achyfi

[Mark A. Mandel]

I asked Mark Shoulson, a friend who has learned Welsh. He wrote on Sept. 13
at 5:01 pm (+4=gmt):

>>>>>
I can't be positive (not sure which book to look in, or where to look for
the book), but actually I believe the phrase is really "ych a fi", and not
"ach y fi".  This makes more sense, since "a" is a preposition in Welsh
(it's also a pronoun and a conjunction and a bunch of other things), but
"y" isn't.

>I believe the pronunciation would be approximately [ax at vi] (x = voiceless
>velar fricative, @ = schwa, rest as IPA; stressed, I guess, on first or
>third syllable].

And if I'm right it's the other way 'round: [@xavi].  Stressed on first
syllable (makes a good "UCCCCH!") and secondary stress on the pronoun "fi".
<<<<<

I sent him the subsequent postings from this list, and he replied on Sept.
14 at 9 am(+4=gmt):

>>>>>
OK... Douglas Wilson is right about {y fi} meaning "myself" (older form was
{myfi}); still think I'm right about it.

See
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cymru/tgau/welsh2nd/writing/writ_found_full_rev2.shtml
for {ych a fi} in text.  Searching for {achyfi} on Google got me two pages:
something off Linguist-L and a bare word-list.  Searching for {ach y fi} is
no better.  But search for {ych a fi} and you'll find about 1,480 pages.  I
think we can say that that's the right spelling.

Wow, the net sure is a hell of a research source.
<<<<<

   Mark A. Mandel : Dragon Systems, a Lernout & Hauspie company
          Mark_Mandel at dragonsys.com : Senior Linguist
 320 Nevada St., Newton, MA 02460, USA : http://www.dragonsys.com
                     (speaking for myself)