( = nag) ; in answering 1 a question, na, nac ( = nag). The forms nid, nad, nac are used before vowels only ; the forms ni, na before consonants, and a mutated g, as ny wnn . . . ny allaf W.M. 21 ' I do not know ... I cannot ', na at > ndd 201 ii (2) ' let not ' (nid allaf is not in accordance with traditional usage). With infixed pronouns : mm, na'm, ni's, nyw etc.
The initial mutation after ny na in Ml. W. is as follows : p-, t-, c- spir. ; 6- rad. ; m-, II- rad. or soft ; d-, g- soft ; f- not shown (r- may be r- or r-). But na (nac) takes the soft of b-, m-, II-. In Mn. W. II- is always softened ; b-, m- are generally softened, though the rad. remained also in the Early Mn. period, and persists in ni bu etc. beside nifu; p-, t-, c- spir. In Early Ml. W. ny relative softens the tenues.
Examples : Ml. W. : p-, ny forthint B.B. 34 ' they cherished not ' ; t-, ny thykya w.M. 14 'avails not'; c-, ny chan B.B. 31 'he sings not ' ; b-, ny by8 W.M. 4 ' he will not be ', ac na bo B.B. 54 ' and that there may not be ' ; m-, ny mynneis W.M. 18 ' I would not ', ny mynn IL.A. 148, na me8 do. 147, but nyvynhei W.M. 58 ' would not ' ; 11-, ny lluit reuuet (-t = -8) B.B. 8 ' wealth avails not ', ny llesseint do. 63 ' were not slain ', but ni laSaf i di W.M. 8 ' I will not kill thee ; g-, ny wnn, ny allaf above ; d-, ny tiuuc ( = ny 8iw(y)g) B.B. 8 ' makes no amends '. Relative : corph ni glivit (-t = -8) B.B. 20 ' body that hear- est not'; ny bara B.P. 1175. Mn. W. : ni mynnafl.F. P 97/179 'I will not', ni feddodd W.IL. C.IL. 105 'he possessed not'; ni bu T.A. G. 251, nifu T.A. 37 iii (i).
(2) Before a noun, adj., pron., adv. or prep. : Ml. W. nyt, Mn. W. nid [rad.] 'it is not', used before vowels and conso- nants ; indirect nat, nad [rad.].
Nyt gwaratwyS gwelldu B.B. 962 ' it is no disgrace to reform ' ; Nid cur llavur urth din [read dim] da B.B. 7 ' it is not pain to labour at anything good '.
ii. (i) The negative adverb na ' no ' may answer any question introduced by a or ai ; it may be used alone, but is generally followed by a neg. part., as na, nid hynny ' no, not that '.
(2) A question introduced by a is answered in the negative by na, nac ( = naff) with the verb ; as A ddaw ef? Na ddaiv ' Will he come ? No ' ; but if the verb is in the aor. (or perf.) the answer is na ddo, sometimes written naddo, but wrongly, for the a is long, not medium as in a penult ; thus A aeth ef? Na ddo ' Did he go ? No '. Na bo W.M. 425.
(3) A question introduced by ai is answered in the negative
