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Cymraeg: “New Beginnings, New Attitudes”

by Adam Howarth, Editor
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Cymraeg Six Nations Rugby

It’s January and what better time of the year to get your Welsh learning off a great start? Here are our New-Year/winter-related words and phrases to kick your Cymraeg into gear and set you up for the next 12 months.

Photo by leonie wise on Unsplash

EnglishWelshEnglish pronunciation
LoveCariadCarr-yad
I love youDw i’n dy garu diDween duh garry dee
Saint DwynwenSantes DwynwenSann-tess Dooin-wen
RiverAfonAh-von
Hill BrynBrin
ValleyDyffryn/CwmDuff-rin/Coom
LakeLlynLl1-inn
VillagePentrePen-treh
BridgePontPont
It’s [insert word here] todayMae hi’n [] heddiwMah heen [] heth-you
Lovely/fineBrafBrav
Cold/very coldOer/oer iawn O-err/o-err ya-oon
Freezing/frosty RhewllydRr-ewh-llid1
Windy(G)WyntogWin-tog
StormyStormusStorr-miss
SnowingBwrw eiraBooroo ay-rah**
RainingBwrw GlawBooroo gl-aww
1 for the “ll” sound, place tongue behind the teeth and blow gently, 2 “ay” as in day
Darparwyd gyda chymorth gan Helo Blod Lleol
Os hoffech gyngor ar sut i ddefnyddio’r Gymraeg yn eich busnes a chymhorth cyfieithu am ddim, cysylltwch Ffion Whitham
Provided with support from Helo Blod Local
If you’d like advice on how to use Welsh in your business and free translation support, contact Ffion Whitham
Cymraeg New year words - Helo Blod logo

A Brief History of Welsh – Introduction

Firstly, Cymraeg, or Welsh, is a language native to the British Isles, originating from a Celtic language spoken by the ancient Britons. Throughout its history, it has faced numerous challenges to its existence.

Welsh is a Brythonic language, meaning British Celtic in origin and was spoken in Britain even before the Roman occupation. Thought to have arrived in Britain around 600 BC, the Celtic language evolved in the British Isles into a Brythonic tongue which provided the basis not only for Welsh, but also Breton and Cornish. At this time in Europe, Celtic languages were spoken across the continent even as far as Turkey.

The Welsh Language Society

Secondly, in the 19th century, the Welsh language still did not benefit from the increasing literacy levels amongst the general public. Moreover, whilst children were attending school, Welsh was not part of the school curriculum. English was still the dominant language as it represented administration and business in an era of imperial expansion.

In the 20th century, there was a growing recognition that the Welsh language and Welsh speakers were being discriminated against. For example, in 1942 the Welsh Courts Act formally addressed the issue of defendants and plaintiffs being forced to speak in English and ushered in a new law allowing Welsh to be used in the courts.

By 1967, a very important and crucial piece of legislation was introduced thanks to the campaigning of many individuals including Plaid Cymru and also the Welsh Language Society.

This legislation was largely modelled on the Hughes Parry Report only two years earlier which stated that Welsh should have equal status to English in the courts.

This was a pivotal moment when the prejudices ushered in during the Tudor period began to be reversed. Today the Welsh language is spoken at home, in the workplace, in the community and also in the government. In the 2011 census, over 562,000 people named Welsh as their main language.

Finally, to learn more Welsh phrases view The Welsh Gift Shop website here.

Also, to view our other Welsh words click here.

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