New Year

It seems that a new year, and indeed a new decade has started, so Happy New Year / Decade!

I’ve noticed that some people are looking back at what they’ve done / achieved, etc over the past decade, so I thought I’d do something similar.

Back in 2009 I was studying for an MA in Linguistics at Bangor University, while working on Omniglot in my spare time, and writing for a couple of other websites. I finished my course in September of that year, though didn’t officially graduate until the following year, and have been working full-time on Omniglot since then.

Over the past decade Omniglot has grown quite a bit – I add something new, or make improvements, almost every day. The site now contains:

… and much more.

Since 2009 Omniglot has been visited by 176 million people, who have made 234 milion visits and viewed 407 million pages. There have been visitors every single country and territory, even Antarctica and North Korea. The top ten countries vistors come from are USA, India, UK, Canada, Philippines, Australia, Germany, Malaysia, Singapore and South Africa. The most spoken languages of visitors are: English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Dutch, Russian, Chinese and Polish.

Over the past decade I’ve studied and dabbled with a few languages, including: Breton, BSL, Cornish, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Esperanto, Icelandic, Irish, Latin, Manx, Romanian, Russian, Scots, Scottish Gaelic, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish and Toki Pona. I also started creating my own language: Laala, and made some con-scripts such as Crymeddau and Curvetic.

I joined a French conversation group back in 2009, and have been going almost every week since then. This has really helped to improve my French and I feel a lot more confident about using it now. When I can, I also go to a Welsh conversation group, and for a while I tried to run a polyglot conversation group.

Every summer I’ve been to Ireland to do courses in Irish language, traditional Irish songs, harp and/or bodhrán playing. I’ve also been to Scotland quite a few times to do courses in Scottish Gaelic songs.

In 2012 I started writing songs and tunes, and have written quite a few since then, especially in 2019, when I wrote a new song almost every month and several new tunes. I also started to write out the music for my tunes and songs, and to make new arrangements of them.

The first song I wrote was The Elephant Song, which came to me after going to a poetry writing workshop.

I haven’t made a good recording of my most recent song, but here’s one I wrote in November / December 2019:

Since 2014 I’ve been to a number of polyglot events, including the Polyglot Gathering and the Polyglot Conference. At most of these I’ve given talks or run workshops.

Polyglottery

In 2018 I started the Radio Omniglot Podcast, and have made 27 episodes so far. I try to make two episodes per month, but don’t always manage it.

In 2018 I also launched the Celtiadur, a collection of Celtic cognates, where I explore links between modern and ancient Celtic languages. This is an extension of the Celtic Cognates section on Omniglot.

Wow! Putting it together like this makes me realise that I haven’t been entirely idle.

Dydd amlieithog

Dydd eitha nodweddiadol oedd ddoe efo tipyn bach o waith yn bore, ac yn y prynhawn mi wnes i ymarfer y piano, y gitár ac offerynnau eraill, ac mi wnes i dysgu tipyn bach mwy o Lydaweg. Gyda’r nos mi wnes i darllen, a gwilio rhaglen teledu arlein. Heno roedd tri ohonon ni yn yr grŵp sgwrsio amlieithog, ac mi wnaethon ni siarad yn y Gymraeg ac yn Ffrangeg yn bennaf. Ar ôl hynny mi es i i Global Café, grŵp ar gyfer myfyrwyr rhyngwladol a lleol, a phobl eraill, a mi wnes i cwrdd a llawer o bobl gwahanol, a ges i gyfleoedd i siarad sawl ieithoedd, yn cynnwys Mandarineg, Cantoneg, Ffrangeg, Eidaleg, Sbaeneg ac Almaeneg.

Yesterday was a fairly typical day with a bit of work in the morning, and I practised the piano, guitar and other instruments in the afternoon, and learnt a bit more Breton. In the evening I read and watched a television programme online. This evening there were three of us in the polyglot group and we talked mainly in Welsh and French. After that I went to Global Café, a group for international students and locals students, and others, and I met lots of different people and had opportunities to speak many languages, including Mandarin, Cantonese, French, Italian, Spanish and German.

Arran as bannyn phrash

Ren mee arran jea, as haink eh lane via y cheayrt shoh – dirree eh as ta blass mie er. Riyr hie mee dys cuirrey kiaull yindyssagh syn ollooscoill – va bannyn phrash voish Beaumaris, Menai Bridge as Deiniolen cloie ry-cheilley as ry-shaghey.

Arán agus bannaí práis

Rinne mé arán inné, agus tá sé réasúnta maith – d’ardaigh sé an uair seo agus tá blas maith air. Aréir chuaigh mé chuig ceolchoirm iontach san ollscoil – bhí bannaí práis ó Beaumaris, Menai Bridge agus Deiniolen ag seinm le chéile agus ina n-aonar.

Bara a bandiau pres

Mi nes i bara ddoe, ac roedd o’n ddim yn ddrwg – mi gododd o y tro hwn ac mae genno fo blas da. Neithiwr es i i gyngerdd wych yn y brifysgol – roedd bandiau pres o Fiwmares, Porthaethway a Deiniolen yn chwarae gyda’i gilydd ac ar eu pennau eu hunain.

Cuirrey kiaull

Riyr hie mee dys yn chied cuirrey kiaull lesh bann phrash yn ollooscoill – ta paart jeh my chaarjyn ‘syn bann as hug nane jeu yn bann er bun. V’ad dy mie as va taitnys vooar ain.

Oie Jedoonee hie mee dys cuirrey kiaull yindyssagh lesh Sheshaght Chiaull yn ollooscoill, as noght ta mee goll dys possan y Nollick ec Global Café.

Cyngerddau

Neithiwr es i i’r gyngerdd gyntaf band pres y prifysgol – mae ffrindiau yn y band ac mi gafodd un ohonyn nhw sefydlu y band. Roedden nhw’n dda ac mi fwynheuon ni ein hunain yn fawr.

Nos Sul mi es i i gyngerdd wych gan Gymdeithas Gerdd y prifysgol, a heno dw i’n mynd i barti Nadolig yn Global Café.

Ceolchoirmeacha

Aréir chuaigh mé chuig an chéad ceolchoirm leis banna práis na hollscoile – tá cúpla de mo chairde sa banna agus chur daoine amháin acu an banna ar bun. Bhí siad go maith agus bhí muid ag déanamh suilt mór as.

Oíche Dhomhnaigh chuaigh mé chuig ceolchoirm leis Cumman Ceoil na hollscoile, agus anocht tá me ag dhul chuig coisir na Nollag ag Global Café.

Guillyn baa

Riyr ny yei y passan coloayrtys Frangish, hie mee dys y Thie Bee Blue Sky ayn Bangor as honnick mee Sharon King and the Never Never Cowboys, possan kiaull voish Nalbin. She arraneyder, screeudeyr arraneyn as gitardeyr ee Sharon, as va daa chaillin elley lhee – Vera van Heeringen, ar y gitar, mandalyn, fiddyl as kiaulleeaght cooidjagh, as Isobel Lohss ar y kishtey kiaullee as kiaulleeaght cooidjagh. Va ny arraneyn as y kiaull yindyssagh, as va ennaghtyn mie ayn.

Cowbois

Heno ar ôl y grŵp sgwrs Ffrangeg, es i i’r Tŷ Bwyta Blue Sky ym Mangor ac mi weles i Sharon King and the Never Never Cowboys, grŵp o’r Alban. Cantores, cyddansoddwraig a gitarydd ydy Sharon, ac roedd gynni hi dwy ennod eraill – Vera van Heeringen ar y gitâr, mandolin a ffidl a llais cyfeiliant, a Isobel Lohss ar yr acordion a llais cyfeilliant. Roedd y caneuon a’r gerddoriaeth yn wych, ac roedd naws da yn y lle.

Traghtys

Chur mee my hraghtys stiagh jiu – t’eh yindyssagh cur jerrey er fy yerrey.

Tráchtas

Chuir mé mo thráchtas isteach inniu – tá sé go hiontach é a chríochnú faoi dheireadh.

Traethawd hir

Mi gyflwynes i nhraethawd hir heddiw – mae hi’n wych ei orffen o’r diwedd.

Traaghtys

Cheayll mee voish my ynsaghey mychione my thraaghtys jiu, as er lhimmey jeh arraghey ny ghaa, t’eh begnagh aarloo cur roish.

Traethawd hir

Mi glywedais gan fy nhiwtor am fy nhraethawd hir heddiw, ac ar wahân i newid neu ddau, mae o bron yn barod i gyflwyno.

Tráchtas

Chuala mé ó mo mhaoirseoir faoi mo thráchtas inniu, agus lasmuigh de athrú nó dhó, tá sé beagnach réidh cuir isteach.

Traethawd hir

Yr wythnos hon mi orffennes y trydedd fersiwn fy nhraethawd hir, ac mi es i weld fy nhiwtor i siarad amdano. Ers hynny dw i wedi bod yn meddwl am pa bethau sy angen newid neu wella ynddo, ond mae rhaid i mi aros tan Ddydd Mercher i glywed beth mae nhiwtor yn meddwl amdano.

Ar ôl i mi orffen fy nghwrs MA, beth bydda i’n gwneud? Dyna sut mae llawer o bobl yn fy ofyn yn ddiweddar. A dweud y gwir, dw i ddim yn hollol siŵr. Does dim rhaid i mi chwilio am waith ‘go iawn’ oherwydd mod i’n medru ennill digon o bres i fyw amdano o fy ngwefan Omniglot, ac o’r erthyglau ydw i’n ysgrifennu am wefannau eraill. Ac dw i’n medru gwneud y pethau hyn o unrhywle yn y byd, ar yr amod fod gen i cysylltiad i’r we.

Dw i’n bwriadu aros ym Mangor am blwyddyn neu ddwy arall yn gwella fy wefan, fy ieithoedd ac fy ngherddoriaeth, ac efallai yn gwneud rhyw waith gwirfoddol. Hoffwn i’n gwneud cwrs Gaeleg a cherddoriaeth traddodiadoli yn y coleg ym Menbecwla (Beinn na Faoghla), ynys bach yn yr Ynysoedd Allanol Heledd hefyd.

Tráchtas

An seachtain seo chríochnaigh mé an tríú leagan mo thráchtas, agus chuaigh mé chun mo theagascóir a fheiceáil agus phléigh muid faoi. As sin amach tá mé ag smaoineamh ar cén rudaí ba cheart dom athrú nó feabhsú ann, ach caithfidh mé ag fanacht go dtí Dé Céadaoin chun cad é atá sé ag smaoineamh faoi a chluinstin.

I ndiaidh dom mo chúrsa MA a chríochnú, cad é a dhéanfaidh mé? Sin í an cheist a mbíonn a lán daoine ag cuir orm le déanaí. Déanta na fírinne, níl mé cinnte. Ní mór dom post ‘ceart’ a lorg, mar bhíonn go leor airgid ag teacht isteach ó mo shuíomh gréasáin Omniglot, agus ó na hailt a bhím ag scríobh le suíomhanna eile. Agus is féidir liom na rudaí sin a dhéanamh in áit air bith sa domhain, a fhad agus tá ceagal idirlín agam.

Tá rún agam a bheith ag fanacht anseo i mBangor le bliana nó dhá eile ag feabhsú mo shuíomh gréasáin, mo theangacha agus mo cheol, agus b’fhéidir ag déanamh obair deonach. Ba maith liom cúrsa a dhéanamh ar ceol traidisiúnta agus Gaeilge na hAlban sa Colaisde Bheinn na Faoghla chomh maith.