ef / hwy / myfi

Literary and Emphatic Pronouns (Recognition)

Level 6

In older and formal texts, ef means he or him and hwy means they or them: Gwelais ef (I saw him) is spoken Welais i fe in the South or Welais i o in the North.

How It Works

Recognition only. You will meet these in the Bible, hymns, older books and some formal writing.

Simple pronouns.

  • ef — he, him, it (spoken: e or fe in the South, o or fo in the North)
  • hwy, hwynt — they, them (spoken: nhw)
  • chwi — you (spoken: chi)

Literary Welsh often leaves pronouns out, because the verb ending shows the person: gwelais (I saw). After literary verb forms and prepositions, the pronoun is ef or hwy, not nhw: arnynt hwy (on them).

Doubled pronouns. These add strong emphasis, usually as the first word of a sentence:

  • myfi (I, me), tydi (you), efe (he), hyhi (she)
  • nyni (we), chwychwi (you), hwynt-hwy (they)

Myfi yw'r bugail da means I am the good shepherd; speech would say Fi ydy'r bugail da. See Emphasis by Fronting. The Northern chdi grew out of tydi.

Fe before a verb. Do not confuse the pronoun with fe before a verb, a particle with no meaning of its own: Mi and Fe.

Linking pronouns such as minnau and hwythau are used in speech too: Finnau, Tithau.

Examples (6)

  1. Rhoddwyd y wobr iddo ef.

    The prize was given to him.

    Spoken: Cafodd y wobr ei rhoi iddo fe.

  2. Daethant hwy yn ôl yn hwyr.

    They came back late.

    Spoken: Daethon nhw'n ôl yn hwyr.

  3. Myfi yw'r bugail da.

    I am the good shepherd.

    From the Welsh Bible, John 10:11.

  4. Hwy yw'r pencampwyr eleni.

    They are the champions this year.

    Spoken: Nhw ydy'r pencampwyr eleni.

  5. Yr oedd ef yn athro.

    He was a teacher.

    Spoken: Roedd e'n athro (South), Roedd o'n athro (North).

  6. Efe a ddaeth â'r newyddion.

    It was he who brought the news.

    The doubled pronoun efe puts strong emphasis on "he".

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

ef / hwy / myfiLevel 6Literary and Emphatic Pronouns (Recognition)

Learn This First

Literary and emphatic pronouns extend the spoken pronouns.

Words in This Pattern

hwyhwyntchwimyfi