Could someone explain please o’n i’n as I was .thank you

Welsh
1

Can someone explain please the phrase
O’n i’n
For I was.
Thank you
Viv thomas

2

It’s a substantial but very normal spoken contraction of “oeddwn i yn”.

3

And it’s the same as “roeddwn i’n” which I can also contract to “ro’n i’n” right?

4

commonly in speech, yes, they are often the same thing, but if it’s being used as a question (e.g. o’n i’n cysgu? was I sleeping?), then it can only be o’n i’n, not ro’n i’n

5

So formally, Roeddwn i’n is only for statements (positive or negative). oeddwn i’n is for both statements and questions.

However informally, both are used for both?

Do I have that correct?

6

Formally, roeddwn i’n is for positive statements only, oeddwn i’n is for questions, and negative statements are doeddwn i ddim yn.
Where the confusion arises is that for positive statements, you can also use fe oeddwn i’n (S) and mi oeddwn i’n (N). In speech, the fe/mi is often dropped but the mutation is retained, which is why informally you will also hear oeddwn i’n (and therefore o’n i’n) in positive statements.
The negative statement doeddwn i ddim yn contracts to do’n i ddim yn

2 Likes
7

Perfect breakdown thank you.

1 Like
8

There’s a full table for the past tense of Bod here:

Although it does not refer to the affirmative particles mi and fe, as Siaron mentioned, as these are optional.

All of these versions of the affirmative are correct and mean the same thing, I was:

  • Roeddwn i’n
  • Fe oeddwn i’n
  • Mi oeddwn i’n
  • Oeddwn i’n
  • Ro’n i’n
  • O’n i’n
1 Like