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛðɛ/, /ˈmɛða/
• (South Wales, standard) IPA^(key): /ˈmeːðai̯/, /ˈmɛðai̯/
  • (South Wales, colloquial) IPA^(key): /ˈmeːðɛ/, /ˈmɛðɛ/

Verb

meddai (defective)

1. says, say, said

   Synonyms: ebe, ebra, dweud

   • 2014 July 11, “Gwasanaeth pasport yn 'siomi' pobl meddai AS”, in BBC Cymru Fyw‎^[1]:

     Mae'r gwasanaeth pasport wedi 'siomi pobl' ac mae angen i Lywodraeth Prydain daclo'r broblem meddai Aelod Seneddol Ceidwadol.

     The passport service has 'let people down' and the UK government must tackle the problem, a Conservative Assembly Member says [or has said].

   • 2013 May 21, Vaughan Roderick, “Dy iaith ar ein hysgwyddau megis pwn”, in BBC Cymru Fyw‎^[2]:

     "Gormod o ddim nid yw'n dda" meddai nhw, ond ydy hynny'n wir am lyfrau?

     "Too much of anything is not good," they say, but is that true for books?

   • 2012 August 9, “'Dyfodol S4C yn gyffrous' meddai Prif Weithredwr y sianel”, in BBC Cymru Fyw‎^[3]:

     "Dim ond gwasanaeth cyflawn fedr adlewyrchu a dathlu bywyd y genedl," meddai.

     "Only a complete service can reflect and celebrate the life of the nation," he said.

Usage notes

• This verb, used to report quoted speech, has no verbnoun. The form meddai acts as the third-person singular and plural present and preterite.
• In the colloquial language, the following forms are found:
  • meddwn i (“I say/said”)
  • medd e/o/hi (“he/she says/said”)
  • medden nhw (“they say/said”)

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
meddai	feddai	unchanged	unchanged
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• King, Gareth (1993) Modern Welsh: A Comprehensive Grammar (Routledge Grammars), London and New York: Routledge, →ISBN, § 392, pages 230–31