Fòram na Gàidhlig

Hi dear forum members,

I have been trying to compile a list on the future tense in various languages, and Welsh is one of them. However, I am not quite sure whether I have understood the different possibilities to express the future in Welsh correctly. Finally, this is my observation so far (example: "will eat/will be eating"):

1.) (mi/fe) + future of bod + long future endings + subject + yn/'n + verbal noun

(mi/fe) fydda’/bydda’ i’n bwyta
(mi/fe) fyddi/byddi di’n bwyta
NW: (mi/fe) fydd/bydd o’n/hi'n bwyta
SW: (mi/fe) fydd/bydd e’n/hi’n bwyta
(mi/fe) fyddwn/byddwn ni’n bwyta
(mi/fe) fyddwch/byddwch chi’n bwyta
(mi/fe) fyddan/byddan nhw’n bwyta

I know that soft mutation (fydd>bydd) occurs after the use of mi (Northern Welsh) or fe (Southern Welsh). I also know that o is NW and e is SW.

2.) (mi/fe) + verb root + short future endings + subject

(mi/fe) fwyta'/bwyta' i
(mi/fe) fwyti/bwyti di
NW: (mi/fe) fwytith/bwytith o/hi
SW: (mi/fe) fwytiff/bwytiff e/hi
(mi/fe) fwytwn/bwytwn ni
(mi/fe) fwytwch/bwytwch chi
(mi/fe) fwytan/bwytan nhw

3.) (mi/fe) + future tense of gwneud (conjugated) + subject + verbal noun (soft mutation)

(mi/fe) wna' i fwyta
(mi/fe) wnei di fwyta
NW: (mi/fe) wnaith o/hi fwyta
SW: (mi/fe) wnaiff e fwyta
(mi/fe) wnawn ni fwyta
(mi/fe) wnewch chi fwyta
(mi/fe) wnân nhw fwyta

I also seeem to remember reading that it was possible to form the future by using "mynd", but I'm not sure.

I would really appreciate any help, and please correct my mistakes if you find some. I'm also interested in hearing more possibilities to express futurity in Welsh.

Thanks in advance.

People often mistakenly call the Welsh language Gaelic. They are two quite separate languages, from different branches of the Celtic language tree and are not mutually intelligible. This is a Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) language board and so unless someone here has any Welsh (Cymraeg) we can't help. I don't I'm sorry.
The BBC has a very good site for Welsh learners.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/learnwelsh/
You may find the information you are looking for there.
As a comparison in Gàidhlig
I will be eating - Bidh mi ag itheadh
I will eat - Ithidh mi or perhaps more commonly Ithidh mise (emphatic)

As Poor Alexander says, Gaelic and Welsh are not the same thing. However, 'tis thy lucky day, as I happen to have the Welsh.

There is one similarity between Welsh and Gaelic, namely that what you term the "short future" is, in both, used for aspects of what in English might be termed the present tense (I eat etc.). As in "I eat fish-heads every day" - "Dh'ithidh mi ceann cropaig gach latha". Whatever.

Coming back to the Welsh (OK regulars - avert your gaze till it's over, nuair a bhios sinn a' dol air ais dhan Ghàidhlig), you have it a wee bit wrong. Here goes, singular then plural, 1-2-3 person forms, to be:- byddaf, byddi, bydd, byddwn, byddwch, byddant. Optionally, you can add a personal pronoun (fi, di, ef/hi, ni, chwi, hwy). Ar lafar, of course, these often come out as bydda' i, byddi di, bydd e/o/hi, byddwn ni, byddwch chi, byddan nhw. As for to eat, this is a somewhat tricky one, in that it originates from "bwyd-hau" (literally, I suppose, "to foodify"). You may also know of the verb "bwydo", "to feed". Anyway, this verb went through various stages to get where it is today, roughly "bwyd-hàu" to "bwytàu" to "bwytà" to "bwyta". This means that you cannot expect it to behave like a "regular" verb regarding future endings, although it may well do in some dialects. Also, what you have as future endings for 3 sing. are very much ar lafar forms, with the written form being more usually "gwna", "bwyta" etc. Note also, when writing, it is not usual to use "mi" or "fe" unless you need a particle to hang a pronoun on, e.g. "fe'i fwytant" (they'll eat him). Also, note "Y dyn nas bwyteir" (The man who won't be eaten) - or doesn't your future tense extend to the impersonal?

In Gaelic, of course, you have different forms of the verb according to whether it's positive, negative or relative. So, if we're still eating (ithe), you have "Dh'ithidh mi/tu/e/i/sinn/sibh/iad" for "I/thou/he/she/we/you/they will eat". But if you're not that peckish, then "Chan ith mi/tu/.../sibh/iad" for I/thou/.../you/they won't eat", to say nothing of "An ith mi/.../iad?" or "Nach ith mi/.../iad?" for "Will I/.../they eat?" or "Won't I/.../they eat?". Or "It is said that I...they will eat", "It is said that I...they won't eat" - "Canar gun ith mi...iad", "Canar nach ith mi...iad". Now we have "Here's the food I...they will eat" - "Seo am biadh a dh'itheas mi...iad".

Future continuous "I'll be eating" etc. In Welsh, "Byddaf yn bwyta", usually "Bydda' i'n bwyta" ar lafar. While the particle "Mi" or "Fe" may be used, together with the treiglad meddal, this is not as common as with the past tense. In Gaelic, "Bidh mi ag ithe". Note also such forms as "Cha bhi mi ag ithe" (I won't be eating), "Am bi mi ag ithe?" (Will I be eating), "Sin a bhios mi ag ithe" (That's what I'll be eating), "Tachraidh e gum bi mi ag ithe" (It happens I'll be eating).

Incidentally Whodunit, why this thing with collecting future tenses? Could I interest you in a bit of aorist, or pluperfect, or subjunctive, or habitual past impersonal? Have you actually realised that what Language X defines as a "future" is unlikely to have 1:1 correspondence with what Language Y defines as "future"? Or, indeed, that the only way to know what these various tenses mean is actually to learn the language concerned and use them?

Your next task, Futurist, is to tr*nsl*t* "I'll be walking" into Spanish.

Oh ay, you were on about "mynd". Yes, you can say such things as "Rydw i'n mynd i fynd" - "I am going to go" - "Tha mi a' dol a dh'fhalbh". Also, did you know that, in Welsh, you can say "Darfu im fynd" (ar lafar, "Ddaru fi fynd") for "I went"? Lit. "It happened for me to go". Now, tr*nsl*t* "Giff, Gaff, dhaly, dhaly, dhwc, dhwc!". Yes - it's Welsh, but not as we know it!

The statement for is ithidh mithough, not *dh'ithidh mi.

Oh dh'bollocks! Never mind...