Tiny questions with quick answers - continuing thread

Welsh General / Questions
#3205

perffaith diolch :slight_smile:

1 Like
#3206

Why do I see pob dydd (everyday) spelt as bob dydd - even on its own? Diolch

#3207

It was explained on here ages ago that anything to do with time is “bob”. So bob dydd, bob eiliad, etc.

I don’t do why, I just do.

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#3208

I believe there’s something about adverbs of time that gives them soft mutation – not only bob dydd but also things such as ddydd Sul “on Sunday” (as opposed to dydd Sul “Sunday”) and ddwywaith y mis “twice a month”.

ddoe “yesterday” is also a “victim” of this, I believe, and has essentially permanent soft mutation; compare the Cornish de “yesterday” without the mutation, or the compound word echdoe “the day before yesterday” also without it.

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#3209

Spot on, Philip! :slight_smile:

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#3210

I knew I’d seen it somewhere. :slight_smile:

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#3211

Oh, and by the way, after reading through that “Bob vs. Pob” thread it’s never a bad time to say how much I miss the musings of @owainlurch

2 Likes
#3212

Seconded, @owainlurch…

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#3213

“Achos” for “reasons”. Can I use this in conversation, and if so, is the plural ending (…ion) generally omitted? Or, is it only used in verse?

I had it from the song: 10,000 Achos/10,000 reasons.

#3214

Achos is reason (Welsh often plays fast and loose with using singular or plural with numbers) - you could certainly say things like ‘oedd ganddi achos i feddwl’ and so on - you’ll also hear ‘achosion’… :slight_smile:

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#3215

So would “Because reasons” (as in shorthand for “because of a number of reasons which I can’t be bothered to explain to you in detail but which seem sufficient to me”) be “Achos achosion”, then? :slight_smile:

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#3216

You could just use “rheswm / rhesymau” too if you don’t want to get tied up in knots of “achos”:

Achos rhesymau

Oherwydd rhesymau…

Edit: not so poetic though, admittedly. :slight_smile:

3 Likes
#3217

Yeah, I was going for a cross between cynghanedd and figura etymologica :slight_smile:

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#3218

Nouns are usually in the singular after a number anyway – dwy gath, tri chi.

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#3219

If you wanted to be deliberately playful, I’m sure it would come across clearly enough… :slight_smile:

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#3220

It’s just a comfortable feeling but whenever I could say “because of …” I would use “oherwydd …”.

I don’t even care if there is a rule to this, it just feels right. :slight_smile:

4 Likes
#3221

I tend to use Oherwydd whenever I’d say because, Oherwydd (:wink:) that’s what Emma says. Iestyn explained it well on boot camp (not that I can remember the exact explanation) the gist was:

Achos - direct cause (the accident happened achos there were marbles on the stairs)
Oherwydd - because (that’s what I’d do oherwydd that’s what feels best)

(my examples are not the best and are probably both direct causes so if anyone does have a better explanation please do share :slight_smile:)

1 Like
#3222

Oh, that makes sense, thanks. Also achos with pronouns and are nearly always followed by bod (or a form of) I believe.

Achos bo’ fi’n
Achos bod rhywun
Etc.

So your example is followed by bod too. “Naeth y damwain digwydd achos roedd (bod) na marblis ar y grisiau.”

2 Likes
#3223

Yes - achos (+ ‘that’ clause) for because…

achos fod Meleri’n wael - because Meleri’s ill

oherwydd can also be used for because (still needs a ‘that’ clause, mind: oherwydd fod Meleri’n wael), but is, I would say, most commonly used for because of:

oherwydd y streic - because of the strike

for which you can also use o achos:

o achos y streic - because of the strike

Note also o’r herwydd (or o’i herwydd) - because of it/this/that (just mentioned):

Mi ymddiswyddodd Fallon o’r hewydd = Fallon resigned because of it

Fun, fun, boundless fun… :slight_smile:

9 Likes
#3224

… and in literature you’ll come across oblegid (bod) too! Still more fun! :slight_smile:

2 Likes