Cymraeg is Welsh for 'Welsh'. Although I was born and bred in England and have no Welsh connections, I did live in Wales for a while and I'm interested in the Welsh language.
Some form of Welsh was spoken all over southern Britain before the coming of the Saxons. 'Wal' was the Saxon word for the Britons, hence Wales and place names like Walton - meaning the settlement of the Britons.
The Welsh language was in decline in the 20th century until protests led to it being more widely used on everything from road signs to official forms. In the 80s the first all-Welsh TV channel, S4C, started up and the language really took off from there.
Welsh is more widely spoken than a lot of English people realise. In places like Lampeter, it is the language you hear at the supermarket checkout or shouted by drunks in the street at night - at least I think it was Welsh, some drunks are a bit incoherent.
Although I obviously don't speak Welsh, I have picked up a little bit from roadsigns etc. and I've made up a little song.
It's sung to the old Welsh tune Llwyn Onn - The Ash Grove
Dim Parcio, Dim Parcio, Dim Parcio, Dim Parcio,
Dim Parcio, Dim Parcio, Nadolig LLawen
Repeat this verse
Croeso y Cymru, Croeso y Cymru, Croeso y Cymru
Mae hae'n bwrw glaw,
Dim parcio, etc.
In English - No Parking, No Parking, No Parking, No Parking, No Parking, No Parking, Happy Christmas.
Welcome to Wales, Welcome to Wales, Welcome to Wales, it's raining.
Not bad for a first effort, is it? I don't think I'm quite ready for the Eisteddfod yet though.
2 comments:
Rydw i'n hoffi coffi. Mae haul yn dysgleirio. Chware teg.
I translated Baruch's comment on an internet translator. This is the result-
I am being I ' heartburn like you remember. He is being sun crookedly dishes. Play fair.
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