Wedi

/ˈwɛdi/ auxiliary verb

Definition

Welsh auxiliary verb meaning 'have/has' when used to form the perfect tense, equivalent to English 'have done' constructions.

Etymology

Welsh origin from the verb 'gwedi' meaning 'after' or 'following', which grammaticalized into a perfect tense auxiliary. The development parallels how 'have' in English evolved from a possession verb to a tense marker, showing universal patterns in language change.

Kelly Says

Welsh 'wedi' demonstrates how languages can express the same grammatical concepts through completely different pathways - while English uses 'have' (originally about possession), Welsh uses a word about temporal sequence. This shows how human minds can arrive at similar grammatical solutions through wonderfully different conceptual routes!

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