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I really didn't remember from my Welsh lessons nigh on fifty years back that it used gender. It's a strange concept to me and I'm not really sure why it's even a thing. Obviously we have languages that don't use it, then ones with two or even three genders (such as German). And then there are some with more than three. Or ones that don't use "masculine" and "feminine", but, say, "animate" and "inanimate".

Personally I hate the entire concept, but perhaps that's down to spending too much time in school chanting stuff like "der die das die den die das die dem der dem den dem der dem den". Not entirely sure about the genetive form there, but since I can't recall what the genetive form was for anyhow, I guess that's not going to be a problem for me :D

James
 
Thank heavens nouns do not have genders in English. Like James I can still do the der die das bit in German, French and even Latin, but can't remember what I did yesterday
 
I really didn't remember from my Welsh lessons nigh on fifty years back that it used gender. It's a strange concept to me and I'm not really sure why it's even a thing.
It's important in Welsh because of the treiglad (mutations at the start of some words when in a sentence)the soft mutation is the most obvious:
The Soft Mutation occurs: 1. In singular, feminine nouns after the definite article ‘y’ (the) e.g. merch - y ferch - the girl
pêl - y bêl - the ball
The consonants ll and rh are an exception to this rule e.g. llaw - y llaw - the hand rhaw - y rh aw - the spade 2. In feminine nouns after the number ‘un’ (one) e.g. cath - un gath - one cat and cat, regardless of gender is a feminine word (unless you use the word 'cwrcyn' which means tomcat
basged - un fasged - one basket
3. In feminine nouns after the number ‘dwy’ (two) e.g. cadair - dwy gadair - two chairs merch - dwy ferch - two girls 4. In masculine nouns after the number ‘dau’ (two) e.g. gwely - dau wely - two beds ci - dau gi - two dogs

At the moment the place this has had the biggest issue is after the death of the queer old dean. Even though the word 'Royal' is used whether it's a king or queen leeching off the country. Brenin means King, but Brenhinol (royal) is a feminine word and mutations stay the same. And although there is no change to Government letterheads etc. in English as His Majesty and Her majesty are both abbreviated to HM, in Welsh her Majesty (HM) is Ei Mawrhydi (EM) but his majesty is Ei Fawrhydi (EF), so department like HM prison service, HM Passports, HM Revenue and Customs have to change all their signage! checking translations has been a real PITA the last year
 
It's important in Welsh because of the treiglad (mutations at the start of some words when in a sentence)the soft mutation is the most obvious:
The Soft Mutation occurs: 1. In singular, feminine nouns after the definite article ‘y’ (the) e.g. merch - y ferch - the girl
pêl - y bêl - the ball
The consonants ll and rh are an exception to this rule e.g. llaw - y llaw - the hand rhaw - y rh aw - the spade 2. In feminine nouns after the number ‘un’ (one) e.g. cath - un gath - one cat and cat, regardless of gender is a feminine word (unless you use the word 'cwrcyn' which means tomcat
basged - un fasged - one basket
3. In feminine nouns after the number ‘dwy’ (two) e.g. cadair - dwy gadair - two chairs merch - dwy ferch - two girls 4. In masculine nouns after the number ‘dau’ (two) e.g. gwely - dau wely - two beds ci - dau gi - two dogs

At the moment the place this has had the biggest issue is after the death of the queer old dean. Even though the word 'Royal' is used whether it's a king or queen leeching off the country. Brenin means King, but Brenhinol (royal) is a feminine word and mutations stay the same. And although there is no change to Government letterheads etc. in English as His Majesty and Her majesty are both abbreviated to HM, in Welsh her Majesty (HM) is Ei Mawrhydi (EM) but his majesty is Ei Fawrhydi (EF), so department like HM prison service, HM Passports, HM Revenue and Customs have to change all their signage! checking translations has been a real PITA the last year
It's all Double Welsh to me ;)
 
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