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explanation of its being uninflected is its deponent form. In compounds it was regularized, and C.’s hebaf is deduced from these.
iv. The verb amkawẟ ‘answered’ is a survival which occurs frequently in the w.m. Kulhwch, and nowhere else; the 3rd pl. is amkeuẟant w.m. 486, −8, which the scribe at first wrote amkeuẟaỽt do. 473, −7, −8, −9, mistaking n for u and writing it ỽ.
amk-awẟ, § 96 iii (4); if the explanation there given is correct, amkeuẟant is a re-formation, possibly at first *amkeuẟynt with affection of aw as in beunydd § 220 iv (2).
§ 199. i (1) meddaf ‘I say’ is inflected fully in the pres. and impf. ind. only: 3rd sg. pres. medd, impers. meddir ‘it is said’. There is no v.n.
Exx. i. Meẟ seint Awstin Ỻ.A. 42 ‘St. Augustine says’; 2. meẟ yr ystoria do. 129 ‘says the account’; 3. Dioer, heb y kennadeu, Teg, meẟ Pryderi oeẟ ẏ’r gwr… w.m. 88 ‘“By Heaven,” said the messengers, “Pryderi says it would be fair for the man…”’; 4. Edyrn vab Nuẟ yw, meẟ ef; nyt atwen inheu ef r.m. 259 ‘He says he is Edyrn son of Nudd; but I don’t know him’; 5. Blawt, meẟei y Gwyẟel w.m. 54 ‘“Flour,” said the Irishman’; 6. Broch, meẟynt wynteu do. 24 ‘“A badger,” said they’.
Mn. W.: meddaf I.F. i.mss. 319, Col. i 20; meddi Ioan viii 52; medd M.K. [20]; meddant 2 Cor. x 10.
(2) In the recent period medd has tended to take the place of eb, and has almost ousted it in the dialects. But in Ml. W. the two are distinct: heb is used in reporting a conversation, and is therefore of extreme frequency in tales; meẟ is used in citing authors, as in exx. 1., 2., or in quoting an expression of opinion as in ex. 3., or an answer not necessarily true, as in exx. 4., 5., 6. Hence we may infer that meẟ originally meant ‘judges, thinks’, and is the original verb corresponding to meẟwl ‘thought’: Ir. midiur ‘I judge, think’, Lat. meditor, √med‑, allied to √mē- ‘measure’. To express ‘think’ a new verb meẟylẏaf, a denom. from meẟwl, was formed, § 201 iii (6).
(3) The verb meddaf ‘I possess’ is however conjugated regularly throughout: 3rd sg. pres. ind. medd, 3rd sg. aor. meddodd W.Ỻ. C.Ỻ. 105, v.n. meddu.
This verb is unconnected with the above, and probably comes from √med- ‘enjoy’: Skr. mádati ‘rejoices’ (from the sense of ‘refreshing’ comes ‘healing’ in Lat. medeor, medicus). W. meddaf is often intrans., followed by ar; meddu ar ‘to rejoice in, be possessed of’. A common saying is Mae hwn yn well i feddu arno ‘this is better to give satisfaction’, lit. ‘to have satisfaction on it’.
