Welsh

[dahamsta]

Out of curiousity, what's happening in Wales these days? I was always fierce impressed with how Welsh kept going alongside English, as a secondary language but a very popular one. Is it still like that?

adam

[green goblin]

Out of curiousity, what's happening in Wales these days? I was always fierce impressed with how Welsh kept going alongside English, as a secondary language but a very popular one. Is it still like that?

adam

I work with a couple of Welsh lads. One of them is from the north, and is very fluent. When he calls up to speak to his mum and Dad he talks in Welsh. It gives him privacy, and why not, it's his language? His family are very much involved in Welsh culture and the survival of the language maters enormously to them. The other one is from the West, and he can probably speak about as much Welsh as you can Irish- very much something learned in school with little application in life. They are, however, both very Welsh inasmuch as they are hugely un-English. They'd cheer on Ireland over England for example- but then, they'd cheer on anyone over England.
Presumably it's the same story in Scotland and Brittany, to a greater or lesser extent depending on what part of the country you're from. Interestingly, Cornwall now has signposts in both English and Kernow. Bit of a twee tourist thing maybe, but the only 'proper' Cornish family I know do actually know a few words of their language, which surprised me, as I thought it'd gone for good.
After a good night I can barely speak English.

[green goblin]

The whole Welsh nationalist movement is based in the North West, or so I understand., I think Aberstwth (spelling?) is the HQ for Plaid Cymru.

I certainly understand that Cardiff and other places in the heavily populated South are as Welsh as Prince Charles and jellied eels.

Never did understand why the Prince of Wales is German Greek, either.

[Aberdonian Stu]

Well with regards to the Welsh language and nationalist movement there is a bit of separation between the two. While obviously the nationalist movement has an interest in the language there have been plenty of developments in the rest of Wales. Remember that approximately 60% of Welsh residents are ethnically English yet even in areas where traditional Welsh population is low the interest in the language is strong and from diverse backgrounds.

[$Leon$]

thats a bit like ireland.sure they have a black fella on ros na ru speakin better irish than most of the irish people i no.soon ethnic minorities will become more irish than the irish themselfes. and its all down to the fact that their more interested in becoming of the community than most irish people are with learning about our history and language.

[Plastic Paddy]

Well with regards to the Welsh language and nationalist movement there is a bit of separation between the two

An old friend of mine is the son of the most senior Anglican churchman in Wales, the Rt Rev Dr Barry Morgan, Archbishop of Llandaf. His first language is Welsh and he speaks it wherever possible, including to all his own family. And he's strongly in favour of more power for the Welsh Assembly. Make of that what you will.

Remember that approximately 60% of Welsh residents are ethnically English

Try telling that to my friend Morgan!

I don't mean to sound pompous, but I find that difficult to believe and also would question any source that claims it. It's not as if the Census structure in the UK is geared to capture that kind of information anyway.

PP

[Pablo]

i lived in Wales while at college. 2 years in all. the Wesh speakers are primaraly in the North and are seen as inbreds by the densly populated south of wales, which by the way, is as english a region as you can get

[SÓC]

...south of wales, which by the way, is as english a region as you can get

Maybe in Swansea...

Lived in Cardiff where most people didnt seem to care that much but you'd get a fair bit spoken about the place if you know where you are looking, much like Dublin really.

When I worked in their Civil Service they really like using their Welsh as much as they can but in some areas they are let down by the lack of rights that they have. Labour rule Wales with an Iron fist. They'll need the Welsh votes in the next election which is why they wont give Wales the primary powers (a parliment) which could enact proper language based rights laws. They were always saying to me how much they evny our Constitutional based rights.

As people have said the stronghold is in the North but can be extreme. Some of the Local Authorities up there are virtually Welsh speaking only .

Lovely place, I'd encourage anyone to visit Cardiff if they like their rugby or crappy Championship sides

[Aberdonian Stu]

I don't mean to sound pompous, but I find that difficult to believe and also would question any source that claims it. It's not as if the Census structure in the UK is geared to capture that kind of information anyway.

PP

Well actually it's based on measuring internal migration and other such stuff (that's a technical term ) including where it comes from (as in not just returning welshfolk). Read about it when I was studying Scots Gaelic a couple of years ago. I said that there is an obvious nationalist interest in the language but that it is much more than a nationalist thing.

[Ruairi]

i went to school in wales when i was 6 and I remember learning Welsh. My dad's wife is welsh and their kids speak a good bit of it. it's a mad language, but as Blackadder says, you'd need a pint of phlegm in your throat to pronounce half the place names.

[CollegeTillIDie]

Long Live The Republic of Wales.....

[Pauro 76]

Working with a Welsh guy where i am. The accent is very amusing, and when he answers the phone, sounds like hes singing! Have a soft spot for the Welsh after a long forgotten weekend drinking in Cardiff a while back!

[dcfcsteve]

The whole Welsh nationalist movement is based in the North West, or so I understand., I think Aberstwth (spelling?) is the HQ for Plaid Cymru.

I certainly understand that Cardiff and other places in the heavily populated South are as Welsh as Prince Charles and jellied eels.

The Welsh nationalist heartland is in North/North-West Wales, although they do have representatives at all levels throughout most of the rest of the country (including a few ethnic minority Muslim Councillors in Cardiff, for example). Aberystwyth is bang in the middle of West Wales, not the north, though is in the Welsh speaking area. The main population centre in the north is Bangor, which is a predominantly Welsh-speaking city.

The language-speaking heartlands are the North (again, especially North-west) and the West. Basically - the further you are from England, the stronger the language is.

Believe it or not there is a smattering of Welsh still spoken in English border areas that used to be part of Wales (e.g. Oswestry in Shropshire).

20% of the population of Wales are recorded as being able to speak the language (2001 census). Active users number probably half that. Regardless, you're much more likely to hear Welsh (Cymraeg) being spoken anywhere in the country than unfortunately you would Irish over here.

[niamh]

I shared a house with three Welsh, a English guy and another Irish chick in Cardiff while I was there and all three natives could speak fluent Welsh. Since the Welsh got their assembly Welsh speaking schools tend to get more funds, so ordinary non-speaking Welsh families are now sending their offspring to Welsh speaking schools.

One of the guys only ever spoke Welsh with his family...it sounds deadly.

[eoinh]

well, the thing about the welsh is................................................ .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ...........................................

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sorry, i had to dash out for a leek.

[Aberdonian Stu]

[dahamsta]

Have a soft spot for the Welsh after a long forgotten weekend drinking in Cardiff a while back!

Same here, except the location was Swansea. Drank all the way over on the ferry, the whole time we was there (two rules: can't pass a pub, can't leave without finishing up), and all the way back.

High points: Being congratulated by a group of soccer fans when they woke up in the morning to find us still drinking; standing on the deck with a bottle of Corona as we came into Ringaskiddy; watching the slappers and wackers in Quids In trying to decide what to fight and what to hump.

Low points: Having to go to the jacks with a can every five minutes cos I was so full up I couldn't drink sitting down; being shifted by an ould one in a wine bar in Llanelli when I leant back in my chair to, eh, rest my eyes. Ewww.

Best. Weekend. Ever.

adam