iwanttobeliterate

[iwanttobeliterate]

Being doing some Welsh lessons with a friend mostly focusing on the rules of written Welsh v spoken Welsh, and I've found it SO interesting that Treiglad and different spoken elements of Welsh basically adapted to make it easier for stories and songs to be recited and Idk I find that so cool and it's a really good reminder of how Welsh is such a story/music based culture.

Cofia - dw i'n dysgu Cymraeg, felly plîs bod yn neis! Ond os wnes i camgymeriad, plîs sylwa!

Felly, wnes i gwersi Cymraeg gyda fy ffrind, mwyaf canolbwyntio am yr rheolau o ysgrifenedig penillion(?) Llafar Cymraeg, a mae'n mi diddorol iawn oherwydd yr treiglad a pethau eraill yn llafar Cymraeg yn dod i bod i helpu phobl i dweud storïau a canu, a dw i'n meddwl mae'n mor cwl a atgofais i storïau a canu ydy mor bwysig i ddiwylliant Cymraes

[iwanttobeliterate]

Barod

Means ready, as 'you ready'

Nos da

Night! Fun story, I know a lady who is English and parents used to like watching a comedian who was Welsh and would say 'nos da' at the end of every standup and the lady thought he was saying 'no star' and just assumed Wales didnt have stars lol

Ych a fi

Basically 'Yuck'

Edrych / (if you're feeling very grammatically correct) edrychwch

Means 'look', and I won't get into it properly, but if you telling someone you should show respect to to look, the very proper way to say it is edrychwch, which i used to just love saying as a child (If someone asks me to speak Welsh I'll Often use a sentence with it cos it's so fun to see their faces go 'what was THAT?')

Be sy'n bod?

Means what's happening, usually used if something is obviously wrong i think

One of my favourite things about Welsh is that even those of us not first lanagauge, or living in predominately English areas, use a lot of Welsh in our every day vocab (&even in English areas everyone will understand)

However, it does mean I make a fool of myself and use these Welsh words as soon as I leave Wales, where suddenly no one understands them

So, here's a short list of words that you can either easily slot in to your every day if you're learning, or help you understand Welsh people you may meet (who may be twp, like me!)

(also, this is just MY small area, so I'm sure others can include loads of others phases and words!)

Nain, Taid, Tad ect

Names for Nana, granpa, and Dad! I don't think many use 'tad', however, you can get weird looks and questions for using nain a taid

Bechod

Literally means 'sin', however it is used like 'shame!' or 'oh no!', or it can also be used in for 'cute' or 'heart-touching'. I did have a nursery teacher in nursery who used it as a pet name. So you might use this if a kid had just fallen over, or if you've been watching Undercover Boss and it's the reveal and it's getting you in the feels

Panad

A drink! Think 'a brew' or a 'cuppa'. (Most Welsh people i know, even non-welsh-speaking will over a panad in Welsh, 'ti'n isho panad?' so watch out for that)

Cwtch/cwtsh

Mostly South Walian, however it is becoming more popular up here in the north! Originally a 'cwtch' was the space under the stairs where people in Cardiff hid during the bombings in WW2, however it has since come to mean, most commonly, a big hug or squeeze (and this is important! At least to me, sometimes I've seen cwtch used just for a hug, but to me it means more than that. It's the hug you give to someone that is what is keeping them together as they fall apart, you know? The hug you give to a friend you'd fallen out with for ages but are now back together, or to someone whose just lost a close family member/friend, that kind of thing).

However, my family in Cardiff are divided because some of them say Cwtch can also be used as a pet name (I've personally never heard it used as a pet name, but it's not as popular a word in the north anyway, like I said, so that might be why, if anyone knows more about this let me know!)

Also a weird word because although it is said to be Welsh, the spelling 'cwtch' uses English pronunciation. The Welsh spelling 'cwtsh' does seem to be gaining momentum now though.

Saws coch wyn

So this is used predominately in Coffi welsh that I've heard, however again, it's becoming more widely used! Literally translated it means 'white red sauce', but if you hear this what they're after is Mayo. A lot of my first lanagauge friends will, even in English, ask for 'white red sauce', so if you hear that, it means mayo (or salad cream, they don't seem that bothered)

Shwmae

Means hello! Again, more south I believe, a lot of South Walian Welsh speakers seem to use exclusively 'shwmae' as a greeting.

Bach

If someone use this after your name feel special! Bach literally translates to small, and is kind of added to your name (ie Kate bach, Beth bach, Dafydd bach) to show special affection.

Blods

Blods is short for 'blodyn tatws', literally, 'potato flower'! It's a term of endearment, which by most friends my age is shortened to blods, however some friends shorten it to 'tatws' (potato) which feels less endearing lol

Cariad

In my experience mostly older people will use this, but it literally means 'love', and holds the connotations of 'beloved', 'sweetheart', 'darling'

Cau'r dy geg

Literally 'shut your mouth', a bit rude, only use with people you're good mates with who wouldn't take it personally, or can't understand Welsh!

Dw i ddim yn gwybod

'I don't know'! I use this all the time, I can't remember the last time I actually told someone I didn't know in English, it's one of those words/phrases which to me is just natural in Welsh (if that makes sense!)

Mae e'n cadw draenog yn ei boced

Literally 'he keeps a hedgehog in his pocket', meaning they'ry stingy!

Mae hi'n bwrw hen wragedd a ffyn!

Literally 'it's raining old women and sticks!', Welsh version of its raining cats and dogs (although I believe there is another Welsh version 'mae hi'n bwrw cyfyll a ffyrc', literally translates to 'its raining knives and forks', but I've never heard the expression in natural conversation')

Man a man a mwnci

Means 'might as well!' I'm not entirely sure what the direct translation is, however I've kind of understood it as 'a space and a place and a monkey', or 'a spot and a monkey'. (If anyone knows let me know plis!)

Be/Beth

Literally 'what'.

Diolch/ Diolch o galon/diolch yn fawr

Can't believe I almost for got this! I use diolch, meaning 'thanks', a lot, but if I'm so overwhelmingly grateful that I don't know how to express is, I turn to 'diolch o galon', literally 'thank you from my heart'. Again its on of those things that saying thank you in English just doesn't sound like I'm thankful, or feel like I've actually expressed it

Twp

Literally stupid or thickheaded. I call myself this a lot, but I also think it's such a light hearted way to make fun of someone, it's like bubbles, no one can be angry saying 'twp!' (or even better it's mutation 'dwp')

Hyfryd

Literally 'lovely', think the application is obvious lol

Nos da

(ended the post with this and then realised I hadn't included it lol) means 'good night', again obvious application, but I do have a funny story

A neighbour of mine is from Yorkshire, and she said when she was growing up there was a v popular Welsh comedian who ended all of his shows with 'nos da' and she understood it as 'no star', and until she was 16 just seriously believed there was some random natural anomaly that meant there were no stars visible in Wales

Might add more if I think of any, but otherwise, add any if anyone thinks of others!

Nos da!

[iwanttobeliterate]

My favourite top tip for improving your language skills that I haven't seen around

Translate your favourite songs into your target language

So words I'm ok with, I can keep the words, but trying to figure out the correct way to structure MY words? Im rubbish

So This is really cool if you are doing really well with the language and want to work on phrasing/sentence/language structures

An example of what I mean is in English we say 'i am thirsty' or 'i am hungry'

however in many languages they don't have a specific word for hungry or thirsty, instead they say 'i want food' or 'i need water'

So if a song said about being very hungry, you'd be unable to literally translate it.

So I find songs i enjoy listening to anyway and see if I can write lyrics that keep the meaning and stay in time with the song. It's challenging, but fun, and it makes me really focus on it rather than an excercise i may forget like 2 minutes later

I really like songs for films, like Disney, that may have already been translated in some languages, so you can do your own translation, and then compare it to the original. This helps you

[iwanttobeliterate]

Another of my favourite thing about Wales - the Myths

I've lived near a town called Mochdre for all my life, and just assumed, at some point they had a market town where you could get really good pigs. Never thought much more of it

Then I stated researching to find out when the town was first established and found out that that is not the reason it's called Mochdre.

The run down of it is a guy stole a load of pigs and hid them, one night, in the area, and therefore the town came to be known as Mochdre.

But this story is actually in one of the first written prose in Britain, Mabinogi (nid y Mabinogion, they're different) it's in the story of Math

This ofc ended up with going down a massive rabbit hole of Welsh myths and they are GWALLTGOF. I think it's such a shame that none of them are being turned into modern stories, like just almost word for word retellings, cos I know a lot of works draw from these. I swear the only reason they're not being turned into modern retellings and stuff is cos they're Too insane for anyone to take a retelling seriously. I swear only that guy who wrote about the unfortunate events would get away with it 😂😂😂

[iwanttobeliterate]

[iwanttobeliterate]

My dearest Granddaughter.

Na, “Annwyl Wyres”. You’ve asked me to write what I remember for your school project, So I suppose you’ll want me to do it in Welsh.

Cariad bach, Sai'n gwybod beth i ‘weud wrthi ti. Silence is a hard habit to break.

Right from day one, this wasn’t something we talked about. It was a non-subject. Mae'n rhyfedd pan ti'n meddwl am y peth; While the whole world and his wife were talking about us, With their editorials And their news items and so on A tra bod y beirdd yn sgwennu cerddi amdanyn ni   A'r holl eiriau'n golchi droson ni

O'n ni'n dweud dim.

We said nothing.

So how much should you know? It’s part of your history, Our family’s history. But I can’t share my guilt with you For making the child I lost go to school that morning (I wish I’d never shared that with your Bampy even) And that I felt guilty for having A child that lived.

But I wouldn’t have had you otherwise, would I?

None of this makes sense.

There are pictures that you ought to see from afterwards. The photographer came over from America And he was here for weeks after the disaster - Rapoport his name was. ‘Sgwyla di ar ei luniau fe. He took one of the first baby born afterwards The first wedding The first smiles And how many hundreds have there been since then, thank God? Those pictures show us carrying on Because we had to.

But there are things that those photos can’t show.

Like candles in pockets. Your aunty was afraid of the dark. I would light a candle for her in the cemetary - Lots did. It was like a second home to us for a long time afterwards. I would take extra candles in my coat pocket In case somebody else’s Had burnt down to nothing.

These are things I will carry with me ‘til I die.

But Do you have a right to them?

Because it was so terrible, Should you feel like so many before you That it’s your duty To comment To sympathise To identify?

Elli di ddim, cariad bach.

But I don’t want you to forget, either.

I can only give your aunty flowers On be ranna i beth alla i ‘da di. 

I’ll give you all the memories that I can.

- Llythyr Mam-gu, by the bard Ifor ap Glyn.

Written in memory of the Aberfan Disaster, 50 years ago.

[iwanttobeliterate]

One of my favourite things about Welsh is that even those of us not first lanagauge, or living in predominately English areas, use a lot of Welsh in our every day vocab (&even in English areas everyone will understand)

However, it does mean I make a fool of myself and use these Welsh words as soon as I leave Wales, where suddenly no one understands them

So, here's a short list of words that you can either easily slot in to your every day if you're learning, or help you understand Welsh people you may meet (who may be twp, like me!)

(also, this is just MY small area, so I'm sure others can include loads of others phases and words!)

Nain, Taid, Tad ect

Names for Nana, granpa, and Dad! I don't think many use 'tad', however, you can get weird looks and questions for using nain a taid

Bechod

Literally means 'sin', however it is used like 'shame!' or 'oh no!', or it can also be used in for 'cute' or 'heart-touching'. I did have a nursery teacher in nursery who used it as a pet name. So you might use this if a kid had just fallen over, or if you've been watching Undercover Boss and it's the reveal and it's getting you in the feels

Panad

A drink! Think 'a brew' or a 'cuppa'. (Most Welsh people i know, even non-welsh-speaking will over a panad in Welsh, 'ti'n isho panad?' so watch out for that)

Cwtch/cwtsh

Mostly South Walian, however it is becoming more popular up here in the north! Originally a 'cwtch' was the space under the stairs where people in Cardiff hid during the bombings in WW2, however it has since come to mean, most commonly, a big hug or squeeze (and this is important! At least to me, sometimes I've seen cwtch used just for a hug, but to me it means more than that. It's the hug you give to someone that is what is keeping them together as they fall apart, you know? The hug you give to a friend you'd fallen out with for ages but are now back together, or to someone whose just lost a close family member/friend, that kind of thing).

However, my family in Cardiff are divided because some of them say Cwtch can also be used as a pet name (I've personally never heard it used as a pet name, but it's not as popular a word in the north anyway, like I said, so that might be why, if anyone knows more about this let me know!)

Also a weird word because although it is said to be Welsh, the spelling 'cwtch' uses English pronunciation. The Welsh spelling 'cwtsh' does seem to be gaining momentum now though.

Saws coch wyn

So this is used predominately in Coffi welsh that I've heard, however again, it's becoming more widely used! Literally translated it means 'white red sauce', but if you hear this what they're after is Mayo. A lot of my first lanagauge friends will, even in English, ask for 'white red sauce', so if you hear that, it means mayo (or salad cream, they don't seem that bothered)

Shwmae

Means hello! Again, more south I believe, a lot of South Walian Welsh speakers seem to use exclusively 'shwmae' as a greeting.

Bach

If someone use this after your name feel special! Bach literally translates to small, and is kind of added to your name (ie Kate bach, Beth bach, Dafydd bach) to show special affection.

Blods

Blods is short for 'blodyn tatws', literally, 'potato flower'! It's a term of endearment, which by most friends my age is shortened to blods, however some friends shorten it to 'tatws' (potato) which feels less endearing lol

Cariad

In my experience mostly older people will use this, but it literally means 'love', and holds the connotations of 'beloved', 'sweetheart', 'darling'

Cau'r dy geg

Literally 'shut your mouth', a bit rude, only use with people you're good mates with who wouldn't take it personally, or can't understand Welsh!

Dw i ddim yn gwybod

'I don't know'! I use this all the time, I can't remember the last time I actually told someone I didn't know in English, it's one of those words/phrases which to me is just natural in Welsh (if that makes sense!)

Mae e'n cadw draenog yn ei boced

Literally 'he keeps a hedgehog in his pocket', meaning they'ry stingy!

Mae hi'n bwrw hen wragedd a ffyn!

Literally 'it's raining old women and sticks!', Welsh version of its raining cats and dogs (although I believe there is another Welsh version 'mae hi'n bwrw cyfyll a ffyrc', literally translates to 'its raining knives and forks', but I've never heard the expression in natural conversation')

Man a man a mwnci

Means 'might as well!' I'm not entirely sure what the direct translation is, however I've kind of understood it as 'a space and a place and a monkey', or 'a spot and a monkey'. (If anyone knows let me know plis!)

Be/Beth

Literally 'what'.

Diolch/ Diolch o galon/diolch yn fawr

Can't believe I almost for got this! I use diolch, meaning 'thanks', a lot, but if I'm so overwhelmingly grateful that I don't know how to express is, I turn to 'diolch o galon', literally 'thank you from my heart'. Again its on of those things that saying thank you in English just doesn't sound like I'm thankful, or feel like I've actually expressed it

Twp/twpsyn/twpsen

Literally stupid or thickheaded. I call myself this a lot, but I also think it's such a light hearted way to make fun of someone, it's like bubbles, no one can be angry saying 'twp!' (or even better it's mutation 'dwp')

Hyfryd

Literally 'lovely', think the application is obvious lol

Nos da

(ended the post with this and then realised I hadn't included it lol) means 'good night', again obvious application, but I do have a funny story

A neighbour of mine is from Yorkshire, and she said when she was growing up there was a v popular Welsh comedian who ended all of his shows with 'nos da' and she understood it as 'no star', and until she was 16 just seriously believed there was some random natural anomaly that meant there were no stars visible in Wales

Might add more if I think of any, but otherwise, add any if anyone thinks of others!

Nos da!

[iwanttobeliterate]

The Body in Welsh

Here's an easy-peasy list of vocabulary to use to describe your body in Welsh :D

Head - Pen

Arm (pl. Arms) - Braich (pl. Breichiau)

Shoulder (pl. Shoulders) - Ysgwydd (pl. Ysgwyddau)

Elbow (pl. Elbows) - Penelin (pl. Penelinoedd)

Hand (pl. Hands) - Llaw (pl. Dwylo)

Finger (pl. Fingers) - Bys (pl. Bysedd)

Thumb (pl. Thumbs) - Bawd (pl. Bodiau)

Belly - Bola

Back - Cefn

Bottom - Pen-ôl

Leg (pl. Legs) - Coes (pl. Coesau)

Knee (pl. Knees) - Pen-glin (pl. Pengliniau)

I've also created a very terrible visual image on a stickman that points to the some of the body parts and labels them

I got all this info from here, if anybody wants to know