Prepositional pronouns in the Brythonic languages

When pronouns and prepositions are combined they have special forms in the Brythonic languages. Or in other words, the prepositions conjugate for person and number.

The Cornish forms shown here are in the Standard Written Form (Furv Skrifys Savonek).

The formal and informal versions of the Welsh prepositions are given here. The main difference is that the formal versions have no accompanying pronouns.

In Breton the 3rd person plural ending -o, which is used in literary language and in Leon, is -e in other areas.

Key to abbreviations

BR = Breton (Brezhoneg), KE = Cornish (Kernewek) CY = Welsh (Cymraeg), EN = English, sg = singular, pl = plural, frm = formal.

Contents

about/for, between, beyond, by, in, on, out (of), through, to(wards), under, with, without

---

About / for / of

BR	KE	CY	EN
a	a	am	at
ac'hanon	ahanav	amdanaf amdana i	about me
ac'hanout	ahanas	amdanat amdanat ti	about you (sg)
anezhañ	anodho	amdano amdano fe/fo	about him
anezhi	ahedhi	amdani amdani hi	about her
ac'hanomp	ahanen	amdanom amdanon ni	about us
ac'hanoc'h	ahanowgh	amdanoch amdanoch chi	about you (pl/frm)
anezho	anedhans	amdanynt amdanyn nhw	about them

Examples

• Yth eson ni omma dhe gowsel a'th ober. = We're here to talk about your work. (KE)
• Yma own dhodho a'gas ki. = He's afraid of your dog (KE)
• Dw i'n meddwl amdanat ti = I'm thinking of you (CY)
• Dych chi'n mynd i aros amdana i? = Are you going to wait for me? (CY)

[ Contents ]

Between / Among

BR	KE	CY	EN
etre	yntra / ynter	rhwng	between
	yntredhov yntredham	rhyngddaf rhyngdda i	between me
	yntredhos	rhyngddat rhyngddat ti	between you (sg)
	yntredho	rhyngddo rhyngddo fo/fe	between him
	yntredhi	rhyngddi rhyngddi hi	between her
etrezomp	yntredhon	rhyngddom rhyngddon ni	between us
etrezoc'h	yntredhowgh	rhyngddoch rhyngddoch chi	between you (pl/frm)
etrezo	yntredhans	rhyngddynt rhyngddyn nhw	between them

Examples

• Er stourm etrezoc'h-c'hwi hag ar bed, savit a-du gant ar bed. = In a fight between you and the world, you'd support the world. (BR)
• Yn ystod ei chyfnod yn y garej datblygodd perthynas agos iawn rhyngddi hi a Derek. = During her time in the garage a very close relationship developed between her and Derek. (CY)
• Parc Maesteg oedd enillwyr y gêm rhyngddyn nhw â Thon Pentre. = Maesteg Park were the winners of the game between them and Ton Pentre. (CY)

Find out more about these and related words on the Celtiadur blog

[ Contents ]

Beyond, across, over

BR	KE	CY	EN
dreist	dres	dros	beyond
dreiston driest din	dresov	drostof drosto i	beyond me
dreistout driest dit	dresos	drostot drostot ti	beyond you (sg)
dreistañ driest dezhañ	dresto	drosto drosto fo/fe	beyond him
dreisti driest dezhi	dresti	drosti drosti hi	beyond her
dreistomp driest dimp	dreson	drostom droston ni	beyond us
dreistoc'h driest deoc'h	dresowgh	drostoch drostoch chi	beyond you (pl/frm)
dreisto driest dezho	drestans	drostynt drostyn nhw	beyond them

[ Contents ]

By, at, beside

BR	KE	CY	EN
(di)ouzh	orth	wrth	by
(di)ouzhin	orth ortham	wrthaf wrtha i	by me
(di)ouzhit	orthis	wrthat wrthat ti	by you (sg)
(di)outañ	orto	wrtho wrtho fo/fe	by him
(di)outi	orti	wrthi wrthi hi	by her
(di)ouzhimp	orthyn	wrthom wrthon ni	by us
(di)ouzhoc'h	orthowgh	wrthoch wrthoch chi	by you (pl/frm)
(di)outo (di)oute	ortans	wrthynt wrthyn nhw	by them

[ Contents ]

In

BR	KE	CY	EN
en	yn	yn	at
ennon	ynnov	yn(dd)af yn(dd)a i	in me
ennout	ynnos	yn(dd)at yn(dd)at ti	in you (sg)
ennañ	ynno	yn(dd)o yn(dd)o fe/fo	in him
enni	ynni	yn(dd)i yn(dd)i hi	in her
ennomp	ynnon	yn(dd)om yn(dd)on ni	in us
ennoc'h	ynnowgh	yn(dd)och yn(dd)och chi	in you (pl/frm)
enne/enno	ynnans	yn(dd)ynt yn(dd)yn nhw	in them

Alternative forms of the Welsh words which include the dd, e.g. yndda i, ynddat ti, etc, and other change the a to o, e.g. yno i, ynot ti, etc.

[ Contents ]

On

BR	KE	CY	EN
war	war	ar	on
warnon	warnav warnam	arnaf arna i	on me
warnout	warnas	arnat arnat ti	on you (sg)
warnañ warnezhañ	warnodho	arno arno fo/fe	on him
warni warnezhi	warnedhi	arni arni hi	on her
warnomp	warnan	arnom arnon ni	on us
warnoc'h	warowgh	arnoch arnoch chi	on you (pl/frm)
warno warnezho	warnedhans	arnynt arnyn nhw	on them

Notes

• In Welsh ar is followed by a soft mutation, e.g. ar fwrdd y gegin (on the kitchen table).

Examples

• Wyt ti'n gwrando arna i? = Are you listening to me? (cy)
• Maen nhw'n edrych arnon ni = They're looking at us (cy)

[ Contents ]

Out of / from / off

BR	KE	CY	EN
a	dhyworth	o	out of / from / off
ac'hanon	dhyworthiv	ohonaf ohona i	from me
ac'hanout	dhyworthis	ohonat ohonat ti	from you (sg)
anezhañ	dhyworto	ohono ohono fe/fo	from him
anezhi	dhyworty	ohoni ohoni hi	from her
ac'hanomp	dhyworthyn	ohonom ohonon ni	from us
ac'hanoc'h	dhyworthowgh	ohonoch ohonoch chi	from you (pl/frm)
anezho	dhywortans	ohonynt ohonyn nhw	from them

Examples:

• Pwy ohonoch chi sy wedi talu yn barod? = Which of you has paid already? (CY)
• Beth sy'n atgoffa ti ohona i? = What reminds you of me? (CY)

[ Contents ]

Through / by

BR	KE	CY	EN
dre	dre	drwy	through
drezon	dredhov	drwyddaf drwydda i	through me
drezout	dredhos	drwyddat drwyddat ti	through you (sg)
drezañ	dredho	drwyddo drwyddo fo/fe	through him
drezi	dredhi	drwyddi drwyddi hi	through her
drezomp	drehon	drwyddom drwyddon ni	through us
drezoc'h	dredhowgh	drwyddoch drwyddoch chi	through you (pl/frm)
drezor	dredhans	drwyddynt drwyddyn nhw	through them

[ Contents ]

To / Towards

BR	KE	CY	EN
da	dhe	i	to / towards
din	dhymm	imi i mi/fi	to me
dit	dhis	iti i ti	to you (sg)
dezhañ	dhodho	iddo iddo fo/fe	to him
dezhi	dhedhy	iddi iddi hi	to her
deomp dimp	dhyn	inni i ni	to us
deoc'h	dhywgh	ichi i chi	to you (pl/frm)
dezho	dhedhans	iddynt iddyn nhw	to them

Notes

• In Welsh i is followed by a soft mutation, e.g. dw i'n mynd i fangor (I'm going to Bangor).

Examples

• Dw i'n ysgrifennu iddi hi = I'm writing to her (CY)
• Mae geno fo anrheg iddyn nhw = He has a present for them (CY)

[ Contents ]

Under

BR	KE	CY	EN
dindan	yn-dann	dan	under
dinanon	yn-dannov	danaf dana i	under me
dindanout	yn-dannos	danat danat ti	under you (sg)
dindanañ	yn-danno	dano dano fo/fe	under him
dindani	yn-danni	dani dani hi	under her
dindanomp	yn-dannon	danom danon ni	under us
dindanoc'h	yn-dannowgh	danoch danoch chi	under you (pl/frm)
dindano	yn-dannans	danynt danyn nhw	under them

[ Contents ]

With

As well as meaning with, this preposition is used to indicate possession.

BR	KE	CY	EN
gant	gans	gan / gyda	with
ganin	genev genam	gennaf gen i gyda fi	with me
ganit	genes	gennat gen ti gyda ti	with you (sg)
gantañ	ganso	gennof gynno fo gyda fe	with him
ganti	gensi	genni gynni hi gyda hi	with her
ganeomp ganimp	genen	gennom gynnon ni gyda ni	with us
ganeoc'h	genowgh	gennoch gynnoch chi gyda chi	with you (pl/frm)
ganto	gansans	gennynt gynnyn nhw gyda nhw	with them

Notes

• The formal, northern and southern variants of the Welsh prepositions are given here. There is quite a bit of regional variation in their forms: for example gen i is gyn i or gin i in some areas, and gyda is often shortened to 'da.
• When used to indicate possession the northern variants usually come before the thing possessed, while the southern variants come after. For example: mae gen i ci (north) = mae ci 'da fi (south) = I have a dog.
• In negative sentences various abbreviations are used: e.g. does gen i ddim ci (I don't have a dog) becomes sgen i ci, and does dim ci 'da fi becomes sdim ci 'da fi.

[ Contents ]

Without

BR	KE	CY	EN
hep	heb	heb	without
hepdon	hebov hebam	hebddaf hebdda i	without me
hepdout	hebos	hebddat hebddat ti	without you (sg)
heptañ	hebdho	hebddo hebddo fo/fe	without him
hepti	hebdhi	hebddi hebddi hihi	without her
hepdomp	hebon	hebddom hebddon ni	without us
hepdoc'h	hebowgh	hebddoch hebddoch chi	without you (pl/frm)
hepto	hebdhans	hebddynt hebddyn nhw	without them

[ Contents ]