Talking Welsh
WORDS: Gareth John VIDEO: Genod Droog - Dal Ni Lawr
Welsh. Apparently it is a really old language (it does feel like it, after studying it for half my life), dating to the sixth century.
But, because of those blasted Victorians, the Welsh language is becoming rare. Sad, that is.
Before the Victorians (and since them, I’ve never trusted a Victor again), the Welsh language flowed through Wales like the rivers.
After that era, the English language heads the leagues, like there are more shopping trolleys in rivers compared to fish. Roughly 20% of the population of Wales can actually speak Welsh (I’m guessing they’re not counting the fact that they can say some Welsh places).
That’s rather sad, considering that we are our own country, with our own language. Maybe this is why many other countries (such as the US) consider us a part of England.
It’d be rather odd telling someone that believes that England is the whole of Great Britain, that Wales is a different country. Especially if they believe that Cardiff is only half a mile from Manchester.
I’m not writing this to force you to learn Welsh. It’s a hard language. I mean, if there are more than sixteen ways to say one word just because of the word before it, then it will make your brain work.
Lets just take Cardiff as an example. In English it’s just Cardiff and In Cardiff. It’ll be always Cardiff, right? Not in Welsh. It’s Caerdydd, and then yng Nghaerdydd. If that’s not odd then I don’t know what is.
I should really be writing this in Welsh as well, considering that I am a Welsh speaker. [Feel free to translate it for us! - ed.]
Then again, what would be the point? That would be like translating a learn French book into French.
1 Comment – Postiwch sylw
Metallica-gal
Rhoddwyd sylw 23 mis yn ôl - 9th March 2010 - 17:05pm
I agree with you :P I used to go to a welsh school, and in my college I werent aloud to take a test at the start of the year in welsh, cause there werent an option. So I failed the test because I didnt know what half of the questions ment. Half of the people in my class thought i was attention seeking. but personally, I really couldnt understand the questions.
And since I vaulenteer with the NPT youth council, I brought it up, but still nothing has been said about it. And now, because nobody in my college speaks welsh, Im losing my welsh quickly, and i dont want it to go away! :(