Welsh speakers

[splott parker]

Don't speak Welsh and I wish the whole topic would be depoliticised somewhat. Language is how people communicate. How mothers speak to children, how people order coffees, how people greet themselves etc.

There is no need for the endless political projects to promote the language. It is growing, it is not under threat. What's needed is more organic Welsh within the community.

Whenever this is put to the test, anecdotally or otherwise, Welsh rarely seems to be used; be it enquiries on companies dedicated welsh lines, requests for data in welsh, cash machine withdrawals in welsh, even down to the fact I used to live near Glan Taf and would walk past kids on the way to work - they were never conversing in Welsh together - why is that?

I enjoy the language as an outsider. I like listening to the music on radio cymru, I think it's nice to hear it spoken and I wish we had more welsh folk music nights in town etc, but I'm not convinced the endless agitation and promotion helps if I'm honest.

You got me with ‘order coffees’

[JamesWales]

You got me with ‘order coffees’

Merely one example!

[+ the native hipster]

translation of yma o hyd ?

[Des Parrot]

Born & brought up in Wales but no Welsh, I did teach myself the anthem ( for the FA cup final). Like others, Latin, French & Spanish at school, no Welsh option.

3 of my 4 sons speak Welsh, including the Manx ones, to varying levels. They speak Welsh around me to wind me up!

[Whisperer]

Don't speak Welsh and I wish the whole topic would be depoliticised somewhat. Language is how people communicate. How mothers speak to children, how people order coffees, how people greet themselves etc.

There is no need for the endless political projects to promote the language. It is growing, it is not under threat. What's needed is more organic Welsh within the community.

Whenever this is put to the test, anecdotally or otherwise, Welsh rarely seems to be used; be it enquiries on companies dedicated welsh lines, requests for data in welsh, cash machine withdrawals in welsh, even down to the fact I used to live near Glan Taf and would walk past kids on the way to work - they were never conversing in Welsh together - why is that?

I enjoy the language as an outsider. I like listening to the music on radio cymru, I think it's nice to hear it spoken and I wish we had more welsh folk music nights in town etc, but I'm not convinced the endless agitation and promotion helps if I'm honest.

Yeah I never enjoyed the Language, It pisses me off that you can't get the choice of English commentary on S4C when the footie is on, different for rugby of course you can always have the language choice. and when I was a kid and there was only 3 TV channels I hated Miri Mawr.

[bobh]

translation of yma o hyd ?

https://www.gtleisure.co.uk/welshsongs/ymaohyd.htm

Don't think that's the full song - I recall when it was first sung, I looked it up and there was a reference to Maggie Thatcher, which I can't find now.

[jon1959]

https://www.gtleisure.co.uk/welshsongs/ymaohyd.htm

Don't think that's the full song - I recall when it was first sung, I looked it up and there was a reference to Maggie Thatcher, which I can't find now.

We remember that Macsen the Emperor
left our country in one whole piece.
And we shall shout before the nations,
"We'll be here until Judgement Day!"
Despite every Dic Siôn Dafydd,
despite old Maggie and her crew,
we'll be here until the end of time,
and the Welsh language will be alive!


https://lyricstranslate.com/en/yma-o...till-here.html

[bobh]

We remember that Macsen the Emperor
left our country in one whole piece.
And we shall shout before the nations,
"We'll be here until Judgement Day!"
Despite every Dic Siôn Dafydd,
despite old Maggie and her crew,
we'll be here until the end of time,
and the Welsh language will be alive!


https://lyricstranslate.com/en/yma-o...till-here.html

Maggie was in the link I posted, but I missed it.

[The Bloop]

I don't speak Welsh but I wish I could.
I applaud those who do, especially those who've made the effort to learn it post compulsory education. It all helps to protect our national identity and if fewer and fewer people take up the language, then it, and part of our identity and heritage will slowly die out.

[HiVis]

Identity is often a moving feast, sometimes cherry-picking historical interpretations regarding a certain point in time - and which is often romanticised. For my part, I think much of culture is embedded in the native languages rather than hoisting up a flag that once belonged to a prince or aristocrat who had little in common with the common people. 'Tis more complex than that but I'm orf to my German class in a min.....

interesting fact for some, the red dragon was used by Cadwaldr - a king of Gwynedd sometime in the 7th century. Edwards IV used the red dragon in the war of the roses, to give his claim to the throne legitimacy - Edward claimed to be a direct descendant of Cadwaldr, who was prophesised to unite the Britons under one ruler. The myth was about the red dragon beating the white dragon, which played out in the war of the roses.

Ergo the red dragon - a welsh symbol - has been used by successive kings of England to give themselves legitimacy.

[Hometown Unicorn!]

I'm learning Welsh and wish I had done it sooner, I was quite amazed how much I actually still remembered. Duolingo is a great re-entry tool if anyone thinking about it. When I was in Secondary school Welsh was not compulsory from year 10 onwards. When my younger brother was going through school it had made been compulsory up to GCSE level. We were not a Welsh speaking family but he is now a fluent Welsh speaker and a Welsh teacher. He works in the Senedd, teaching Welsh to the AMs.

I think the language is having a renaissance with younger people who see it as a more progressive and positive thing, unlike the negative attitude that surrounded it for such a long time. It doesn't seem to be seen as just a language for farmers and North Walians!

Where I have really noticed it is on BBC 6 Music, which play a lot of Welsh language bands even though they are a national (UK) station. It's always played SFA or Gorky, but lot's of the new bands are getting ait time too like Adwaith, Sister Wives not to mention Carwyn Elis and Rio 18, Melin Melyn, Gwenno, Cate Le Bon....the list goes on. No wonder they held their recent 6 Music festival in Cardiff.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Maggie was in the link I posted, but I missed it.

I notice that Dafydd Iwan now generally uses "y gelyn a'i griw" - the enemy and his crew.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Yeah I never enjoyed the Language, It pisses me off that you can't get the choice of English commentary on S4C when the footie is on, different for rugby of course you can always have the language choice. and when I was a kid and there was only 3 TV channels I hated Miri Mawr.

When Sky had the rights to Welsh matches they provided Welsh language commentary on the red button. Sky ditched the Welsh language option and allowed S4C to provide Welsh language coverage. S4C weren't allowed to provide English commentary by Sky. Sky thought that non Welsh speakers would rather pay for and watch English language commentary than endure Welsh language commentary. Amazon didn't share that view with coverage of Welsh rugby matches and are providing Welsh language coverage. People would put up with not having English commentary as long as the game was free to watch.

[Taunton Blue Genie]

Having a Catholic upbringing and schooling, it was more ‘Hail Glorious St Patrick’ than ‘O Great St David’. Half day off for St David’s Day and a full day off for St Patrick’s Day. No Calon Lan or Myfanwy, in fact no Welsh education at all. Looking back I do wish our history lessons were Welsh biased rather than, what it seemed like, glorifying conquering other ‘inferior’ countries, ‘educating’ them in ‘English’ ways and Empire building. One contradiction was that, with hindsight, I’d have thought there’d have been more on the struggle of the Irish to break free of Westminster than reciting Kings & Queens of England. All most probably due to Wales bowing to the English system. Has the curriculum changed now? Are pupils (I won’t call school kids students, that moniker is for further education) now learning Welsh history?

Whereas I learned Welsh for 7 years at school, the friends I have retained from Cardiff are all catholics and didn't learn any Welsh whatsoever, as I understand it.

[splott parker]

Whereas I learned Welsh for 7 years at school, the friends I have retained from Cardiff are all catholics and didn't learn any Welsh whatsoever, as I understand it.

I’m very impressed that you choose your friends wisely

[Taunton Blue Genie]

interesting fact for some, the red dragon was used by Cadwaldr - a king of Gwynedd sometime in the 7th century. Edwards IV used the red dragon in the war of the roses, to give his claim to the throne legitimacy - Edward claimed to be a direct descendant of Cadwaldr, who was prophesised to unite the Britons under one ruler. The myth was about the red dragon beating the white dragon, which played out in the war of the roses.

Ergo the red dragon - a welsh symbol - has been used by successive kings of England to give themselves legitimacy.

I sometimes think about the village blacksmith or farm labourer in days of yore. They may not have given a fig as to what rich individual was collecting taxes from them or as to which army swept through their area as long as they were safe and had employment. Their rulers would have probably had little in common with them in most cases whatever banner or standard was in vogue.

[Taunton Blue Genie]

I’m very impressed that you choose your friends wisely

And they got a less guilt-ridden individual who is an atheist in the bargain.

[+ the native hipster]

https://www.gtleisure.co.uk/welshsongs/ymaohyd.htm

Don't think that's the full song - I recall when it was first sung, I looked it up and there was a reference to Maggie Thatcher, which I can't find now.

all a tad jingoistic and anti migrant then

[City123]

all a tad jingoistic and anti migrant then

Care to explain how it's jingoistic and anti-migrant?

[Kind of Blue]

Fluent and following tonight’s commentary on Radio Cymru, unfortunately at the moment.

[+ the native hipster]

Care to explain how it's jingoistic and anti-migrant?

form 3 inglish lit interpretation, that italian bloke leaving wos about wales pure blood again, the windy east is about stoping the inglish so we remane pure blood, not about wether the sea thing probly vikings or some shit.welsh cuture and langwidg must be protectid at orl cost. 9/10 minus 2 for grama

[Divine Wright]

Three of my grandparents came from Welsh speaking families. Two of them were from Aberystwyth/Tregaron area and Welsh was their everyday language. My other grandmother came from a welsh speaking family from Ystrad Mynach. I'm not sure why but her parents didn't pass the language down to her , which is a shame because they would have spoke Wenhwyseg , which was the South East Wales dialect of Welsh and has/had some pretty interesting characteristics compared to West and North dialects.

As a result of having grown up in the Ystrad Mynach area myself, and despite having attended welsh medium primary in Tir y Berth and Bargoed, my Welsh was a bit patchy. It improved a bit after my parents moved us down west and I'm getting more and more interested in the language the older I get.

I live in the Basque Country now ,but speak to my daughter in Welsh, despite the incredulity of the locals who believe it almost criminal that I don't use English around her. People here are obsessed with learning English and, much as certain generations of Welsh speakers did, consider English the language of "successful" people.

My 14 month old daughter currently has "dwr" and "llaeth" under her belt. Her mother speaks to her in Basque. I doubt she'll ever become a global business leader but she'll be cool as fck, which I guess is what really matters.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

form 3 inglish lit interpretation, that italian bloke leaving wos about wales pure blood again, the windy east is about stoping the inglish so we remane pure blood, not about wether the sea thing probly vikings or some shit.welsh cuture and langwidg must be protectid at orl cost. 9/10 minus 2 for grama

I've read some bollocks on here over the years and that's right up there with the best.

[Trigger]

We had to do it in school but I always enjoyed french far more and found it easier which is understandable given the links to English.

Never been inclined to do anything more with Welsh since, where as the french I've carried on trying to learn, although in installments.

[City123]

form 3 inglish lit interpretation, that italian bloke leaving wos about wales pure blood again, the windy east is about stoping the inglish so we remane pure blood, not about wether the sea thing probly vikings or some shit.welsh cuture and langwidg must be protectid at orl cost. 9/10 minus 2 for grama

Just admit you've been caught out and move on rather than post that nonsense