#Cymraeg

[crudely-drawn-ben]

Of course in modern Welsh you don't have a specific "yes" at all, because that would be too easy. Instead you agree by repeating the verb you're agreeing with. "Will you go out later?" "Will." or "Is there a hat with you?" "Is." and so on. One of the hardest things to get right as a learner is the correct form to use for questions about yourself if someone askes "is it raining there" you can listen into the phrase and pick up the "is" as a response, but if they say "are you in the house" you need to say "I am." I get this wrong constantly. If the answer is no you can generally precede the response with "na/nag" but you need to remember that negative statements will trigger a mutation!

Okay, so:

Latin has this word, sic. Or, if we want to be more diacritically accurate, sīc. That shows that the i is long, so it’s pronounced like “seek” and not like “sick.”

You might recognize this word from Latin sayings like “sic semper tyrannis” or “sic transit gloria mundi.” You might recognize it as what you put in parentheses when you want to be pass-agg about someone’s mistakes when you’re quoting them: “Then he texted me, ‘I want to touch you’re (sic) butt.’”

It means, “thus,” which sounds pretty hoity-toity in this modren era, so maybe think of it as meaning “in this way,” or “just like that.” As in, “just like that, to all tyrants, forever,” an allegedly cool thing to say after shooting a President and leaping off a balcony and shattering your leg. “Everyone should do it this way.”

Anyway, Classical Latin somewhat lacked an affirmative particle, though you might see the word ita, a synonym of sic, used in that way. By Medieval Times, however, sic was holding down this role. Which is to say, it came to mean yes.

Ego: Num edisti totam pitam?

Tu, pudendus: Sic.

Me: Did you eat all the pizza?

You, shameful: That’s the way it is./Yes.

This was pretty well established by the time Latin evolved into its various bastard children, the Romance languages, and you can see this by the words for yes in these languages.

In Spanish, Italian, Asturian, Catalan, Corsican, Galician, Friulian, and others, you say si for yes. In Portugese, you say sim. In French, you say si to mean yes when you’re contradicting a negative assertion (”You don’t like donkey sausage like all of us, the inhabitants of France, eat all the time?” “Yes, I do!”). In Romanian, you say da, but that’s because they’re on some Slavic shit. P.S. there are possibly more Romance languages than you’re aware of.

But:

There was still influence in some areas by the conquered Gaulish tribes on the language of their conquerors. We don’t really have anything of Gaulish language left, but we can reverse engineer some things from their descendants. You see, the Celts that we think of now as the people of the British Isles were Gaulish, originally (in the sense that anyone’s originally from anywhere, I guess) from central and western Europe. So we can look at, for example, Old Irish, where they said tó to mean yes, or Welsh, where they say do to mean yes or indeed, and we can see that they derive from the Proto-Indo-European (the big mother language at whose teat very many languages both modern and ancient did suckle) word *tod, meaning “this” or “that.” (The asterisk indicates that this is a reconstructed word and we don’t know exactly what it would have been but we have a pretty damn good idea.)

So if you were fucking Ambiorix or whoever and Quintus Titurius Sabinus was like, “Yo, did you eat all the pizza?” you would do that Drake smile and point thing under your big beefy Gaulish mustache and say, “This.” Then you would have him surrounded and killed.

Apparently Latin(ish) speakers in the area thought this was a very dope way of expressing themselves. “Why should I say ‘in that way’ like those idiots in Italy and Spain when I could say ‘this’ like all these cool mustache boys in Gaul?” So they started copying the expression, but in their own language. (That’s called a calque, by the way. When you borrow an expression from another language but translate it into your own. If you care about that kind of shit.)

The Latin word for “this” is “hoc,” so a bunch of people started saying “hoc” to mean yes. In the southern parts of what was once Gaul, “hoc” makes the relatively minor adjustment to ��c, while in the more northerly areas they think, “Hmm, just saying ‘this’ isn’t cool enough. What if we said ‘this that’ to mean ‘yes.’” (This is not exactly what happened but it is basically what happened, please just fucking roll with it, this shit is long enough already.)

So they combined hoc with ille, which means “that” (but also comes to just mean “he”: compare Spanish el, Italian il, French le, and so on) to make o-il, which becomes oïl. This difference between the north and south (i.e. saying oc or oil) comes to be so emblematic of the differences between the two languages/dialects that the languages from the north are called langues d’oil and the ones from the south are called langues d’oc. In fact, the latter language is now officially called “Occitan,” which is a made-up word (to a slightly greater degree than that to which all words are made-up words) that basically means “Oc-ish.” They speak Occitan in southern France and Catalonia and Monaco and some other places.

The oil languages include a pretty beefy number of languages and dialects with some pretty amazing names like Walloon, and also one with a much more basic name: French. Perhaps you’ve heard of it, n'est-ce pas?

Yeah, eventually Francophones drop the -l from oil and start saying it as oui. If you’ve ever wondered why French yes is different from other Romance yeses, well, now you know.

I guess what I’m getting at is that when you reblog a post you like and tag it with “this,” or affirm a thing a friend said by nodding and saying “Yeah, that”: you’re not new

[rhywbethcymraeg]

[stephanidftba]

I figured the Jolene loving site needed to see this

[baybelletrist]

Fabulous!

I wanted to do something special this winter, so here’s this little comic I made! The Mari Lwyd is definitely one of the most creatures ever.  __ Translation, for learners/non-Welsh speakers: __ Mari Lwyd: Uff. I’m starving. Ms. Goch: What’s wrong, Mari? Mari Lwyd: Everyone’s defeated me tonight. Such skilled poets, the lot of you.  Mari Lwyd: I’m the worst Mari Lwyd. Ms. Goch: … Ms. Goch: D'you want some? Mari Lwyd: No. I don’t have… I can’t accept. That’s the rules. Ms. Goch: Well— what if you do better than me? In song. Mari Lwyd: Hm? Ms. Goch: Look, I’ll start. Well, here I come Your innocent friend To ask your permission to share Because everyone deserves A bit of hope to Satisfy their appetites, tonight!   Mari Lwyd: No, no, no— that’s not right! And “deserve” doesn’t rhyme with “appetites”, anyway, like—! Mari Lwyd: Oh. Ms. Goch: Ohhhh, nooooo, I’ve said the wrong rhyme. Oops! So… you’ve defeated me, Mari? Mari Lwyd: I did? W-wait! I did!! Ms. Goch: Well, you’ve got no choice, then! C'mere! As the nights grow darker, and colder, everyone has the right to fine food…even Mari Lwyds, I suppose. __ I hope everyone’s enjoying their winter and staying warm! 

[mwg-drwg]

This is a funny sign and all but I think the main takeaway should be that there is Dog English and Dog Welsh (Cimraeg?!?!?!?)

[foxgloveciara]

so yknow how miku has a leek and the leek is the national emblem of wales?

[official-wales]

am dy fod yn flog swyddogol cymru, falle alle ti rhoi'r gair ola ar yr hen ddadl. llaeth neu llefrith?

LLAETH AM BYTH

[llyfrenfys]

I have made some Welsh LGBTQ+ Prints!

P'nawn da! Today is the day I'm finally launching my Welsh LGBTQ+ prints for sale (find them here). Like with my dissertation, they're pay as you feel (min. £2 plus postage) and I can post them to the UK, US, EU and Canada! Designs include the 2017 Gilbert Baker flag with the stripe meanings in Welsh and English, the map of Wales featuring my pride redesigns of the historic county flags of Wales, lesbian redesign of the Cardiff flag and a brand new design featuring 12 pride flags with the names of each in Welsh and English. I have 5 of each print in stock!

If you're new here or didn't know, unfortunately I experienced several major life changes this year which have really affected my finances (hospitalisation, long term relationship ended, emergency house move, job loss due to employer discrimination and a family member diagnosed with a terminal illness. For more details see this post). In order to help support myself I'm offering these prints for sale while I search for a new part time job. At the time of writing, I only have enough money in savings to cover 2 more months of rent and bills (not including food), so anything you can spare will help me afford food and keep doing what I love. I also have a patreon if you want to support me there.

I have also got my 47-page undergraduate dissertation on the development of Welsh-language terminology between 1972 and 2022 available here as pay as you feel (even £1!). Any support is hugely, hugely appreciated.

[b1odeuwed]

i do a little dance whenever welsh ppl reblog my welsh miku art with something like “YOOOO MICŴ CYMRAEG!!! DYDD GWYL DEWI MICŴ HELL YEAH” DWI’N CARU CHI GYD <33333 MAE’R CELF AM CHI!!!!!!

[salvadorbonaparte]

Any fluent Welsh speakers here?

[tarragonthedragon]

so I'm in the office when I hear it. the EIC, in the corner, my manager's manager, lights up the batsignal and voices a cry for aid:

"is anyone here who speaks Welsh?"

immediately, all heads turn to Charles' desk. Charles is Welsh. Charles takes several days to recover from the shock every time someone on a National Trust podcast mispronounces Llanidloes. surely Charles will answer the call.

Charles, the bloody nerve of him, is on Annual Leave to spend the Easter holidays with his son.

at this point I realise that several heads, including my manager's, are turning to me.

I do not speak Welsh.

I was brought up by a Welsh speaker, my grandmother, but given that we live in London and noone else in the family speaks Welsh, I only really picked up the most basic of family pleasantries. I can say cheers and goodnight, I can offer and order hot beverages, and I can answer the six questions people immediately ask when they find out you speak even a little bit of Welsh (the answer to all of these is as far as I can tell, yes but nobody says that. yes but it's baby talk. yes but it was a marketing scam. you know the ones)

I also have a master's degree in, amongst other things, medieval Welsh. as attention turns to me, I weigh up the possibility that the EIC needs someone to urgently translate Culhwch ac Olwen into modern English.

it seems unlikely. however, my CV says I have basic Welsh, and I need this job, so I head to the EICs desk with the thudding tread of someone bound for the gallows

further context-- 90% of my job is combing through business documents for aside phrases indicating business changes. this takes a lot of cross-referencing and close reading. I find this hard in my native language. I find it extremely hard in languages I'm fluent in. the idea of doing it in Welsh, a language where my conversation options are limited to "good morrow sir! the English advance on our left flank!" or "Mr fishy likes to swim", fills me with fathomless dread. in my head, I am writing my application to the next job.

the EIC turns a page around on the desk. "how do you pronounce this?"

I look at the word, relief beginning to sink in. Welsh is phonetic. even if I don't know this word, I can read it.

I do a double take. "Dai?"

"are you sure?" the EIC asks. "should I call Charles on his holidays just to check?"

"it's Dai," I repeat.

"it's not different if it's Welsh?"

I have absolutely no idea what she thinks the Welsh are doing to innocent vowel sounds that the English are not already doing. "it's Dai. like Dai Llewellyn."

"it's the same every time?"

"... yes"

"oh good." the EIC puts away her sheet and lets me go back to my desk.

as I sit down, the news editor at the next desk looks up. "so," he asks. "is it true that the Welsh for jellyfish is

[queerwelsh]

Pride in Wales! Balchder yng Nghymru!

Here’s a list of the Pride events happening in Wales this year, in 2023. (click the links for more information)

Dyma rhestr o ddigwyddiadau Balchder yng Nghymru blwyddyn yma, yn 2023.

22 April/Ebrill - Aberystwyth Pride / Balchder yn Aberystwyth

29 April/Ebrill - Swansea Pride / Balchder Abertawe

30 April/Ebrill - Mini Pride and Swansea Anti-Capitalist Pride (1pm Singleton Park)  / Balchder Bach a Balchder Gwrthgyfalafol Abertawe (1yp Parc Singleton)

14 May/Mai - Colwyn Bay Pride / Balchder Bae Colwyn

17 June/Mehefin - Hay Pride

17 June/Mehefin - The Big Queer Picnic

17-18 June/Mehefin - Cardiff Pride / Balchder Caerdydd (Pride Cymru)

19 June/Mehefin - Cowbridge Pride / Balchder y Bontfaen

24 June/Mehefin - Caerphilly Pride / Balchder Caerffili

24 June/Mehefin - Abergavenny Pride

24 June/Mefefin - Balchder Gogledd Cymru / North Wales Pride Caernarfon

29 June/Mehefin - 2 July/Gorffennaf - Balchder Neath Port Talbot Pride

8 July/Gorffennaf - Llandeilo Pride / Balchder Llandeilo

15 July/Gorffennaf - Llanelli Pride / Balchder Llaneilli

29 July/Gorffennaf - Llandovery Pride / Balchder Llanymddyfri

12 August/Awst - Barry Pride / Balchder y Barri

12 August/Awst - Balchder Glitter Pride Cardiff

26 August/Awst - Merthyr Tydfil Pride / Balchder Merthyr Tudful

2 September/Medi - Pride in the Port Newport / Balchder Casnewydd

9-10 September/Medi - RCT Pride

15-17 September/Medi - Trans Pride Cardiff

16 September/Medi - Carmarthen Pride/Balchder Caerfyrddin

[karmagotme]

It's been announced that DuoLingo will stop updating Welsh courses. They've always championed endangered languages in the past but articles say they want to focus more on popular languages like Spanish and French. The following is a link to a petition to get the First Minister of Wales to work with the DuoLingo CEO and get them to save the course.

As someone who is learning Welsh, it's devastating news. Yes, there is still Say Something in Welsh and other methods, but DuoLingo is also extremely helpfull, especially for anyone who may not be able to afford all of the later courses in SSIW.

So please, signage would be most appreciated.

EDIT: Please don't think you have to live in Wales to sign this! I signed and I live in Australia. Share this with your language-learning friends around the world!

[kawaiideathslayer]

welsh miku!!! wanted to hop on the worldwide miku trend. I know others have already done welsh miku, but wanted to put my own spin on it, with things I grew up with in a Welsh medium primary school.

version with plain bg:

[camlannpod]

Okay I don't know if this is a good place to ask, sorry if it's random or annoying! I'm trying to learn Welsh for study purposes (goal: read Mabinogi) and I'm wondering if y'all can recommend any welsh-language podcasts or audiobooks? Especially medieval-adjacent ones, because brain gremlins. Thanks! (I hope this isn't annoying.)

Hey! Not annoying at all, it makes me so so happy when people ask this question!! Welsh is still an endangered language and a really underappreciated literary culture, please learn and read Welsh and tell other people about it!

Now I've had this ask before but the Tumblr search function continues to be garbage so I'm just gonna start again.

The Learn Welsh Podcast is super useful, as is Y Podleidiad Dysgu Cymraeg from BBC Radio Cymru. You could also check out Doctoriaid Cymraeg.

The fiction podcast We Know None has a little Welsh language in it, as does @ethicstownpod. And Gather the Suspects, Seren and Chain of Being are all from Welsh creators, so I recommend them!

Audiobooks are a bit trickier - because Welsh is endangered there aren't as many. This said, the bookshop Y Lolfa is an amazing Welsh language book store that has a few Welsh language audiobooks, and you can access it online. It also looks like Audible has a 'Welsh language' section of audiobooks - a quick glance and I think the books by Colin Jones should be a good start. They're fantasy rather than real mythology but designed for learners.

Always check the reviews, as sadly due to Welsh not being as widely spoken as it once was, sometimes these things will be made with bad pronunciation / mistakes, and might take you down the wrong track.

Also just a note - the original language of the Mabinogion is Medieval Welsh, which is quite different to modern Welsh. However you can find translations of it into modern Welsh and English.

And finally - it's not an audibook, but there is now a Welsh language edition of The Hobbit, Yr Hobyd, if you want to try that!

Happy learning, thank you for the ask!