Subject.. verb .......... object SVO
Angela ate 34536 cakes SVO
Yep... in English , SVO is the natural order of things. Not always ..but it's the standard model.
But not in Welsh ........... it's Verb, then Subject, then Object. Usually. But ....
Dechreuodd James lefain Started James to cry
V S
But .... the verb "to cry" is llefain. so why has it lost its L ?
Well, you've got a clue in the title ... V S° O ... that S° hints that the subject triggers soft mutation on the following word.... so llefain → lefain !!
Now here's one of the rules for all writers of grammar textbooks, language courses etc ... whatever point you are getting across, give an example... [preferably several ]. Now the admirable Mr. King in his Welsh course doesn't give an example in his little section about the subject of a sentence triggering SM on the following word .... also, another Very Bad Thing, he doesn't tell you why. Oh dear !!!!!! No examples means that it's not worth knowing, and no reasons tells you that there is probably no sense to it at all. All Very Bad Things.
[ oh dear ... i'm starting to sound like The Donald ]
[ He puts that right in his big big book ... "Modern Welsh ..a comprehensive grammar" but it should have been there in the course book. ]
Just saying.
Mind you, I'n not all that happy with his explanation. What he basically says is, that in English the verb gets betwwen the subject and the object, so we have no problem knowing which is which. But in Welsh it doesn't, so it's easy to get the two confused, so they use SM to "mark" the subject/object separation. But as you saw up there with my "lefain" example, the word that gets SM'd often isn't the subject anyway ! Grrrr.
Well that's a load of old cobblers in my opinion. For a start, lots of words can't or shouldn't SM anyway, so you're up the spout straight off. Also, in both languages, the strict SVO or VSO orders are often changed around and there is generally little confusion.
So my theory is ... it's just another way of making us poor learners suffer under yet another gormless and unnecessary "rule." After all, come to think of it, there's no need to have any mutations at all. Aren't we little beginners always being told " don't worry about mutations, you will be understood." Yes we are. So why bother in the first place ? Obviously, not only is the mutation system a huge barrier for beginners, it also makes it easy for all those "proper" Welsh speakers to spot us a mile off .. it's like shooting big things in a tiny enclosure.
Anyhow, here's a few sentences for you the think about, mutation-wise and subject-object- wise ... you lucky things ... to be fair, I've thought about them too ...
..but at least they're all from "James a'r Eirinen Wlanog Enfawr" ....
Fe rof i grasfa i ti'n nes ymlaen yn y dydd pan na fydda i'n teimlo mor dwym.
Allen ni ddim i gyd - plîs - am unwaith - fynd i lan y môr ar y bws ?
Ond doeth Dynion y Cymylau ddim yn bwriadu stopio o gwbl.
Dechreuodd dagrau mawr lifo o lygaid James a phowlio i lawr ei bochau.
Doedd hi ddim yn hawdd eu gweld nhw.
Beth ddigwyddodd ?
Fydd hi ddim yn hir nawr.
Symudodd pawb fymryn yn nes ato fe.
"Hwyl fawr" , ebychodd James, gan gydio'n dynn yng hghoesyn yr eirinen wrth iddi gwympo.
Ar ôl James Henry Trotter fod yn byw gyda'i fodrybedd am dair blynedd .....
.... that's enough to be going on with... gadewch inni siarad am rywbeth arall !
Yes, 'tis music time, music time,
music which will preferably rhyme
Aha .. here's Ffa Coffi Pawb
which won't rhyme with 'owt....