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XXYI. 



01^ THE USE OE THE STJBJUNCTIYE MOOD IN WELSH. 

 By EOBEET ATKINSON, M.A., LL.D., Sechetaky of Council. 



[Read April 9, 1894.] 



In tlie case of Irish, where the forms are much broken down, and 

 where the function has gradually ceased altogether, I took one special 

 verb, and traced its handling throughout an entire series of related 

 literature. This restriction is here needless, as the usage of the 

 subjunctive mood, throughout all periods of Welsh literature down 

 to the present day patois, is fairly uniform. But to make the matter 

 definite, I have taken one book, the Mabinogion, and examined and 

 quoted every instance of the occurrence of the subjunctive mood 

 found therein. The admirable transcript by Mr. G. Evans of this 

 valuable linguistic ' document ' has made it possible for students to 

 draw inferences with some confidence that the data given by the 

 printed copy are really so and not otherwise in the MS. ; these 

 editions of Old Welsh Texts are quite equal to the very best work 

 I have ever seen. 



The Mabinogion I have taken as a tolerably central work ; but I 

 have examined all sorts of writings to see if any essential differences 

 could be found, with the general result that the usage is singularly 

 well-established and uniform : the language of the early text of 

 the Laws, of the Black Book of Carmarthen, of the Mabinogion, of 

 Morgan's Job, of the modern Bible, observes substantially the same 

 rules. Occasionally the modern language differs from the older 

 version, as in Job xxxi. 8 — 



yna JiaMwi/f fi, a bwyttaed arall, 



' then let me sow, and let another eat ' ; 



where in the old version we have — 



bwytaed arall yr hyn a hauwyf, 



' let another eat whatever I may sow.' 



But it cannot be said that this is incorrect, for though the optative 

 usage in the first person occurs only once in the Mabinogion, it is 



