From hollt (“cleft, fissure, split”) + -i, from Middle Welsh hollt, from Proto-Celtic *skoltā (“cleft, fissure”) (compare Irish scoilt), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelH- (“to split, cut”).[1] Possibly related to Proto-Celtic *kallī (“forest, grove”).[2][3]
The original form of the verb was holli, which was then re-formed under the influence of hollt.
hollti (first-person singular present holltaf, not mutable)
| singular | plural | impersonal | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| first | second | third | first | second | third | |||
| present indicative/future | holltaf | hollti | hyllt, hollta | holltwn | holltwch | holltant | holltir | |
| imperfect (indicative/subjunctive)/ conditional |
holltwn | holltit | holltai | holltem | holltech | holltent | holltid | |
| preterite | holltais | holltaist | holltodd | holltasom | holltasoch | holltasant | holltwyd | |
| pluperfect | holltaswn | holltasit | holltasai | holltasem | holltasech | holltasent | holltasid, holltesid | |
| present subjunctive | holltwyf | holltych | hollto | holltom | holltoch | holltont | hollter | |
| imperative | — | hollta | hollted | holltwn | holltwch | holltent | hollter | |
| verbal noun | hollti | |||||||
| verbal adjectives | holltedig holltadwy | |||||||
| Inflected colloquial forms | singular | plural | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| first | second | third | first | second | third | |
| future | hollta i, holltaf i | hollti di | holltith o/e/hi, holltiff e/hi | holltwn ni | holltwch chi | holltan nhw |
| conditional | holltwn i, holltswn i | holltet ti, holltset ti | holltai fo/fe/hi, holltsai fo/fe/hi | hollten ni, holltsen ni | holltech chi, holltsech chi | hollten nhw, holltsen nhw |
| preterite | holltais i, holltes i | holltaist ti, holltest ti | holltodd o/e/hi | hollton ni | holltoch chi | hollton nhw |
| imperative | — | hollta | — | — | holltwch | — |
| Note: All other forms are periphrastic, as usual in colloquial Welsh. | ||||||