383

From Gallese

383 PROHIBITIVES (‘DON’T . . .’)

To tell someone not to do something, we use Paid (ti-form) and Peidiwch,

followed either by the verb alone, or by â (ag before vowels) + VN:

Paid mynd yn rhy ºbell, mae cinio bron yn ºbarod

Don’t go too far, lunch is nearly ready

Peidiwch gweiddi arna i fel ’ny!

Don’t shout at me like that!

As far as use or non-use of â is concerned, the above examples would sound

equally natural with an â included, but nowadays its inclusion is entirely

optional except in a few set phrases (e.g. Paid â malu Don’t talk (such)

nonsense), and it is probably on the decline. If it is used, then the AM

required in the written language is likewise optional. So there are three

possible ways of saying, for example, Don’t lose that money:

Paid colli’r arian ’na

Paid â colli’r arian ’na

Paid â hcholli’r arian ’na

and there are the same options, of course, with Peidiwch. There is no appreciable difference between them, except that â + AM, being closest to the literary usage, is perhaps slightly more frequent in formal situations and in the media. For prohibitives using Na + command or autonomous forms of the verb, occasionally encountered on official forms, see §374. Note that the ‘reinforcing’ pronoun (see §379) with paid is not di but radical ti, and that the use of â is much more likely with the reinforced forms: Paid ti â chwerthin, achan! Don’t you laugh, my lad! Peidiwch chi ag anghofio, nawr! Don’t you forget, now!