Why ‘Mynd i weld, dod i weld’ not ‘mynd gweld, dod gweld’?

Welsh
#1

If we want to say ‘go to see’ or ‘come to see’ why do we add the ‘i’ rather than simply stack the verbs and say ‘mynd gweld’ or ‘dod gweld’?

Puzzled :roll_eyes:

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#2

Mynd traditionally is followed by i. It’s just one of those things. There may be a grammatical explanation for it, but my view is that it’s just something you have to accept and get used to (and you will, easily, once you’ve used the pattern a few times).

On the other hand, I don’t think anyone would be massively worried if you came out with mynd gweld in the heat of conversation. Even if they noticed, I doubt if it would cause any kind of confusion.

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#3

In the UK we write a letter to someone; in the US they just write someone. All languages use prepositions in different ways, and I don’t think they often map over from one to another (or even across different dialects of the same language!) So I don’t think there is a “why” - it’s just part of the idiom of the language.

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#4

This thread may help - To use “i” or not to use “i” - Welsh / General / Questions - SSi Forum (saysomethingin.com)

#5

Diolch Peter, that has helped both clear this up and remind me to ‘go with the flow’ rather than try to translate from English if you take my meaning.

Cheers,
Marilyn

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#6

Thanks Rob, I suppose I had learned to accept this little ‘i’ for ‘mynd’, then remembered it can sometimes apply to ‘dod’ too, so wondered if there were an easy rule to prevent my tripping-up with other verbs.

I think the ‘in order to’ explanation works for me–by which I mean helping stay fairly sane on the journey :slight_smile:

Diolch yn fawr,
Marilyn

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#7

I’m starting to get the picture Sara–thank you and the other kind SSiWers who have responded.

Onwards,
Marilyn

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#8

I think the technical term is a transitory verb. Going implies movement. Going to do something or going somewhere. But in the end it comes back to Siarons explanation.

#9

Thanks for all the useful comments, a tutor’s advice to me and others about ‘i’ was “if in doubt leave it out” as the number occasions where ‘i’ is needed are very few compared to where it’s not needed. You will easily learn them as you go along I think.

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#10

Gwych! That sounds like advice I can follow.

Diolch yn fawr iawn Paul.